Architects sometimes oscillate between these two poles - of saying 'we're of great cultural importance and architecture really matters,' but when put on the spot about what we're doing here, saying 'I'm in the service industry, I can't make all these decisions' And it's true, I'm beholden to clients. We're in this tricky space of wanting cultural power, but maybe not being willing to deal with some of the responsibilities that go with making decisions that are very, very large.

Architect Stephanie Carlisle examines the role of architects and the building industry in global carbon emissions, and calls for a trade-wide engagement with the environmental impact with the costs of building and powering the built environment before it all comes crashing down.

Stephanie is author of the essay I’ve been polluting the planet for years. I’m not an oil exec—I’m an architect for Fast Company.