Nearly 80 Chicago architecture and design firms have come together to fight climate change.

In the short term, the Architects Advocate group aims to raise awareness about environmental issues but in the future hopes to promote legislation, discuss reforming building codes and even support green-minded candidates.

The companies that make up the group say they are uniquely well-positioned to identify and solve climate change issues as they believe better building design is one of the best ways to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions.

In only five weeks the group has expanded rapidly thanks to a grassroots campaign, with supporters attaching a digital banner to their own website to spread the word. It hopes to expand out of Chicago and across the US to create a powerful industry and nationwide voice.

A spokesperson for the group said: “We believe a healthy environment is a civil right. As architects dedicated to healthy and livable communities and guided by scientific consensus and reason, we advocate for action on climate change.”

On Saturday, the US ratified the Paris climate treaty alongside China.