Tuia Pito Ora New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects is developing a series of guideline documents which will support the role of landscape architects in their responses to climate change and climate positive design.

The Institute expects the guideline documents will be available to members later this year with feedback sought prior to online publishing. The formulation of these guidelines has been made possible by the support of ACO Ltd and Firth. 

The guideline documents are part of the Institute’s overall Climate Action Policy which you can read more about here. 

A NZILA Climate Action Working Group was set up last year and members gave an update to delegates at the recent 2023 NZILA Firth Conference in Whakatū Nelson.

NZILA President Henry Crothers is one of the working group members. He told conference delegates that the work which began last year has been made more urgent by the extreme weather events seen so far this year.

Dr Simon Swaffield led the update session, saying the science around climate change is absolutely clear now. 

“It's been notable that this has been the year when any doubt has been removed in the IPCC. 

“They have always been very cautious in their claims over the past decades, but this year they've said there's no longer any doubt. Human activity, particularly burning fossil fuels, but also clearing natural forests, expanding agriculture and so on, is having a dramatic increase in the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere,” he told delegates. 

Simon says, as the most recent IPCC report made clear, “We need to do everything everywhere, all at once” which is quite a challenge for the landscape architecture profession. 

But, he says, there is a way forward for the profession to contribute. 

“First we stop making things worse .. We burn less fossil fuel, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce the carbon footprint of our projects. We protect and regenerate landscapes that are carbon sinks such as forests and wetlands. All the things we do.

“Second, we adapt our landscapes to the changes that are already in the system to reduce climate risks, for example, by managing coastal retreat. 

And third, we make things better. By creating co-benefits that build community resilience and wellbeing, such as urban greening.” 

Simon says the challenge now is how to make this transition as professionals “as fast, fair and efficiently as we can. 

He says the Institute is working to build understanding of the science of international agreements and landscape architecture initiatives underway in other countries.

He says the plan is to develop a kaupapa which combines Maori and Pakeha thinking and which is inspired by Te Tangi a te Manu. 

Simon told delegates that the working group needed help from the entire profession as the broad topics and information were distilled into a clear action plan. 

The conference update session included a Q & A with other working group members including Craig Pocock, Meg Back and Rebecca Jerram. You can see that in full in the video below.