Sustainability Weekly
Fridays are for…
New Years Goals, Offshore Drilling Bans, Off-The-Grid Cities, and more!
by Alli DiGiacomo
Happy Friday and first Sustainability Weekly of 2025! I After the hottest year on record globally, now is as good of a time as ever to reflect and set some goals for yourself. As designers, we are trying our best to design durable buildings to last for generations. But why are some of us thinking only of ourselves and this current generation, not future generations? Every decision you make has an impact, including the materials you select, the specs you write, the companies you work with, and even the details you design. A good designer does not design one building type and build it over and over, we solve and design each space and challenge differently, building a diverse portfolio over time. There is not one solution to Climate Change, there is an entire portfolio of solutions. I hope this year you have the courage to be part of the solution.
Keep reading for more sustainability news…
T H I S W E E K ’ S T O P S T O R I E S
HOW 2025 COULD SHIFT THE DIAL ON CLIMATE
The year 2025 will be another critical year in the global fight against climate change, with several key events and shifting dynamics that have an influence on climate action. The most anticipated moment will be COP30, the 30th UN climate conference, held in Belém, Brazil, in November. Brazil is positioning itself as a climate leader through its efforts to combat deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. This landmark event coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, which committed nations to limit global warming to below 2°C, ideally 1.5°C. At COP30, countries will submit updated climate targets, outlining plans to decarbonize their economies and protect against climate impacts over the next decade. These updates, due every five years, must be far more ambitious than those set in 2020, which only aimed to cut global emissions by 4-10% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels—far short of the 43% reduction required to meet the 1.5°C target. Since 2015, when the Paris Agreement was signed, the global energy transition has accelerated significantly, with renewable energy now often the most cost-effective option.
Experts continue to emphasize the urgent, collective action that will be needed to meet the Paris goals. One challenge happening this year is Donald Trump’s return to the White House, which experts view as a major setback for U.S. climate policy. He has vowed to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement and possibly the UNFCCC, but clean energy's economic momentum and bipartisan support in Republican-led regions offer hope for continued progress.
February will see new national climate goals (NDCs) submitted under the Paris Agreement, with heightened ambition necessary to tackle escalating emissions, which hit record levels in 2023. These plans are only updated every five years and outline how countries intend to decarbonise their economies and protect their citizens from climate impacts over the next 10 years. Also in February, biodiversity discussions will resume in Rome, focusing on financing to protect 30% of Earth's land and seas by 2030. Early 2025 we will see a landmark climate lawsuit, with the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion potentially shaping global legal precedents for climate accountability. In May, the launch of MicroCarb satellite will advance atmospheric CO2 monitoring, showing the growing role of satellite technology in addressing environmental challenges. Midyear, plastic pollution negotiations will continue, with divided views over curbing production versus improving recycling. All of these events and more will shape the trajectory of climate and nature efforts as the world edges closer to its 2050 goals.
BIDEN MOVES TO BAN OFFSHORE DRILLING ACROSS 625 MILLION ACRES
President Biden has announced a landmark move to ban new offshore oil and gas drilling across 625 million acres of U.S. coastal waters. The decision, made under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, will protect vast areas along the East Coast, the Pacific Coast (off Washington, Oregon, and California), the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of Alaska's Northern Bering Sea. Biden's administration stated that the environmental and economic risks of offshore drilling outweigh the limited fossil fuel resource potential in these regions.
While most of the banned areas are not of primary interest to the oil and gas industry, the eastern Gulf of Mexico contains significant untapped oil reserves, making this part of the decision especially impactful. The White House emphasized that the ban reflects Biden's commitment to climate progress, noting he has conserved more lands and waters than any other U.S. president. Curbing offshore drilling protects coastal communities and marine ecosystems, as well as contributes to the transition toward a cleaner energy economy, which is more sustainable and healthier for future generations.
President-elect Donald Trump has criticized the ban, saying he will reverse it immediately, accusing the Biden administration of “doing everything possible to make the transition as difficult [as] possible.” Trump has promised to “drill, baby, drill” and expand domestic oil production once he takes office. But he will have a hard time reversing Biden’s offshore drilling ban without an act of Congress, which may prove to be challenging since some lawmakers in coastal states want to prevent drilling along their shorelines. However, reversing the ban would likely require congressional approval, a challenging task given bipartisan resistance to offshore drilling in many coastal states. Either way, the order is unlikely to affect current levels of oil and gas production, which remain at historic highs.
THE EASTERNMOST CITY IN THE US COULD BE A MODEL FOR THE COUNTRY’S RENEWABLE FUTURE
Eastport, Maine, the easternmost city in the U.S., is becoming a model for renewable energy and resilience. Isolated 40 miles from the nearest electrical transmission line, its 1,300 residents face frequent outages during storms, with no backup generator since 2018. To address this, the community is developing a renewable energy microgrid with funding from the Department of Energy. Combining solar and tidal power, the microgrid will store electricity in batteries, providing power during outages and reducing reliance on diesel.
The project includes a 1 MW solar array and plans for a 1-2 MW tidal generator in the Western Passage, one of the best U.S. sites for tidal power. The microgrid, currently a test case, will operate alongside the main grid, ensuring three to four hours of power during outages. Eastport is also improving energy efficiency in its early 1900s homes through grants for insulation and better windows, reducing the energy demand from buildings. The project shows how small, remote communities can build sustainable, resilient energy systems. Eastport’s efforts could inspire other coastal and island communities to embrace localized, renewable microgrids.
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