A Call to Action: Just Transition Lobby and RIBA Elections 2023

We are back again! We are proud to announce the launch of the Just Transition Lobby - an informal network of individuals and organisations, coming together for the specific purpose to lobby for urgent change in the built environment, primarily aiming to shift the internal balance of power in professional institutions. Read our 2023 call to action and principles.

We have already made history by electing the youngest, first worker, and first Black president, Muyiwa Oki. We must build on this success in order to achieve progressive institutional reform of the RIBA and the wider built environment sector. We, the undersigned, believe that the RIBA Council must represent the interests of the public and of the architectural workers that make up the majority of the architectural profession - rather than capitulate to the interests of powerful industry figures. In particular, the students, associates, and recently qualified architects who comprise a third of total membership have been long underserved and underrepresented in the RIBA Council. Read our previous call to action setting up the rationale for the presidential campaign here.

This year we are setting out a broader and more strategic stall, aiming to radically reconstitute the RIBA and in due time engage with the election cycles of the other built environment institutes - RTPI, RICS, etc. We have developed a campaign - The Just Transition Lobby centred around three key themes - the climate emergency, workers’ rights and equity.

Our first target is the 2023 RIBA Election cycle. We are collecting expressions of interest from Chartered and Associate RIBA members, willing to support our principles and interested to be part of the RIBA Council or help us nominate progressive members.

Maryam Al-Irhayim, RIBA Vice-President for Students and Associates said: “"Council is an exciting place to share ideas and engage with the membership and wider culture, I encourage anyone who feels frustrated and wants change to put it in their own hat in the ring and sign up and make a difference!"

Simeon Shtebunaev, RTPI Young Planner of the Year 2022 said: “The climate emergency is in full swing, yet our built environment institutes lack the will to collectively claim the power to challenge government’s inaction. Instead of leading the agenda, we are preoccupied with housing targets and fractured politics, distracting us from the need to enact urgent and radical reforms. The Just Transition Lobby aims to create an informal cross-disciplinary group of reformers, committed to industry change. ”

Charlie Edmonds, Future Architects Front said: “Through the election of Muyiwa Oki, we have already seen the power of grassroots organising to win seats in the RIBA and bring about an institution that pursues radical action in a time of social and ecological crises. The Just Transition Lobby will build on this success to create a new caucus of RIBA Council members committed to bold and ambitious action over ineffective reformism - a long overdue shift for the RIBA”

To avoid past accusations of favouritism, we are working within the official very tight RIBA deadlines. We will collect expressions of interest until the 11th of May and aim to submit the names of our candidates by the 17th of May. As the elections are covering disparate regions, we would be happy to support existing candidates who are willing to commit publicly to our principles. We will then support and run the election campaign as a unified ticket.

We call on all: If you have any class of RIBA membership or the previous campaign has motivated you to join or renew your membership, you need to update or register your email address before the 17th of May to be eligible to vote!??