Building Blocks to transform the Built Environment
A manifesto to turn climate catastrophe into a climate opportunity
The Building Blocks manifesto provides a policy framework for a regenerative built environment that enables society and nature to thrive – creating jobs, improving health, and restoring the natural world.
We believe the Building Blocks can transform the UK by providing
£1.3 billion
NHS savings by retrofitting cold homes
£82 billion
boost to UK Gross Value Added by circular economy transition
Up to 725,000 jobs
created through low-carbon sector
With the scale of the built environment’s impact comes a massive opportunity to meaningfully address government climate objectives. Currently:
42% of carbon emissions in the UK are controlled or influenced by the built environment.
62% of waste and 50% of material use results from UK construction industry.
More than 50% of biodiversity has been lost in UK over the last 50 years.
"UK Architects Declare is a network of over 1,330 signatory practices committed to addressing the climate and biodiversity emergency. It is clear that 30 years of sustainable design has not got us where we need to be, and we are calling for a fundamental shift towards circular and regenerative models.
We urgently require true climate leadership by a government that embraces far-reaching change and implements this at a national scale. Since Architects Declare’s formation in 2019, the construction sector has offered many practical solutions to solve the climate crisis and create a just built environment. However, to have a meaningful long-term impact, this sector-led commitment needs to be supported and accelerated by national policy."
Julia Barfield MBE - Director of Marks Barfield