16 May 2024 6:23 pm

The world’s first zero-waste, low-carbon city is here

May 13, 2024

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As World Environment Day approaches, take a look inside the world’s first ‘zero-carbon, zero-waste city,’ that is the world’s first zero-waste, low-carbon city is here in Abu Dhabi.

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The world’s first zero-waste, low-carbon city is here in Abu Dhabi

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By Time Out Editors

The UAE has always been seen as being ahead of the times. From embracing advanced technology (robotic arms at petrol stations and vertiports, anyone?) to integrating AI into key industries, the sky’s the limit when it comes to innovation. And when it comes to key talking points worldwide, the same still applies, and that includes global warming. In response, Abu Dhabi planned a master development, Masdar City, which stands as a testament to human ingenuity and determination to build a greener, more sustainable future.

Spanning six square kilometres, this futuristic city is not only a symbol of going green but a living, breathing example of what cities of the future could be like.

Here’s everything you need to know about the low-carbon, eco-friendly city.

The genesis of Masdar City can be traced back to the early 2000s when the UAE leadership recognised the need to diversify its economy and reduce its dependency on oil. At the same time, concerns over climate change were gaining global attention, prompting a search for sustainable solutions. In response, the Abu Dhabi government launched the Masdar Initiative in 2006 with the goal of advancing renewable energy and sustainable development.

In 2021, the UAE was the first country in the MENA region to commit to achieving net-zero by 2050 through its UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategy.

Masdar City emerged as the flagship project of the Masdar Initiative, envisioned as the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste city.

The guiding principles behind its design were sustainability, innovation and quality of life. British architectural firm Foster + Partners was tasked with bringing this vision to life, combining traditional Arabic architectural elements with cutting-edge sustainable technologies.

The UAE government therefore invested $15 billion to build Masdar City, near Abu Dhabi International Airport. It is expected to become home to 50,000 people after it is fully built.

Since its inception in 2008, Masdar City has been monitoring its embodied carbon emissions. By 2022, the buildings owned by Masdar City emitted a combined total of 642 kgCO2e/m2, representing a reduction of approximately 20 per cent compared to the industry average.

In fact, in 2022, Masdar City-owned buildings achieved an average energy reduction of 38 per cent compared to international baselines. This is equivalent to avoiding 7,400 tCO2e/year of carbon emissions (or taking 1,600 cars off the road).

The world’s first zero-waste, low-carbon city is here in Abu Dhabi
Credit: Supplied

How does Masdar City work?

Powered by solar panels and wind turbines, the city has buildings that are designed to be incredibly energy efficient. The city is focused on tempering heat with natural ventilation.
The city’s narrow streets and shaded walkways draw inspiration from traditional Arabic urban planning, promoting natural ventilation and shade to combat the harsh desert climate. Buildings are clustered closely together to minimise heat gain and maximise pedestrian comfort.

Central to Masdar City’s design is its iconic wind tower, a modern interpretation of the traditional Arabic wind tower (barjeel), which acts as a natural ventilation system, drawing cool air from above and channelling it into the streets below. This innovative approach to passive cooling reduces the city’s reliance on energy-intensive air conditioning, significantly lowering its carbon footprint.

The city is powered by a combination of solar, wind and geothermal energy, with photovoltaic panels covering rooftops and facades to harness the abundant sunlight of the desert. The city’s solar farm, comprising over 87,000 solar panels, provides a significant portion of its electricity needs. Yes, that many.

In addition to generating clean energy, Masdar City prioritises energy efficiency and conservation. Buildings are designed to meet stringent green building standards, incorporating features such as high-performance insulation, energy-efficient lighting and smart HVAC systems. Water conservation is also a key focus, with greywater recycling systems and innovative landscaping techniques reducing the city’s water consumption.

Credit: Supplied

Masdar City is becoming a research hub too.

Masdar City serves as a hub for innovation and research in renewable energy and
clean technology. The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, established in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is a world-class research institution dedicated to advancing sustainable technologies. Researchers and students at the institute work on a wide range of projects, from solar energy and energy storage to urban planning and environmental sustainability.

In addition to academic research, Masdar City is home to numerous cleantech startups and companies, attracted by its supportive ecosystem and access to funding and expertise.

Getting around in Masdar City

When it comes to smart transport, look no further than Masdar City’s sustainable transportation system designed to minimise carbon emissions. At the
forefront of this system is the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT), a driverless electric vehicle network that provides convenient point-to-point transportation for residents
and visitors alike. The PRT system features small, pod-like vehicles that travel on elevated tracks, offering a quiet, efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional modes of transportation.

In addition to the PRT, Masdar City has implemented other smart mobility solutions, including electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous shuttles. These all help reduce carbon emissions and ease traffic.

Plus, the city’s pedestrian-friendly design encourages walking and cycling, with dedicated pathways and bike lanes connecting key destinations. What better way to get your steps in?

Credit: Supplied

What’s in Masdar City now?

A number of developments have grown in the eco-city including Eco Residences 1, which is a purpose-built venue for Etihad cabin crew. The 11-building unit has a dual green building certification, Platinum-certified LEED and rated 3- Pearls under the Estidama Rating System (PBRS).

Other complexes include Eco Residences 2, Central Residence with studios, one- and
two-bedroom apartments, Plaza and The Gate. Leonardo Residence, meanwhile, is close to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Headquarters. The six-storey building has 175 apartments, each with a terrace. Dreamy.

Masdar City is also home to the Siemens regional headquarters, the first LEED Platinum-certified office in Abu Dhabi.

Then there’s the 612-flat Oasis Residences, 304-apartment Oasis Two.

This is a well-stocked community with parks and playgrounds and even a mall on site.

Masdar Park, for example, spans 20 hectares and has playgrounds, sports facilities and the Estidama Mosque. It has been built using recycled materials and has 340 solar panels generating over 300 megawatts of solar energy annually and innovative liquid nano clay for the pump track, conserving water resources.

The Central Park includes horizontal gardens, a tower that collects water vapour from the air, a falaj-style water system and play equipment powered by human movement.

Central Plaza, next to the UAE Space Agency, is an open space where you can sit and watch the world go by.

Masdar City also has an Eco Plaza with shaded seating. Take your pick.

Where can I eat at Masdar City?

There are plenty of spots to indulge your tastebuds in this city including Simply Thai, Marl’s Organic, Backout Coffee, Caribou café, Skinny Joe and Burro Blanco.

Other amenities in Masdar city

Among the other stores in the smart city are a supermarket and a pharmacy, a yoga studio (Yoga One) and a salon.

For a day at the mall, check out My City Centre Masdar, which has more than 70 stores across 18,500 square metres. It’s a smart mall too, which gets 20 percent of its annual energy from its solar panel-shaded parking area. The mall’s car park also offers eight Tesla charging stations.

Another cool way to spend the day is by taking a trip to the Visitor Center, which is divided into seven zones, which educate people about sustainable living and Masdar City through interactive and engaging exhibits.

In Zone 1, you’ll meet Amal, a metahuman guide and get to customise your journey. In Zone 2, you’ll come across an interactive master plan model. In Zone 3, you’ll learn about renewable energy projects initiated by our Masdar City’s partners, including Masdar and the Zayed Sustainability Prize.

In Zone 4, you’ll come across inspiring videos and pivotal moments in UAE’s history. Zone 5 offers a timeline of Masdar City while Zone 6 is an interactive area that allows you to learn about a sustainable future. Finally, you’ll end your journey in Zone 7 with a digital token you can keep to remind you of your trip.

The Masdar City Visitor Center is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 8pm.

How to get to Masdar City

From Abu Dhabi Corniche wend your way northeast on Corniche Rd and then take the E10 slip road. Follow this route for about 18 minutes until you reach Al Bandar St into Masdar City.

From Yas Island, Masdar City is about 11 kilometres away. Take Yas Dr St and Al Diyafah St/Al Khaleej Al Arabi St to Al Madkhal St, and you’ll arrive in about 18 minutes.

From Saadiyat Island Travel east on the E1 from Saadiyat Island towards the airport.

Continue until you reach the E10. From here, take the exit heading back towards Downtown Abu Dhabi. Next, ride along Al Bandar St and follow this into Masdar City.

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Reflections from MENA at the #SpecialMeeting24

May 10, 2024

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Reflections from MENA at the #SpecialMeeting24. Are these consistant with all MENA region’s Trends, Challenges and Opportunities?

 

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Reflections from MENA at the #SpecialMeeting24

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By 
10 May 2024
Image above (Credit: Unsplash)

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum.

Author: Maroun Kairouz, Head of Middle East and North Africa, World Economic Forum

  • World leaders came together for a two-day Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development.
  • The Israel-Gaza conflict was a key focus of discussion, while leaders also discussed how to achieve a just energy transition and inclusive growth.
  • Here are some of the key takeaways from speakers from the MENA region on the core themes of the meeting.

Khalil Gibran, a poet from my own village, once said, “Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing towards what will be.”

Today, the world is at an inflection point, where myriad challenges, from climate change to conflict, are creating a polycrisis that threatens such progress.

But collaboration on common goals can help countries from across the Global North and South shape a more prosperous future for all.

Saudi Arabia’s bold and ambitious Vision 2030 is transforming the kingdom, making it a fitting location for the World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development, which convened under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs.

More than 1,000 leaders from 90 countries, including 220 government and public sector figures, came together to discuss solutions to immediate crises while laying the groundwork to create a more sustainable, resilient world.

The Middle East and North Africa region acutely faces the challenges of conflict, economic disparities and the climate crisis – and leaders from the region were at the centre of dialogues across the meeting’s core themes.

Here are some of the key takeaways from speakers from MENA.

On a just energy transition

Saudi Arabia, in one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, understands the need for urgent action on the climate crisis. But the MENA region cannot solve it alone, said H.R.H. Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia.

“Climate change and sustainability is a global issue. It cannot be attended to in regional scopes. It has to be a global response,” he said in the session People, Policy, Finance: Realizing an Equitable Energy Transition.

“We have to be conscious of the fact that we here in this room have choices that at least 60, 70% of the world population do not have. Those who are suffering from energy poverty, those who cannot make ends meet, those who are still burning trees, converting it into charcoal, and making ends meet through selling that charcoal and buying food for themselves.”

“Energy is the lifeblood of our economies, but it must be produced, supplied and consumed responsibly,” said Faisal Alibrahim, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning. “We cannot allow a world where some have access when others do not.”

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We must invest in clean and renewable solutions, and we must do everything we can to balance the energy trilemma of security, equity and sustainability. —Faisal Alibrahim, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning”— Faisal Alibrahim, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning

“No one should be left in the dark. But let’s be clear: none of these problems or challenges exist in a vacuum. They do not know borders,” he added.

Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs of the State of Qatar agreed the energy transition must be just.

“The importance is to do it in a way that’s responsible for this generation and the next, and make sure people who want to grow and countries that want to grow their economy have the same rights the richer countries have had all along,” he said.

Fatma Thabet Chiboub, Tunisia’s Minister of Industry, explained how the country is reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and the cost of energy by supporting its citizens to use solar power.

 

On driving inclusive growth

The role of technology – and AI in particular – in accelerating progress and growth was widely discussed, but MENA leaders emphasized the need to invest in people and ensure inclusive growth.

Faisal Alibrahim, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning, set the tone in the Special Meeting’s Opening Plenary.

“Inclusive growth is not just a lofty ideal, it is a categorical imperative,” he said.

“We must co-create a global economy that works for everyone. Where every nation has the chance to thrive, regardless of its wealth or status. This means investing in people in their skills, in their education and in their well-being.

“We must also harness and direct new technologies to benefit humanity. Artificial intelligence has the potential to contribute trillions of dollars to the global economy over the next decade.”

“International trade and globalization are the main driver for economic growth, and the main driver for inclusive growth,” said Hala H. El Said Younes Minister of Planning and Economic Development of Egypt.

“What developing and middle-income countries need is more transfer of technology, more foreign direct investment and more capacity building for their people in order to become more resilient and to become more agile to any external shocks.”

Ahmed Galal Ismail, CEO, of Majid Al Futtaim Holding, sounded a note of optimism for the region: “I think from a private sector point of view, we need to deal with the current short-term challenges, but we must not lose hope that this region is on the brink of potential, a new golden economic age.”

There are “no egos” in economic planning said Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Finance, Mohammed Al-Jadaan. “It’s OK to change and adjust” in order to deal with the multiple shocks the world is experiencing.

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You need to focus, first of all, on your own people and the human capital development. This is a long-term play that is critical. Human capital is very, very critical. —Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance, Saudi Arabia”— Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance, Saudi Arabia

But, he stressed, many countries will find it very difficult to provide quality education and healthcare for their people.

During the meeting, Saudi Arabia and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged to work together to help protect 370 million children annually from polio and lift millions out of poverty across 33 countries.

Women leaders from the region emphasized the need for inclusion of women, young people and marginalized communities to drive growth and job creation.

Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Minister of Sustainable Development of Bahrain, said: “What we’re seeing is amazing in terms of recognition by the private sector of the importance of women. You cannot isolate half of society. It’s almost easy maths – you add more inputs, you get more output.”

Emon Shakoor, a Young Global Shaper from the Forum’s Riyadh Hub said: “I think of diversity as meaning being invited to the party. But inclusivity is being asked to dance. As world leaders, as government leaders, as leaders of our organizations, we must ensure that the people who work with us are always being asked to dance, that they truly feel included in these environments.”

On collaboration and conflict resolution

The Israel-Gaza conflict was uppermost in MENA government leaders’ thoughts, with calls for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid and a Palestinian state.

In his special remarks, Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, said: “The first thing we ask for is a ceasefire. And, secondly, we want the humanitarian aid to be able to reach the Palestinian people who are in dire need of it in all of Gaza. And, third, we will not accept in any case, the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza or from the West Bank outside their country.”

The Prime Minister of Jordan, Bisher Hani Al Khasawneh, said: “The world should unite in bringing about a sustained ceasefire and ensure the continuous and sustained flow of humanitarian assistance and goods into Gaza.”

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli also called for the immediate creation of a Palestinian state. “Now, not tomorrow, the whole world should gather to recognize the right of Palestinians to have their own state.”

There was a strong focus on the need for collaboration to counter growing divergence and “geopolitical recession”.

“Global collaboration is not optional,” said Faisal Alibrahim, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning.

“It is essential at this critical juncture … human development calls for a convergence of cultures and ideas as we are all in the same boat, and we can either collaborate to steer it towards peace and prosperity, or we will drift towards a future that is out of our control.”

Competition not conflict is needed to aid economic growth and development, said Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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The scaling back of Saudi Arabia’s proposed urban mega-project

May 9, 2024

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The scaling back of Saudi Arabia’s proposed urban mega-project sends a clear warning to other would-be utopias. But

By

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There is a long history of planned city building by both governments and the private sector from Brasilia to Islamabad.

More recently, two trends have come together in a new wave of visionary urban planning.

On the one hand, there are the neoliberal “special economic zone” policies that accelerated in the 1980s and which have become an almost unquestioned global economic article of faith. On the other, there is the “smart city” in which ubiquitous sensing and surveillance generate big data, from which solutions to all the problems of cities are supposed to be found.

Read more: What is The Line, the 170km-long mirrored metropolis Saudi Arabia is building in the desert?

Our mission is to share knowledge and inform decisions.

Now, with the fairy dust of Artificial Intelligence (AI) sprinkled on top, we have the recipe for almost every current proposal for new cities. In essence, the contemporary ideal city is a data-driven, free-market paradise.

Shifting gears

The conservative and authoritarian Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is very much aware that the end is in sight for the fossil fuel economy that underpins its sovereign and private wealth. In anticipation of the inevitable end of fossil fuels, Riyadh is actively working to shift to new sources of income so as to future proof its economy in a carbon-zero world.

Some of this transitional work has involved the extension of Saudi Arabian “soft power” into areas that are of personal interest to the kingdom’s prime minister, and de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. This is perhaps most visible through the entangling of Saudi Arabia with lucrative professional sports from golf to tennis.

However, the other bet that Saudi Arabia has been making is in cities.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in March 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

Under the banner of Vision 2030, it has been investing its oil profits in dozens of eye-catching urban projects from free ports to cities built around theme parks.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not have much in the way of homegrown digital or technological enterprises, so Riyadh is instead investing on the principle of if we build it, they will come. Simply put, Saudi Arabia is attempting to attract foreign entrepreneurs, manufacturers, logistics companies and tourists to ease its transition to a post-oil economy.

Look upon my works

NEOM is the most ambitious of all of Bin Salman’s plans to attract foreign investment. Indeed, the name NEOM is a portmanteau of the Greek ‘neo’ and the first letter of Mohammed Bin Salman’s name.

The published plans and publicity for NEOM are a sight to behold.

NEOM will include everything in one massive development. It will have a free port and logistics hub, a seaside tourist town and even a mountain sports playground. NEOM’s centrepiece attraction is unquestionably, however, The Line.

The Line was envisioned as a 170 km linear city clad in reflective material, that would cut into the deep desert from the Red Sea like one of the swords on the Saudi flag.

The evangelical advertisements for NEOM promised freedom and multiculturalism in one of the most authoritarian and monocultural nations on Earth, as well as total surveillance and advanced AI to underpin innovation for all its residents.

A teaser video for The Line project produced by NEOM.

An early consultancy report was even more excessive than what the actual plans became, proposing an artificial moon, fleets of drones and that 50 per cent of the “population” would be service robots.

The initial advisory board included the likes of British architect Norman Foster and the CEO of Google’s Sidewalk Labs, Dan Doctoroff. Most of the more famous advisers seem to have quietly disappeared from the project in recent years.

Scaled ambitions

Now, almost as soon as ground had been broken, it was announced that the centrepiece plan has been scrapped. The Line is no more and in its place are plans for a much smaller 2.4 km long city — a mere dash compared to The Line’s original misguided ambitions.

Was The Line all just a public relations exercise designed to generate likes and speculative foreign investment capital? In public there may have been much wonderment. However, behind the scenes the entire Line project has been nothing more than a weird, unsustainable and hubristic fantasy.

NEOM is planned to be built in one of the most geopolitically significant — and at times turbulent — areas of the world, where Saudi Arabia borders Egypt, Israel and Jordan. Perhaps even more significantly, NEOM will be built in a region where summer daytime temperatures are already heading above 50 C in our era of global heating.

An artist’s rendering of The Line project. (Shutterstock)

Who was going to want to live at the far end of a 170-kilometre long parallel terrace from which your only means of exit was an “intelligent” train system? And how was security going to be managed for a place which promised freedom and legal systems compatible with international human rights norms in one of the most authoritarian nations in the world, both internally and externally?

How would NEOM stop Saudi dissidents from escaping to or through it? Security and surveillance have never been part of the published plans, but industry publications have revealed that Bin Salman was envisioning an entirely private police force and a specialist drone surveillance control centre for The Line.

The kingdom had already scheduled the execution of three members of the Howeitat tribe who had objected to this non-consensual development on their traditional lands.

Harsh lessons

It is currently unclear as to whether other parts of the NEOM plan will be scaled back.

Work has already started on the Red Sea tourist resort town of Sindalah and it is unlikely Bin Salman will abandon the potentially lucrative Port of NEOM. Beyond that is anyone’s guess.

Many plans for ideal cities have been impractical fantasies. But NEOM also typifies a massive and persistent failure of the imagination driven by a capitalism — blinded by fossil-fuel ideology — and unable to come to terms with the necessity of confronting the climate crisis, growing global inequality and the persistence of war and genocide.

 

is a Professor of Critical Surveillance and Securities Studies, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Disclosure statement

David Murakami Wood receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Partners 

University of Ottawa provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation CA-FR.

 

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NEOM’s ‘The LINE’ takes shape

May 7, 2024

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NEOM’s ‘The LINE’ takes shape: A visionary megacity redefining urban living

May 06, 2024

 

The LINE aims to address pressing urban challenges on a global scale.

Saudi Gazette report

NEOM — As the initial phase of “The LINE” master plan unfolds, the magnitude of this ambitious project becomes evident. The relentless pace of construction is not only laying the physical groundwork but also conceptualizing a city unparalleled in its design and function.

NEOM recently showcased the progress of The LINE through a video, highlighting the evolution of the first phase of the masterplan. With a caption that reads, “Our vertical city is progressing. Witness the first phase of our masterplan take shape,” the video captures the tangible strides towards realizing this groundbreaking vision.

Spanning 170 kilometers in length, 200 meters in width, and towering 500 meters above sea level, The LINE transcends conventional urban landscapes. It promises to revolutionize the very concept of urban living, prioritizing people and offering an unprecedented urban experience.

This pioneering project constitutes the largest earthworks operation globally, with millions of cubic meters of earth and water being moved weekly. With an impressive array of resources, including over 260 drilling machines and 2,000 vehicles, progress remains relentless. Notably, The LINE distinguishes itself by eschewing streets and cars, thereby eliminating carbon emissions entirely. Moreover, the city’s commitment to 100 percent renewable energy ensures a sustainable future, with 95 percent of NEOM’s expanse preserved as pristine wilderness.

As a beacon of sustainability and innovation, The LINE aims to address pressing urban challenges on a global scale. Envisioned as a zero-emission utopia, it promises an unparalleled quality of life harmonizing with nature conservation, sustainability, and economic prosperity.

Positioned as a model for sustainable urban development, The LINE will serve as a blueprint for future cities worldwide. Its transportation and infrastructure will prioritize human needs, epitomizing a paradigm shift from conventional urban planning.

 

What is Decarbonization?

May 7, 2024

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What is Decarbonization?

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May 6, 2024
Decarbonization aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. Buildings are responsible for 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions, but there are strategies to achieve sustainable goals.

Over 70% of total global emissions are created in cities with buildings typically generating most of those emissions, according to Architecture 2030. Actions to meet 50% carbon emissions reductions in the built environment by 2030 and zero emissions by 2040 are vital to the management of climate change. The decarbonization of buildings includes opportunities to reduce carbon emissions in both the construction and operations phases.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, decarbonization “refers to the goal of ending our dependence on oil and gas as power sources to reduce the carbon dioxide (or CO2) emissions that raise global temperatures.”

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the building section encompasses operational carbon, embodied carbon, refrigerants, electric mobility options and carbon sequestration.

IBM expands the decarbonization definition to include climate change mitigation and the process of reducing or eliminating CO2 and GHG emissions in the atmosphere.

To reduce the GHG emissions, comprised of CO2, methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and fluorinated gases, it’s important to identify the sources.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tracks total U.S. emissions and publishes that data in the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks. The data offers a glimpse into the estimated total national GHG emissions and removals connected to human activities in the United States by source, gas and economic sector.

Results from the 2022 study revealed GHG emissions by economic sector were 28% from transportation, 25% electric power, 23% industry, 13% residential and commercial buildings and 10% agriculture. Analysis of total GHG emissions by economic sector including electricity end-use indirect emissions were residential and commercial, 31%; industry, 30%; transportation, 29%; and agriculture, 10%. The EPA reports the spike in GHG emissions from commercial and residential buildings when emissions from electricity end-use are included since there is a large share of electricity use for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning as well as for lighting and appliances in those buildings.

The 2022 report found a 1% increase in emissions compared to 2021, driven by an influx in CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion. The increase paralleled an influx in energy use as the economy rebounded in economic activity after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Green Building Council notes that buildings are currently responsible for 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions. So how do these existing structures achieve sustainable goals of decarbonization?

Steps Toward Decarbonization

Organizations can draft a decarbonization strategy that will be feasible and effective. Some strategies include:

  1. Boost operational efficiency: Assessment of a building’s operational efficiency can help eliminate energy waste and identify areas to increase efficiency by upgrading systems and building elements. Software can help monitor performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) or identify energy use issues.
  2. Renewable energy: A nearly 80% price reduction for solar energy over the last 10 years and a 40% price reduction in wind power make these renewable power sources more accessible. The use of low- and zero-carbon energy can include microgrids, a decentralized modular energy generation system, with distributed generation.
  3. Carbon capture: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) uses technology to combat climate change by reducing CO2 emissions. CCS projects store nearly 45 million tons of CO2 annually, the equivalent of CO2 emissions produced by 10 million vehicles. The process captures CO2 created when burning fossil fuels before it escapes into the atmosphere. The captured CO2 is injected deep into the surface to form a closed loop.
  4. Embrace digitalization: Commercial real estate (CRE) digitalization can provide real-time building data about operational efficiency that owners can adapt to for the building’s systems’ longevity and the safety of staff and tenants. It can also enhance communication and decision-making across the organization reducing risk and streamlining standard operating procedures. Digitalization of building processes offers accurate reporting on building performance against decarbonization targets and makes building data accessible for onboarding and training team members. For more information, read, “Digitalization Strategies Are Key for CRE to Meet Sustainability Targets.”

LEED Certification

Architects seeking to decarbonize a project can follow LEED guidelines to help develop an integrated climate approach and maintain a baseline consideration of human health and clean water.

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About the Author:
Lauren Brant | Buildings Editor

 

Lauren Brant is the editor of Buildings. She is an award-winning editor and reporter whose work appeared in daily and weekly newspapers. In 2020, the weekly newspaper won the Rhoades Family Weekly Print Sweepstakes  — the division winner across the state’s weekly newspapers. Lauren was also awarded the top feature photo across Class A papers. She holds a B.A. in journalism and media communications from Colorado State University – Fort Collins and a M.S. in organizational management from Chadron State College.

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