Architects advocate for a more resilient built environment at U.N. climate change conference

WASHINGTON – November 5, 2026 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is sending a delegation to participate at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, from Nov. 9 -Nov. 20.

At COP31, AIA will continue elevating architects as essential partners in addressing climate change through decarbonization, resilience and regenerative design. The conference provides a global advocacy platform to highlight the profession’s leadership in reducing building-sector emissions, adapting communities to climate impacts and advancing initiatives such as the 2030 Commitment, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Pledge, and Materials Pledge. It also reinforces the collective influence of AIA’s 100,000-plus members in driving climate solutions worldwide.

“As AIA prepares for COP31, a pivotal moment to move from climate commitments to meaningful implementation, one thing is clear: climate action must deliver measurable results for people, communities, and the planet,” said 2026 AIA President Illya Azaroff, FAIA. “Architects have a critical role to play in translating global ambition into action—decarbonizing the built environment, strengthening resilience, and advancing regenerative design that helps communities and ecosystems thrive. Beyond meeting existing commitments, this moment calls for rethinking how we design, build, and invest to create a more resilient and regenerative future.”

The AIA delegation will be speaking at several COP31 events, including:

Resilience: Shifting from Intention to Action   
Wednesday, November 11: 8:00 - 10:00 AM
Resilience is no longer a future goal. It's an urgent necessity. As climate risks grow, resilience and disaster risk reduction must be embedded in how we plan, finance, and design our communities. 2026 AIA President, Illya Azaroff, FAIA, will keynote and lead this interactive session at TED Countdown House exploring how bold ideas become tangible action and durable policy to create resilient, regenerative places that can withstand shocks, adapt to change, and emerge stronger.  

Passive First for Cooler Cities
Thursday, November 12: 9:30 – 10:30 AM
This session explores how passive-first cooling strategies can be scaled from individual buildings to neighborhoods and cities. Through case studies and local examples, it will highlight proven approaches and examine technical, financial, regulatory and institutional barriers to broader adoption. Azaroff will lead discussions on integrating passive-first principles into building codes, planning frameworks and technical standards while identifying pathways to expand successful solutions through policy, investment and implementation. Hosted by the Cool Coalition, GlobalABC, UN-Habitat and İlbank at the Resilient Cities, Buildings, and Cooling Pavilion.

The Value Case for Retrofitting for Resilience
Thursday, November 12: 3:30 – 4:30 PM
Azaroff will lead a fishbowl discussion of the Adapting Buildings to Climate Change report, exploring how climate risk assessment can inform decisions on new construction, renovations and retrofits. The session will examine strategies for scaling adaptation across existing building stock, including new approaches to assessing, prioritizing and upgrading buildings for future climate risks. Hosted by Saint-Gobain, Arup, the German Energy Agency and UKGBC at the Resilient Cities, Buildings, and Cooling Pavilion.

Vision to Urgency: Scaling Built Environments for Global Regeneration  
Saturday, November 14: 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Cities and infrastructure are on the front lines of climate impacts, making adaptation an urgent priority. This high-level summit brings together leaders in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and engineering to explore how climate-responsive design can be scaled from individual projects to regenerative, citywide solutions. Panelists will discuss integrating nature-based solutions, resilient engineering and low-carbon design into professional practice, municipal policies and investment strategies to accelerate climate adaptation worldwide.

Empowering Safe, Sustainable and Climate Resilient Communities
Saturday, November 14: 3:00 – 4:30 PM
Explore practical tools and proven strategies for creating climate resilient communities. Presenters will highlight how strong building codes, disaster planning, nature-based solutions and regenerative design can help communities adapt to climate hazards, restore ecosystems and improve wellbeing.  This event is co-hosted by AIA, International Code Council (ICC), Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) at Side Event Room Yellow.

Powered by Place: Through Heritage and Innovation 
Saturday, November 14: 5:00 – 6:30 PM 
For generations, traditional knowledge, place-based architecture, and cultural practices have demonstrated how communities can thrive by working with the climate, heritage, and natural systems of their place. As climate disruption and resource constraints challenge conventional practices, Powered by Place challenges status quo and highlight communities that draw their strength, resilience, and identity from the unique regenerative, ecological, cultural intelligence and innovation based on where they belong. This event is co-hosted by Architecture 2030, Climate Heritage Network, Article 25, Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, KOMPAS VC, Knowledge Foundation, and AIA at the Resilient Cities, Buildings, and Cooling Pavilion.

From Policy to Pavement: Operationalizing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) for Equitable, Regenerative Cities
Tuesday, November 17: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
While National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) under the UNFCCC provide foundational frameworks for country-level climate readiness, a major governance and implementation gap persists between national strategic documents and municipal execution. Cities house the majority of vulnerable populations and infrastructure exposed to compounding thermal extremes, flood risks, and energy volatility. However, municipal planners and architects frequently lack the cross-scale policy instruments, financial pipelines, and equity frameworks required to translate treaty-level goals into physical, street-level reality.

Hosted at the Thailand Pavilion, this high-level executive panel convenes the global architect of the UNFCCC NAP process, leadership from the world’s foremost institute on human security, the 2026 President of the American Institute of Architects, Singapore’s premier urban planning center, and a leading academic authority on energy justice and climate policy.

Designing Resilient Cities: How Architects Are Working with Cities to Build Stronger Communities 
Tuesday, November 17: 2:00 – 3:00 PM
As cities face growing risks from disasters, climate change, aging infrastructure, and economic uncertainty, collaboration has become more critical than ever. This panel will explore how partnerships between municipal leaders and resilience experts are advancing innovative strategies to strengthen community resilience and accelerate climate adaptation. Panelists will examine how communities can better prepare for and recover from disruption while improving quality. Hosted by AIA at The Climate Registry’s USA Climate Pavilion.

About COP31

COP31 is the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference. The United Nations has been convening nearly all the world’s countries at global climate summits since the 1992 Earth Summit (ECO92) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This conference was a source of cooperation on development and sustainability following the end of the Cold War. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was one of the most notable achievements.  The UNFCCC treaty was established to combat dangerous human interference and is the foundation for the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. The United Nations Climate Change Conference is the convening of the parties to the UNFCCC; thus, COP stands for “Conference of the Parties.”