Professional Societies and Climate Change

This report provides an analysis of how urban-focused professional societies are integrating climate change into their member engagement activities. The results indicate that most urban-focused professional societies in the United States are working to educate their members on climate change issues, but few have adopted a holistic approach that includes adaptation, mitigation and the explicit consideration of social justice.

The report relies on publicly available materials and follow-up interviewers with professional societies. The researchers included a diverse set of 41 professional societies operating at the local level that play a significant role in building resilience, including: architects (such as the American Institute of Architects for example), builders and developers, medical professionals, elected officials and city/county managers, emergency management professionals, engineers, planners, public works officials, social advocates, transportation officials, and water resource professionals (such as the American Water Works Association).