SOM unveils prototype for Urban Sequoia carbon-capturing high-rise at COP26
Daily COP26 briefing: today's COP26 briefing includes SOM's proposal for skyscrapers that remove carbon from the atmosphere, a net-zero fund for developing cities and a geodesic Grimshaw pavilion made from construction scraps. More
BMW won't ditch combustion engine until "poorer countries do their job" on EV infrastructure
Car brand BMW has blamed the lack of "framework conditions" in less developed parts of the world for its reluctance to replace fossil-fuel cars with electric vehicles. More
BMW designs parts of i Vision Circular concept car to "fall apart" at push of button
BMW has used recycled and recyclable materials to create the i Vision Circular, a concept car designed in line with circular economic principles to be easily disassembled at the end of its life. More
UK government has "no intention" of delivering on its COP26 pledges, Cambridge scientist tells RIBA climate conference
The UK's net-zero strategy is as unrealistic as "magic beans fertilised by unicorn's blood" and will fail to deliver the emissions reductions promised by 2030, according to Cambridge University engineering professor Julian Allwood. More
Norman Foster calls for "higher standards" on embodied carbon at COP26
Norman Foster has joined a growing number of architects calling for green building certifications that take embodied emissions from materials into account in order to meet net-zero carbon goals. More
Architects are "enablers of business as usual" say speakers at Built Environment Summit
Speakers at a climate summit organised by Architects Declare and RIBA last week called on architects to take responsibility for decarbonising their buildings, rather than blaming clients and the lack of regulations. More
Design Museum conducts "first-ever" environmental audit of exhibition for Waste Age
The Design Museum's latest exhibition Waste Age has a carbon footprint of 10 tonnes, equal to what the average UK person emits in a year, according to a sustainability assessment by environmental collective URGE. More
Waste crisis a "design-made mess" says Design Museum show curator
The Waste Age exhibition, which opens today at London's Design Museum, explores how design has contributed to the rise of throwaway culture and how the industry can help to create an alternative circular economy that doesn't exploit the planet. More
UK net-zero strategy "totally lacking in ambition" say architects
The UK's strategy for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 "does not go far enough" and ignores embodied carbon according to the RIBA and other industry groups. More
Pratt students create home-compostable water filters from food waste
Pratt Institute graduate students Charlotte Böhning and Mary Lempres of studio Doppelgänger have designed a collection of carbon water filters made completely without fossil fuels, using waste from their own kitchens. More
Design brands have to prioritise sustainability "or they die" says Benjamin Hubert
Leading design brands need to stop valuing affordability over sustainability or risk becoming obsolete, according to Layer founder Benjamin Hubert. More
Inaugural Solar Biennale aims to mobilise designers around the "solar revolution"
Rotterdam's Het Nieuwe Instituut is set to host the first-ever Solar Biennale in 2022, which will see creatives and scientists collaborate across disciplines to envision a future where everything is solar-powered. More
Alexia Audrain designs hugging chair to comfort people with autism
Graduate designer Alexia Audrain has developed a chair with cocooning, inflatable walls that helps people with autism self-soothe when they are experiencing sensory overload. More
The Dezeen guide to plastic in architecture, design and interiors
Thinking of using plastic in your project? Our latest Dezeen guide includes more than 11 types of plastic commonly used in architecture, design and interiors, with links to hundreds of projects for inspiration. More
Ilja Schamle powers server with tomato plants in self-sustaining ecosystem
Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Ilja Schamle has replaced batteries with living plants in this self-built server system to explore how technology could enter into a symbiotic relationship with nature. More
Nebbia Works constructs mono-material pavilion for V&A from low-carbon aluminium
Nebbia Works has created a self-supporting pavilion from simple aluminium sheets at the V&A museum as part of the London Design Festival to highlight the material's sustainable potential. More
Low-key Milan design week shows that "less is better"
Last week's Milan design week offered a calmer, more meaningful experience reminiscent of the event's early editions, according to designers and exhibitors showing at Salone del Mobile and the parallel fuorisalone programme. More
Note Design Studio reuses Vestre fair stand to form indoor park installation
Vestre is showcasing a collection of urban furniture that encourages biodiversity at this year's Milan design week, set within a leafy installation constructed by Note Design Studio from one of the brand's old fair stands. More
Geneva students draw upon female form to reimagine Clockwork Orange milk bar
Imagery of breasts and beakers is combined in this fountain, designed by graduates Lolita Gomez and Blanca Algarra Sanchez based on the Korova Milk Bar from A Clockwork Orange and currently on display at Milan design week. More
Emerging Italian designers create furniture in response to Rick Owens' work
Rick Owens' clean, brutalist lines are contrasted against the "childlike touch" of contemporary Italian design in the Rick Owens – Dialog with Emerging Italian Designers exhibition curated by Galerie Philia as part of Milan design week. More