“The Copenhagen Lessons” consist of 10 principles for a rapid and radical change in the built environment to reach the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (the SDGs). The congress demonstrated that the architectural solutions are already here, contributing to sustainable communities and quality of life. However, the built environment is also an active part of the current challenges: a major consumer of energy and natural resources, and a producer of waste – and it can have a huge impact on both inequality and public health. The construction industry alone accounts for 40% of global CO2 emissions and 35% of total waste, which calls for urgent action.

“The Sustainable Development Goals define a crucial global agenda, which the built environment must contribute to. How we act on this must be bold – even radical, compared with current practice. With “The Copenhagen Lessons”, we present 10 principles for what that means when we construct, plan and develop the built environment. The health of the planet and basic human needs are on the line, we have no time to waste,”stated Natalie Mossin, President of UIA World Congress of Architects 2023.