Opinion piece by Isabel Allen, Editor at Architecture Today

Last month, UK Architects Declare presented Parliament with Building Blocks, a manifesto to transform the built environment in response to the threat of climate catastrophe. The document sets out a series of policy recommendations designed to deliver three key targets: prioritising resource efficiency, kickstarting the circular economy, and restoring social and natural infrastructure. Optimistic in tone, it predicts that a transition to a circular economy could deliver a public policy bonanza: an £82 billion boost to the economy; up to 725,000 low-carbon sector jobs; a £1.3 billion saving to the NHS through retrofitting cold homes.

A win-win situation – with one crucial caveat: the government needs to do some groundwork for any of this to work. Specifically, it needs to align the economy with wellbeing and planetary limits, foster climate leadership, and safeguard future generations’ ability to act. Oh, and provide climate literacy and training at a national scale. In short, it needs to re-educate the entire population: transform its skillset; challenge its mindset; establish new priorities; and empower its youth. As Franklin D. Roosevelt famously observed, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” Yet somehow we have to do both. Effectively, efficiently and soon.

The Building Blocks manifesto suggests that climate literacy should be targeted at four levels: government and civil service; university and higher education; the national curriculum; and the general public. And that the government develops tailored apprenticeship and training schemes to address existing and forecast gaps in labour shortages and skills.

Perhaps it should go further still. What if climate literacy and action formed the bedrock for a new kind of National Service? A collective endeavour framed in terms of civic resilience as opposed to patriotic duty. A compulsory year of training, or volunteering, or employment within the green economy. An opportunity to develop diverse skills – from retrofitting to data crunching to critical thinking – depending on individual aptitudes and interests. A vehicle to engender collaboration and engagement; to organise and mobilise around a common goal. An unambiguous message that climate catastrophe is as disruptive and as deadly as any military aggressor; that it’s not an academic concept but an existential threat.

We have been working with UK Architect’s Declare to launch the Regenerative Architecture Index (RAI). This inaugural initiative sets out to benchmark practices progress in the move towards regenerative practice and projects. You can take part, here.