Can architects save the global environment?

The current environmental destruction is far faster than the Earth can recover. Even though the seriousness of global warming, such as desertification and abnormal weather, is becoming known, the mass consumption of oil and coal continues, and CO2 emissions are increasing. In addition, the destruction of the ozone layer, air, water and marine pollution, deforestation, and other environmental destruction of the entire Earth are progressing. Regarding global warming in particular, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that if high economic growth dependent on fossil fuels continues, the average global temperature at the end of the 21st century (2090-2099) will be about 4°C higher than at the end of the 20th century (1980-1999). The average temperature rise over the 100 years since 1906 was 0.74°C, but it will rise rapidly over the next 100 years, and the impact on the ecosystem will be immeasurable, and it is clear that the adverse effects will extend to humanity.

Particularly in resource-rich countries, large-scale development has been undertaken with the abundant funds gained from the soaring prices of natural resources, resulting in the consumption of vast amounts of energy that is far removed from environmental conservation. Up until now, our lives in developed countries have been supported by the natural resources and low-cost labor of developing countries. Therefore, we share some of the responsibility for the environmental destruction in developing countries, and we must make efforts to improve the situation. Emissions trading has already begun, but the key to future environmental improvement is truly the global relationship between developed and developing countries.

On the other hand, this is a problem that cannot be solved unless each individual is conscious of improving the environment and takes measures starting from their own surroundings. The circle of citizen-level activities is expanding, such as the "Mottainai Movement" by Wangari Maathai of Kenya, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and the "4R Movement," known as Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

This year's JIA Congress was a good opportunity to take a serious look at environmental initiatives in the field of architecture and to rethink this issue from a global, not just local, perspective, but I still believe that the solution to the problem lies in changing the architecture and the city around us in a steady and sustainable manner. In Tokyo Marunouchi, in collaboration with architects, designers, builders, tenants, and related government agencies, visible efforts have been made to mitigate the heat island effect, such as greening of building rooftops, walls, Marunouchi Nakadori Street and spraying dry mist, as well as the use of grey water, district heating and cooling systems, and in new buildings, the use of window treatments and efficient air conditioning systems. In addition to visible efforts such as greening and dry spraying, the use of gray water, the system, and the use of window treatments and efficient air conditioning in new buildings, the city as a whole is working to reduce CO In addition, we are contributing to solving the problem by actively proposing our accumulated environmental and energy-saving architectural technologies throughout Asia and other regions.

We believe that it is our responsibility as architects to continue to create and provide people with a rich environment through these kinds of steady efforts, dreaming of a planet that will regain its vitality and become more beautiful.