The world is buckling under the heat. Wildfires, dried-up rivers and extreme water shortages are leaving both people and nature gasping for breath, leaving no doubt as to the urgency of the climate crisis. Sky-high energy prices are also putting pressure on citizens, businesses and national economies.

Climate change and the need for the energy transition have been making headlines around the world for years. This year, the Rotterdam International Architecture Biennale is dedicating an entire edition to the topic with ‘It’s about time’. In Europe, the construction sector is responsible for 40 per cent of CO2 emissions. Architectural, urban planning and structural engineering decisions therefore determine 40 per cent of the current challenges. This also means that architects and urban planners hold the tools to drastically reduce those emissions and thus be at the forefront – and therefore co-architects – of the net-zero carbon society envisaged for 2050.