A materials summer: What’s new and what’s coming for the A&D Materials Pledge

With the average person spending approximately 90% of their time indoors, the built environment spaces we inhabit – and the materials that that encompass it – matter.  Understanding the materials landscape’s importance and its complexity goes hand in hand for built environment professionals. Low carbon materials may not necessarily be sourced in ethical procurement processes, and materials that are most resilient to climate impacts may not produce the best human health outcomes. Unlike the industry’s metrics for decarbonizing, there is limited and more complex data to define success. Progress in holistic materials specification requires the creation and tracking of an intricate web of metrics from various sources and industries. This will require establishing and supporting a firm culture that engrains peer-to-peer networks and education, goal setting and data tracking, and candid conversations of where and how improvements need to be made to ensure progress. 

The A&D Materials Pledge

In a materials world full of data points, certifications, environmental and health product disclosures, the architect’s role can be convoluted.  AIA’s Architecture & Design Materials Pledge can serve as a guide. Originating in 2018,  the AIA climate action pledge program focused on transforming the industry to ensure a holistically minded materials specification process. Looking from the sourcing of raw materials through the construction process and all the way to the end life of materials, there are critical intervention points in which architects and designers can utilize their expertise and use best available data to choose healthier materials. The Materials Pledge unites a signatory network of more than 270 architecture and design firms that are dedicated to making change, from firm culture to project-by-project basis. Akin to the AIA 2030 Commitment, one of the core principles of the Materials Pledge is that you cannot improve what you’re not tracking. 

Data and reporting 

The Materials Pledge reporting framework has been developed in alignment with industry partners such as USGBC and mindful MATERIALS (mM) to ensure that material efforts are complementary across the materials landscape. In its inaugural year of reporting, the Materials Pledge includes reporting at the Firm-, Project-, and Product-level scales: 

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  Firm-level questions are mandatory for reporting and include general information about each firm, firm commitments, resources, knowledge, and implementation. 
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  Project-level reporting, optional in 2024, includes general material strategy questions that apply across the project.  
   
• Within each project, project teams can then choose how many Product Types to report and how many Impact Categories to address for each Product Type.  

This year's inaugural Materials Pledge reporting opened on July 18 and closes on September 8, 5pm ET. There is a new accompanying resource the A&D Materials Pledge Guidebook (V1) to help firms navigate their first year of reporting data. Additionally, the following Materials Pledge (MP)  reporting Open Office Hours will be hosted to help support firms and questions they may have:  

• Materials Pledge Reporting – Project-level metrics: 8/15 @ 2pm ET Register now > 
• Materials Pledge signatories only need to report once per firm. Report now >

Sign the pledge

Following the first year of data collection, the Materials Pledge program will publish an AIA Materials Progress Report in 2024, showcasing high-level data from reporting firms. The materials movement is rapidly evolving, and we’re excited to continue to collaborate with our industry partners to best support Materials Pledge signatories to meet the challenge.  
Not a Materials Pledge signatory yet? Sign the pledge here.