Climate Action Plan
The Climate Action Plan at OLIN emerged from several years of internal office engagement and industry research. It is a framework that outlines our proactive stance on incorporating climate conscious design and operational practices into our work, from client relationships to site selection, design materials, performance, and office operations. It is a living document that we will build on year after year.
The Climate Action Plan is a project of OLIN Labs, OLIN’s research and development community of practice. It is part of OLIN Lab’s Year of Climate Action (2024), one of several staff-driven projects that exemplify OLIN’s commitment to carbon and waste reduction, and climate activism.
In 2023, OLIN held its first ever Climate Week series of programming. Inspired by the annual Climate Week in New York City that has taken place since 2009, OLIN hosted a five-day series of internal panels to increase awareness of the climate implications of the landscape architecture and planning work we undertake. This dialogue prompted the continuation of research and project based inquiries, and highlighted the need for stronger protocols and benchmarking.
One year later, during Climate Week 2024, OLIN was one of several firms that signed ASLA’s Climate Action Plan commitment to reduce carbon in operations and projects by 50% by 2030 and achieving zero emissions by 2040. Carbon accounting and tackling climate action in a holistic manner is the key to OLIN and other designers achieving these goals.
Please contact olinlabs@theolinstudio.com for a copy of the full Climate Action Plan v. 2025!
OLIN’s Climate Action Plan
References & Resources
Calkins, M. (2025). Details and Materials for Resilient Sites: A Carbon Positive Approach, Routledge, in press.
Kuittinen, M., Organschi, A., & Ruff, A. (2022). Carbon: A Field Manual for Building Designers. Wiley.
Kuittinen, M., Hautamäki, R., Tuhkanen, E.-M., Riikonen, A., & Ariluoma, M. (2021). Environmental Product Declarations for plants and soils: How to quantify carbon uptake in landscape design and construction? The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 26(6), 1100–1116.
Building Transparency Owners Climate Action Network (CAN) Embodied Carbon Action Plan
AGC Playbook on Decarbonization & Carbon Reporting in the Construction Industry.
