CLIMATE ACTION & INNOVATION
Statement
IDIBC acknowledges the scientific evidence that human activities are causing climate change with significant impacts on biodiversity and habitats. We are committed to supporting members’ education and practices to address climate change in tangible ways. We believe that interior designers should be stewards of a circular economy in the design and construction industry.
Manifesto
Now is the time to empower and educate our community on how to address the effects of our profession on climate change. We call on all members to adhere to the following directives:
- Embed resilience into our practice, by designing flexible, high-performance spaces that will serve future generations as well as our own.
- Eliminate waste through the incorporation of adaptable modular components, designing for future disassembly and component re-use, emulating nature where waste equals food for another system.
- Protect human health and welfare by designing for circadian rhythms and thermal comfort, promoting access to fresh air and natural views, making the best use of daylighting, and prioritizing materials and furnishings that foster health and well-being.
- Support communities by embracing universal design, social equity, local culture and heritage, and the interconnection of humanity and nature.
- Minimize the use of non-renewable resources through design strategies that incorporate renewable resources to protect natural systems.
IDIBC Earth Day 2022 – Call to Action
Read the CA&I summary – The IDIBC Climate Action & Innovation Committee compiled the key findings from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, highlighting the urgent need for IDIBC members to address the effects of climate change within our professional capacities.
Additional Resources
The resources and tools below are intended to support IDIBC members in addressing climate change through design excellence and innovative technologies. Many of the organizations below offer extensive learning opportunities with programs, courses, conferences, and events.
Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC)
The CaGBC is a non-profit, national organization whose mission is to lead and accelerate the transformation to high-performing, healthy green buildings, homes and communities throughout Canada. The CaGBC is the license holder for the LEED Green Building Rating Systems in Canada.
GBCI provides Canadian customer service and expert guidance to streamline and accelerate the delivery of GBCI’s sustainability certification and credentialing programs including: LEED, TRUE and WELL.
International Living Future Institute (ILFI)
The ILFI’s mission is to lead the transformation toward a civilization that is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. ILFI has numerous programs including Living Future Challenge and Transparency Labels, such as DECLARE, a nutrition labeling program for products.
International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI™)
The IWBI is leading the global movement to transform our buildings and communities in ways that help people thrive. The WELL Building Standard is a certification program to advance health and well-being in buildings globally.
Passive House Canada (PHC)
PHC is a non-profit, national professional association whose mission is to make the International Passive House high-performance building standard understood, achievable, and adopted by government, industry, professionals, and homeowners across Canada through education, advocacy, events, and building projects.
Sustainable Minds Transparency Catalog
The Sustainable Minds Transparency Catalog enables sourcing manufacturers investing in product transparency organized using Masterformat divisions and sections. The building products catalog offers a single source for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Health Product Declarations (HPDs) in North America, with disclosures required to meet product transparency credits and criteria in green building rating systems.
Further Reading
The Circular Economy: Part One
by Robert Atkinson of Interior Architects
An introduction to the core principles of the circular economy, how they relate to the design and construction industries, and why they are imperative.
The Circular Economy: Part Two
by Robert Atkinson of Interior Architects
Part two considers examples alongside their application for designers, contractors, manufacturers, and facilities managers, and we will explore specific applications of these principles for designers, including integration with programs already in place such as WELL, LEED and BREEAM.
While the IDIBC is providing links to other websites and documents for ease of access, the IDIBC does not endorse the content of these external resources. Nor does the IDIBC assume responsibility or liability for the content of external resources.