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The “Why”  

Why You Should Care

Climate Change is the Biggest Threat to Our Future

Temperatures on the surface of the earth are now 1.1 degrees Celsius hotter than they were in 1850-1900. Scientists around the world agree that human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gasses, have unequivocally caused this global warming.  

Extreme weather and weather-related catastrophes are only one consequence of climate change:

Social Upheaval: As parts of the world become too warm or dangerous for people to live in or make a living in, mass migrations will ensue, resulting in social and political upheavals. 

Ecosystem Disruptions: Changes in climate will add to the loss of biodiversity, threatening or causing the extinction of many species, with disastrous consequences to ecosystems. 

Business Losses: A 2023 analysis of more than 12,000 companies and worst-case global warming scenarios found that between now and 2050, businesses could experience losses of about $0.45 for every $1 of cumulative operating cash that they generate. 

Design & Construction Contribute to Climate Change

The building industry is responsible for about 39 percent of the world’s carbon emissions. 

By 2050, about half of those will be embodied carbon emissions, i.e., the carbon we burn to make all the stuff
that goes into buildings.

Interior designers have a special role to play in reducing embodied carbon emissions. Every time an interior is renovated, all the materials that are removed and all the new materials that are brought into the space add to the embodied carbon emissions of a building.

Over the life of a building, interior renovations could end up representing about half of a building’s total embodied carbon emissions.

Interior Designers Can Make a Huge Impact

The unique role that interior designers play in the built environment can allow you to make a bigger difference than you imagine:

Specification Influence: The average interior designer influences about 26 times the purchasing power of the average American consumer. For interior designers at large firms, this influence can be as much as 111 times the purchasing power of the average consumer.

Continuous Impact: Since interiors are renovated frequently, designers have the special opportunity to make more and more sustainable choices with each renovation of a space, contributing to better and better results over the life of a building.

Holistic Impact: Design decisions and product choices can make spaces more climate friendly while also keeping people healthy and well. See the AIA Materials Pledge to understand the impacts that material selections can have.


If you have feedback on the Climate Toolkit for Interior Design, write to: [email protected]