A two-person delegation from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) will be present as observers of next week’s COP27 summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in an unprecedented move first announced yesterday by the organization.

Landprocess founder Kotchakorn Voraakhom and Climate Positive Design founder/CMG Landscape Architecture principal Pamela Conrad will travel to the conference in order to present the ASLA Climate Action Plan to attendees, which is set for publication on November 12th.

The plan is an extension of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Climate Action Commitment that was announced at last year’s summit. The 27th edition is taking place under a rather unique set of circumstances colored by an ongoing land war and a recent UN report that called for up to $6 trillion in annual green investments in order to combat its updated prediction indicating the world is now on track to warm between 2.1 to 2.9°C by the end of the century.

“Landscape architects are uniquely qualified to scale-up nature-based solutions that can help solve the climate crisis and prevent its adverse effects,” Conrad, who was also recently named a Harvard Loeb Fellow, mentioned in a preview. “We are going to COP27 to advocate for change that will accelerate carbon drawdown and reduce emissions while supporting health, biodiversity, and resilience for the world’s most underserved communities.”

The delegation will therefore advocate for an accelerated reduction in emissions and an increase in carbon sequestration strategies, which, in terms of the landscape profession, can include everything from manmade peat bogs to green corridor construction. 

Their presentation can deliver a key message to global leaders about the importance of landscape design in various governments’ efforts toward those ends. It will do so in the wake of news that a mere 24 of last year's attending countries followed through on promises to revisit and strengthen their existing climate plans.

“We can’t just wait for world leaders and policymakers to fix the climate crisis,” Voraakhom, representing the International ASLA chapter, said finally. “Landscape architects are stepping up, getting our seat at the table, and letting the world know our knowledge and know-how. Nature-based solutions, especially ecosystem-based adaptation, can be done through an integrated approach that respects nature and cultural integrity.”