I visited the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference COP (Conference Of the Parties) for the first time in Dubai. While the one in the Hague held in 2000 could fit into one auditorium, this year there were about 80,000 people present for the ‘Blue zone’ alone and apparently, 400,000 passes for the ‘Green zone’ for the general public.

RIBA has been granted ‘observer status’ since the one held in Glasgow in 2021 and I wanted to see how architects could engage with the challenge of the climate crisis, given that buildings are responsible for 40% emissions.

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