The Role of Sustainable Architecture in an Era of Environmental Challenges
Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have increased since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. This triggered an unnatural warming and the Earth's temperature which has increased dramatically in a short period of time. This brought many problems such as natural disasters, tropical cyclones, heavy precipitation events, extreme heat events, and drought. It is an urgent need to make all processes “sustainable” in order to protect the environment and human life. Since urban areas are estimated to be the source of approximately 80% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and a significant proportion of these greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas originate from buildings, buildings should be considered as one of the first stops on the road to sustainability. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the importance of sustainable architecture in addressing environmental challenges and ensuring sustainable urban development.