MNLA Pledges Alongside 25 Landscape Architecture CEOs to Achieve Zero-Emissions by 2040

The firm commits to ASLA’s Climate Action Plan and urges governments to enhance climate action efforts

 

NEW YORK — MNLA, alongside 25 CEOs representing the world’s largest and most influential landscape architecture firms released a public letter committing their firms to achieve the goals laid out in the American Society of Landscape Architects Climate Action Plan. Most notably, this includes a commitment to make landscape architecture a zero-emissions profession by 2040. This pledge is a natural extension of MNLA’s 30 years of designing spaces that reinvigorate, heal, and empower communities through connected and purposeful ecological design solutions. 

“As landscape architects, we are uniquely positioned to bridge the needs of nature and people,” said Signe Nielsen, Founding Principal of MNLA. “Our profession’s core mission is to design spaces that restore ecological balance while empowering communities to engage in the process. The ASLA Climate Action Plan advances our commitment to designing landscapes that are resilient to climate challenges. By integrating nature-based solutions, we create environments that mitigate climate impacts while ensuring communities have a hand in shaping the future of their neighborhoods. Together, we can advance projects that both heal the earth and amplify local voices in the fight for a climate-positive future.”

MNLA’s commitment to sustainability is rooted in its dedication to uniting clients’ needs with creative solutions that transform the spaces they inhabit. From community-based resiliency projects such as Pier 42 to green corridors such as the Hudson Street Reconstruction to imaginative stormwater projects such as the Intertidal Pool at Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx, MNLA’s projects have renewed environmental integrity across urban landscapes, demonstrating how visionary designs can also be highly performative. 

The letter, signed by 26 CEOs, expresses key business commitments: “We publicly and expressly endorse, support, and commit to the goals articulated in the American Society of Landscape Architects Climate Action Plan, which sets specific and extraordinarily ambitious goals for the profession of landscape architecture to become a zero-emission profession by 2040, including in our business operations, designed landscapes, and the materials and products used in our work.”

The letter signed by these firms acknowledges the unique role of landscape architects as stewards of land and water, designing climate-resilient spaces that address the pressing challenges of biodiversity loss, emissions reduction, and extreme weather events.

“Leaders of more than two dozen top-tier firms that influence billions of dollars in infrastructure spending and millions of acres of land have just pledged to make their profession zero emissions by 2040—this is a really big deal,” said Torey Carter-Conneen, CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects. “These are people who have the skills and imagination to make it happen: They’re already designing resilient waterfronts, parks that soak up stormwater, and urban forests that take greenhouse gasses out of the atmosphere and cool our cities. Landscape architects know how to get it done. Every sector of the economy has to tackle climate resilience, and landscape architects will do their part.”

As MNLA continues to spearhead community-centered, climate-conscious projects, they remain committed to advancing the landscape architecture profession through sustainable practices. By prioritizing ecological resilience and local engagement, MNLA aims to contribute to a healthier, more enduring future for the spaces they help create.

The full letter is available at this link. For the latest news from MNLA, visit mnlandscape.com.

About MNLA

MNLA advocates for connected communities and purposeful ecological design solutions through thoughtful place-making and inspired transformation of landscapes. For three decades, MNLA has worked to reinvigorate, heal, and mediate places that strengthen and empower communities. With over 500 built works, MNLA’s process begins with a foundational big idea, maintaining the conceptual thread throughout, delivering insightful and performative designs on budget and on time. Dedicated to uniting client needs with creative visions, MNLA’s transformative design process, fueled by rigorous research and collaboration, ensures enduring solutions that enhance the environment. MNLA’s landscape architects marry creativity with accountability, offering individualized attention and mentorship. As a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise, MNLA exemplifies excellence in diverse and sustainable design. To learn more, visit mnlandscape.com.