08/11/2022
COP27 thoughts in Dezeen
Studio Bark in Conversation with Dezeen
Dezeen’s news piece follows the expressed frustrations and optimisms of architects on their expectations of COP27. As built environment sustainability experts questioned the role of summit for sustainable architecture around the world.
Ahead of the conference, we were asked to voice our opinions on what we hope to be achieved at COP27. Questions were raised about architects involvement and inclusion into the programme and whether there where any issues we felt would be overlooked in the forthcoming summit.
Our Involvement with COP conferences
Last year, Studio Bark travelled up to Glasgow for COP26, where we were bitterly disappointed with the outcomes. The succession of the COP conferences have failed to deliver much, degrading at any hope for COP27. What hope we found last year within the general population has largely dissapated within the last twelve months:
“What the experience has also reaffirmed though, is a genuine desire on the part of civil society to bring about the far reaching changes that will be needed in order to turn things around and ensure some kind of habitable future. Whether or not we rise to this challenge depends upon all of us.”
Since then, it has become clear that the sentiment of collective action has been unable to withstand the exclusive nature of the conference:
“It is positive to see organisations such as Architecture 2030 having a presence as representatives from the built environment sector. However, COP is an exclusive and closed process which results in a democratic deficit overall. This exclusivity makes it difficult for civil society, including those in the built environment, to influence the process.”
