We need change!

The building sector has a huge impact on our climate and biodiversity – it is responsible for about 50% of all extracted material, as well as for over 35% of EU waste.🛈 Buildings, over their life cycle, account for around 40% CO2 emissions in the EU.🛈 To maintain a liveable world for people and other species and to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change, we must drastically reduce our emissions and resource use. To do that democratically, we need to rethink the system we are acting within, reconsider our needs, and challenge dominant industry narratives.

The science is clear that business as usual is no longer an option: there might be a way out, but it requires deep, systemic change, not small, cosmetic reforms.

Social justice over speculation

Climate justice and social justice are inseparable: a “green transition” that pushes people out of their homes or increases inequality is unjust, and social policies that fuel ecological breakdown are unacceptable. Our built environment must serve the public good. That means prioritising planetary boundaries and social needs.

This requires confronting the financialisation of the built environment. Buildings that support human needs and rights have no place in speculative investment logics, but have to prioritise public, cooperative and non-profit provision. We are in urgent need of transparency about who owns, benefits, and decides.

Reuse over demolition

Reducing new construction means questioning demand before expanding supply. It means prioritising care, repair, reuse and adaptation, and valuing long‑term habitability over demolition and speculation. There is no shortage of space; vacant and underused buildings must be redistributed and adapted, not left empty for profit or bureaucratic reasons. New construction should be the exception. When it happens, it must serve clear social purposes, strengthen communities and remain within planetary boundaries. 

Biodiversity over Extraction

Because a deeply enmeshed culture of extraction dominates the built environment, we must acknowledge that the construction industry is addicted to products and materials that are made with energy-intensive methods, causing large-scale devastation of natural habitats. We call for regenerative practices that prioritise biodiversity above profit margins, and reject the greenwashing that is rampant across our industry.

Who we are

We are European citizens, as well as built environment professionals, united by a shared vision of safe, affordable, healthy and resilient spaces. We believe that architecture is a public act with ethical consequences and acknowledge our responsibility to act within the planetary boundaries.

As an “Assembly for a Just Building Transition“, we use our diversity and differences to recognise strong points of convergence and a shared responsibility to act now. By working across contexts, we are building a collective European process that remains open, iterative and representative.

Join us!

There are multiple ACAN chapters who are part of the European Network for a Just Building Transition and have been engaging with the conception of the network. Only by working collectively can we achieve the wholesale systemic change needed within the built environment. The JBT network is our opportunity to meet sister organisations, share our struggles and resources, and work together for the future we need. 

The 3rd Assembly for a Just Building Transition will happen on 29-31 May, bringing together like-minded individuals and organisations to pursue our collective goals. The Assembly and Network remain open to those working across climate, housing and social justice in the built environment. If you resonate with this statement, we invite you to get involved!

One of the network’s first flagship activities will be the European Action Week, 5th – 13th September 2026. A decentralised festival of local actions, gathering and events exploring how we want to live, build and shape our communities and built environment