Building within Planetary Boundaries: Dream or Reality?

Humanity today faces the unprecedented challenge of staying within the nine planetary boundaries that define a safe operating space for our planet: from greenhouse gases and land use change to freshwater disruption, ocean acidification, and the spread of novel entities. The building sector - responsible for nearly 40% of global CO? emissions, 50% of material consumption, and 40% of waste generation - plays a central role in this challenge.

In this talk, Prof. Werner Lang will argue that incremental improvements are no longer enough: “being less bad is not good enough.” Instead, the construction sector must undergo a fundamental transformation that allows buildings and cities to achieve positive ecological footprints. Drawing on case studies and research from his Chair of Energy-Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building at the Technical University of Munich, Prof. Lang will present strategies for rethinking the built environment through systemic planning, regenerative design, circular material flows, renewable energy, biodiversity integration, and life cycle assessment. His vision: building as a force for planetary restoration rather than depletion.

Speaker: Werner Lang, Technical University of Munich

Attend in person, or see weblink for streaming information