In 2009, the American Institute of Architects launched the AIA 2030 Commitment, a strategy and framework that takes direct aim at reaching net-zero emissions in the built environment.

Naturally, design and building materials are bedrock to achieving that goal. And so, in 2018, the AIA introduced the Architecture & Design (A&D) Materials Pledge and formally adopted it in 2020. Since then, more than 300 firms have committed to improving their material selection process across the pledge's five impact areas: human health, social health and equity, ecosystem health, climate health and circular economy.

And holding true to the old adage, "You can't manage what you don't measure," in 2023, the AIA opened voluntary reporting to signatory firms with the goal of tracking trends and better understanding optimization strategies to help the industry as a whole progress.

And as Melanie De Cola, director of climate action pledge programs at the AIA, explains, despite only having two years of data to reflect on, their still starting to see some insightful patterns emerge.