The state is vetting hundreds of conservation and renewable energy projects as it readies for President Obama's stimulus money, including a long-term plan to modernise its aging electric grid.
"The future of the grid is a priority,'' said state Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ira Bowles about the need to upgrade electric infrastructure to boost alternative energy production.
But Massachusetts may not be ready for several years to fully implement one key stimulus initiative. The USD787 billion package has USD37.5 billion aimed at energy investments, including USD11 billion for electric grid updates and so-called “smart” meters.
Obama has called for the installation of 40 million smart meters in American homes. Advocates say that could be a key to long-term conservation and efficiency.
Smart meters, which enable two way radio communication between the utility and monitors in the home, offer consumers real time info on their energy usage.
The goal is behaviour modification, promoting energy conscious behaviour by matching usage with pricing options. Cell phone users, for example, can already track costs per call in real time.
Smart meters “are the kind of technology that does lend itself to major federal intervention,” said Bowles. He said the systems need to be researched before utilities, consumers and regulators can go forward in Massachusetts.
Nstar is launching a pilot program in 2010, providing smart meters to 2,750 volunteer customers at no cost to them. The pilot program was mandated by the Legislature in 2008 as part of the Green Communities Act.
"The program will give Nstara chance to see what kind of reaction we get from residential customers when we ask them to conserve on some of the hottest days of the year when the overall electricity grid is pushed to extremes," said Nstar spokeswoman Caroline Allen. The grid is the interconnected network for delivering electricity from suppliers to consumers.
Like Bowles, Allen believes the major financial push from Washington for smart meter installation could be a tipping point.
"Anything that defrays the costs would be beneficial in getting new technologies in place," Allen said. "Consistent with other policies like renewable energy and energy efficiency, investments in the grid and emerging smart grid programs will only help move things along."
Massachusetts' list of potential energy projects will contain plenty of "low-hanging fruit," such as weatherisation and public building conservation, that can be started quickly and help create jobs in the conservation and renewable energy sectors, Bowles said.
The immediate focus "is on energy efficiency and more renewable energy," he said. But as the state makes long-term plans for transforming the grid and installing smart meters, it will look to models in other states. For example, in Texas, electricity distributor Oncor has embarked on a USD690 million project to install three million smart meters within four years.
Oncor households will pay for the program at USD2.22 a month over the next 11 years. If used properly, the system will generate conservation savings from six per cent to 15 per cent annually by allowing consumers access to near real-time information about usage via a monitor in the home or the Internet, Oncor spokesman Jim Greer said.
“Advanced metering systems are fundamental for our future and critical for the state as an economic engine,” Greer said. The company estimates conservation savings could negate the need for two or three CO2-emitting power plants to meet expected increases in demand.
Some three million more smart meters are expected to be installed by other Texas utility companies by 2015. A Bay State smart meter expert, who develops the software code for the devices being used across the country, said the future has at last arrived.
"Electric meters have been undergoing a transformation over the past few decades, but this transformation has now increased in size and scope," said Skip Ashton of Boston-based Ember, which develops radio chips, networking software and application code used in smart meters. "Installation has been slow because utilities do not rush into new technologies."
Showing posts with label Green Jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Green Jobs. Show all posts
Restructuring the US Transport System: The Potential of High-Speed Rail
"Aside from the overriding need to stabilise atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels to stabilise climate, there are several other reasons for countries to restructure their transport systems, including the need to prepare for falling oil production, to alleviate traffic congestion, and to reduce air pollution," says Lester R. Brown, President of Earth Policy Institute, in a, recent release. "The US car-cantered transportation model that much of the world aspires to will not likely be viable over the long term even for the United States, much less for everywhere else."
The shape of future transportation systems centres around the changing role of the automobile. This in turn is being influenced by the transition from a predominantly rural global society to a largely urban one. By 2020 close to 55 per cent of us will be living in cities, where the role of cars is diminishing.
With world oil output close to peaking, there will not be enough economically recoverable oil to support a world fleet expansion along US lines or, indeed, to sustain the US fleet. Oil shocks are now a major security risk. The United States, where 88 per cent of the 133 million working people travel to work by car, is dangerously vulnerable.
While the future of transportation in cities lies with a mix of light rail, buses, bicycles, cars, and walking, the future of intercity travel over distances of 500 miles or less belongs to high-speed trains. Japan, with its high-speed bullet trains, has pioneered this mode of travel. Operating at speeds up to 190 miles per hour, Japan’s bullet trains carry almost a million passengers a day.
While the first European high-speed line, from Paris to Lyon, did not begin operation until 1981, Europe has made strides since then. As of early 2007 there were 3,034 miles of high-speed rail operating in Europe, with 1,711 more miles to be added by 2010. The goal is to have a Europe-wide high-speed rail system integrating the new eastern countries into a continental network by 2020.
Carbon dioxide emissions per passenger mile on Europe’s high-speed trains are one third those of its cars and only one fourth those of its planes. In the Plan B economy, CO2 emissions from trains will essentially be zero, since they will be powered by green electricity. In addition to being comfortable and convenient, these rail links reduce air pollution, congestion, noise, and accidents.
In the United States, the threat of climate change and the insecurity of oil supplies both argue for the construction of a high-speed electrified rail system, for both passenger and freight traffic. The relatively small amount of additional electricity needed could come from renewable sources, mainly wind farms.
Any meaningful global effort to cut transport CO2 emissions begins with the United States, which consumes more gasoline than the next 20 countries combined. Three initiatives are needed. One is phasing in a gasoline tax for the next 12 years and offsetting it with a reduction in income taxes. This would raise the US gasoline tax to that prevailing today in Europe. Combined with the rising price of gas itself, such a tax should encourage a shift to more fuel-efficient cars. The second measure is raising the fuel-efficiency standard to 45 miles per gallon by 2020, a larger increase than the 35 miles per gallon approved by Congress in late 2007. Third, reaching CO2 reduction goals depends on a heavy shift of transportation funds from highway construction to urban transit and intercity rail construction.
The shape of future transportation systems centres around the changing role of the automobile. This in turn is being influenced by the transition from a predominantly rural global society to a largely urban one. By 2020 close to 55 per cent of us will be living in cities, where the role of cars is diminishing.
With world oil output close to peaking, there will not be enough economically recoverable oil to support a world fleet expansion along US lines or, indeed, to sustain the US fleet. Oil shocks are now a major security risk. The United States, where 88 per cent of the 133 million working people travel to work by car, is dangerously vulnerable.
While the future of transportation in cities lies with a mix of light rail, buses, bicycles, cars, and walking, the future of intercity travel over distances of 500 miles or less belongs to high-speed trains. Japan, with its high-speed bullet trains, has pioneered this mode of travel. Operating at speeds up to 190 miles per hour, Japan’s bullet trains carry almost a million passengers a day.
While the first European high-speed line, from Paris to Lyon, did not begin operation until 1981, Europe has made strides since then. As of early 2007 there were 3,034 miles of high-speed rail operating in Europe, with 1,711 more miles to be added by 2010. The goal is to have a Europe-wide high-speed rail system integrating the new eastern countries into a continental network by 2020.
Carbon dioxide emissions per passenger mile on Europe’s high-speed trains are one third those of its cars and only one fourth those of its planes. In the Plan B economy, CO2 emissions from trains will essentially be zero, since they will be powered by green electricity. In addition to being comfortable and convenient, these rail links reduce air pollution, congestion, noise, and accidents.
In the United States, the threat of climate change and the insecurity of oil supplies both argue for the construction of a high-speed electrified rail system, for both passenger and freight traffic. The relatively small amount of additional electricity needed could come from renewable sources, mainly wind farms.
Any meaningful global effort to cut transport CO2 emissions begins with the United States, which consumes more gasoline than the next 20 countries combined. Three initiatives are needed. One is phasing in a gasoline tax for the next 12 years and offsetting it with a reduction in income taxes. This would raise the US gasoline tax to that prevailing today in Europe. Combined with the rising price of gas itself, such a tax should encourage a shift to more fuel-efficient cars. The second measure is raising the fuel-efficiency standard to 45 miles per gallon by 2020, a larger increase than the 35 miles per gallon approved by Congress in late 2007. Third, reaching CO2 reduction goals depends on a heavy shift of transportation funds from highway construction to urban transit and intercity rail construction.
Beijing Olympics Get Big Green Tick
UNEP Report Spotlights Achievements and Highlights Some Shortcomings of 2008 Games
The Beijing Olympics met if not exceeded many of its pledges on the environment, according to an assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
From reducing air pollution to big investments in public transport and renewable energies, the organisers made major efforts to ensure that the 2008 Games marked a step forward in terms of an eco-friendly mass spectator sporting event.
These are some of the conclusions of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games - Final Environmental Assessment, which was released on 18 February during the UNEP Governing Council meeting.
The report underlines that more could have been done on engaging with Non-Governmental Organisations and cutting the Olympic and Paralympic Games' carbon footprint.
But overall the UNEP assessment, conducted by independently appointed assessors, concludes that Beijing raised the environmental bar and the Games left a lasting legacy for the city.
These achievements are all the more impressive given that the Games were held in a rapidly developing city in a country facing multiple development challenges in the first decade of the 21st century.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director who attended the summer Olympics, said, "The public attention of the world focused on the Beijing Games and whether the authorities could pull off a landmark event on many fronts including the environment. They have fulfilled the promise of a Green Games in many areas including public transport, waste treatment and green Olympic venues."
The challenge now facing Beijing is how to consolidate the achievements of the Games and turn them into a green legacy in the long term. UNEP's assessment of Beijing's achievements and challenges also provides key recommendations for the organisers of the Games in Vancouver, London and Sochi - as well as other mass sporting events - as they strive to realise their goals and set the environmental bar ever higher.
The Beijing Games and the environment
The Beijing organisers' goal was to offer a 'Green Olympics' to the world. It is estimated that the authorities in China invested more than USD17 billion on environmental projects for the Games.
This plan was laid out in a series of twenty key environmental commitments ranging from the improvement of the city's transport infrastructure to the upgrading of the waste system and an increase in the city's green coverage. The city authorities also achieved a complete phase-out of hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), an ozone-damaging greenhouse gas, years ahead of the 2030 target.
Along with environmental improvements across the city, a powerful legacy of the Games is increased awareness of environmental issues in China, particularly among Beijing residents and businesses.
Conclusions and recommendations
The report highlights several areas where the Beijing Olympic organisers exceeded their commitments, including:
• On emissions, the organisers had committed to implementing vehicle emission standards equal to Euro II for light vehicles - in fact, Beijing switched to Euro IV emission standards for cars in time for the Games.
• The greening of Beijing and the Olympic venues, with the creation of 720 green spaces in central Beijing. Since winning the bid to host the Olympic Games, approximately 8,800 hectares of green space was developed using more than 30 million trees and rose bushes.
• The number of blue sky days (days with an Air Pollution Index of 100 or below) rose from less than 180 in 2000 to 274 days in 2008.
• Waste classification and recycling goals were exceeded by two per cent and five per cent, respectively. Further, hazardous and medical waste treatment facilities were expanded and updated, all solid waste was sorted in venues, and the recycling rate in the Olympic venues was 23 per cent higher than the committed level.
The authors also identified challenges in a few areas, including:
• The lack of mandatory guidelines for Olympic suppliers on materials including timber.
• A missed opportunity on engaging with Non-Governmental Organisations and benefiting from their expertise from the outset of the Games preparations.
Air quality
Air quality was by far the most prominent environmental issue the Olympic organisers and the Beijing municipal authorities had to manage. Indeed it has been an issue for several previous Olympic Games, including Los Angeles and Athens.
• The report notes that "significant efforts before and during the Games were focused on improving Beijing's air quality" and that "as a result, air quality improved significantly".
Studies show that the special measures taken for the Olympic Games - in conjunction with weather conditions in August - led to reductions in carbon monoxide (CO) by 47 per cent; nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by 38 per cent; volatile organic compounds (VOC) by 30 per cent; particulate matter (PM10) by 20 per cent; and sulphur dioxide (SO2) by 14 per cent.
The Games also "greatly increased public awareness of air quality" in Beijing, leading the public to press for continued efforts to sustain the improved quality of life experienced during the Games.
However, the report notes that "there remains significant room to improve Beijing's air quality", the PM10 standard in the city remains a challenge.
• Future air quality challenges in Beijing are likely to focus on the smaller particles (PM2.5), which are not currently subject to standards in China but raise health issues.
Transport
The Beijing organisers' comprehensive measures to cut emissions and improve public transportation in the sprawling city included a switch to more stringent vehicle emission and fuel quality standards in 2008, in line with Euro III and Euro IV emission standards.
• The authorities also improved the city's public transport infrastructure, bringing the number of railway tracks from four to eight. Some of the temporary measures introduced during the Games, including a ban on heavily polluting vehicles and restrictions on the number of cars in the city centre, were extended for several months after the Games.
The report concludes that the Games played a crucial role in Beijing's transition to more stringent vehicle standards and smoothed the way for the Beijing authorities and China's Central Government to implement future sustainable transport initiatives.
However congestion remains a challenge, with 1,000 new vehicles registered daily. The authors recommend that the city further expand its public transport capacity by building more subways and railways, and consider policy options including tax cuts for clean vehicles and congestion fees in crowded areas.
• The report also recommends that the integrated approach for fuels and vehicles taken in Beijing be pursued at the national level.
Energy
Reducing Beijing's dependence on coal and improving energy efficiency and air quality were a priority for the Game organisers.
• The report notes that the Olympic Games accelerated the introduction of energy-efficient infrastructure in Beijing, more than 20 per cent of the total electricity consumed in all the venues was supplied by renewable energy, and that the Games' showcase of best practices in clean energy and energy efficiency "provided a basis for the organisers of other mass events to learn from".
The city of Beijing continues to rely on coal for 40 per cent of its energy consumption, and the report recommends "a more deliberate effort to reduce coal consumption in Beijing, in tandem with increasing the supply of clean and renewable energy".
Water
Protecting Beijing's limited water supply was a key objective of the organisers, and the report concludes that the measures they took "serve as an international example of creative and aggressive measures that can be taken to minimise water use, maximise the efficient use of existing water resources and protect the water ecosystems".
To build on these achievements, the report recommends that the Beijing Municipal Government ensure that innovative water-efficiency measures (including storm water capture and storage) be increasingly applied throughout the city, especially in all new buildings and developments.
• The authors also say the International Olympic Committee should promote in all the cities hosting Olympic events the adoption of sustainable water management strategies that will benefit host cities well beyond the staging of the Games.
Waste
Beijing achieved all of its commitments in the area of waste - waste classification and recycling goals were exceeded, and the in-venue recycling rate was 23 per cent higher than the committed level.
• The report recommends that additional policies and infrastructure be used to increase waste treatment and capacity, along with economic incentives to complement waste reduction and more comprehensive policies and regulations on waste and recycling.
Green venues
The report praises Beijing's "remarkable results in incorporating an array of environmental elements into the planning, construction and management of Games venues".
• In several areas, particularly efficient design and renewable energy use, the Games pioneered technologies and planning that leave a green legacy for further planning across China, but also for the organisers of other mass events.
Areas where there is room for improvement include sustainable forestry, with a lack of mandatory timber purchasing guidelines for the Beijing venues, as well as the lack of a systematic environmental footprint analysis to assess the benefits of the green measures.
The IOC should encourage future host cities to invest in new and innovative approaches in energy efficient design and water-saving technologies, and to adopt mandatory purchasing policies for Games-related construction materials.
Climate neutrality
For the first time for a global sports event, Beijing's climate neutrality programme took into account the carbon emissions from international flights. However, the lack of a clear methodology and reliable figures make it difficult for UNEP to assess the carbon footprint of the Games and the impact of the measures to mitigate and offset the emissions.
The report says organisers of upcoming major sports events should be encouraged to seriously look at their carbon footprint and analyse primary data from events. It would also be useful for the IOC and other sport organisations to come up with a harmonised standard for addressing the issue of carbon neutrality in sport.
Relations with Non-Governmental Organisations
The report says the Beijing Organising Committee missed an opportunity to fully engage with NGOs and benefit from their expertise from the outset of the Games preparations. The organising committee only began engaging NGOs from the end of 2006, by which time the construction of most Games facilities was nearing completion and many policies were already in place.
The authors say it would be useful for the Beijing Municipal Government to engage NGOs in discussions on how to carry forward and reinforce the full range of environmental measures undertaken for the Games.
The Beijing Olympics met if not exceeded many of its pledges on the environment, according to an assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
From reducing air pollution to big investments in public transport and renewable energies, the organisers made major efforts to ensure that the 2008 Games marked a step forward in terms of an eco-friendly mass spectator sporting event.
These are some of the conclusions of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games - Final Environmental Assessment, which was released on 18 February during the UNEP Governing Council meeting.
The report underlines that more could have been done on engaging with Non-Governmental Organisations and cutting the Olympic and Paralympic Games' carbon footprint.
But overall the UNEP assessment, conducted by independently appointed assessors, concludes that Beijing raised the environmental bar and the Games left a lasting legacy for the city.
These achievements are all the more impressive given that the Games were held in a rapidly developing city in a country facing multiple development challenges in the first decade of the 21st century.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director who attended the summer Olympics, said, "The public attention of the world focused on the Beijing Games and whether the authorities could pull off a landmark event on many fronts including the environment. They have fulfilled the promise of a Green Games in many areas including public transport, waste treatment and green Olympic venues."
The challenge now facing Beijing is how to consolidate the achievements of the Games and turn them into a green legacy in the long term. UNEP's assessment of Beijing's achievements and challenges also provides key recommendations for the organisers of the Games in Vancouver, London and Sochi - as well as other mass sporting events - as they strive to realise their goals and set the environmental bar ever higher.
The Beijing Games and the environment
The Beijing organisers' goal was to offer a 'Green Olympics' to the world. It is estimated that the authorities in China invested more than USD17 billion on environmental projects for the Games.
This plan was laid out in a series of twenty key environmental commitments ranging from the improvement of the city's transport infrastructure to the upgrading of the waste system and an increase in the city's green coverage. The city authorities also achieved a complete phase-out of hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), an ozone-damaging greenhouse gas, years ahead of the 2030 target.
Along with environmental improvements across the city, a powerful legacy of the Games is increased awareness of environmental issues in China, particularly among Beijing residents and businesses.
Conclusions and recommendations
The report highlights several areas where the Beijing Olympic organisers exceeded their commitments, including:
• On emissions, the organisers had committed to implementing vehicle emission standards equal to Euro II for light vehicles - in fact, Beijing switched to Euro IV emission standards for cars in time for the Games.
• The greening of Beijing and the Olympic venues, with the creation of 720 green spaces in central Beijing. Since winning the bid to host the Olympic Games, approximately 8,800 hectares of green space was developed using more than 30 million trees and rose bushes.
• The number of blue sky days (days with an Air Pollution Index of 100 or below) rose from less than 180 in 2000 to 274 days in 2008.
• Waste classification and recycling goals were exceeded by two per cent and five per cent, respectively. Further, hazardous and medical waste treatment facilities were expanded and updated, all solid waste was sorted in venues, and the recycling rate in the Olympic venues was 23 per cent higher than the committed level.
The authors also identified challenges in a few areas, including:
• The lack of mandatory guidelines for Olympic suppliers on materials including timber.
• A missed opportunity on engaging with Non-Governmental Organisations and benefiting from their expertise from the outset of the Games preparations.
Air quality
Air quality was by far the most prominent environmental issue the Olympic organisers and the Beijing municipal authorities had to manage. Indeed it has been an issue for several previous Olympic Games, including Los Angeles and Athens.
• The report notes that "significant efforts before and during the Games were focused on improving Beijing's air quality" and that "as a result, air quality improved significantly".
Studies show that the special measures taken for the Olympic Games - in conjunction with weather conditions in August - led to reductions in carbon monoxide (CO) by 47 per cent; nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by 38 per cent; volatile organic compounds (VOC) by 30 per cent; particulate matter (PM10) by 20 per cent; and sulphur dioxide (SO2) by 14 per cent.
The Games also "greatly increased public awareness of air quality" in Beijing, leading the public to press for continued efforts to sustain the improved quality of life experienced during the Games.
However, the report notes that "there remains significant room to improve Beijing's air quality", the PM10 standard in the city remains a challenge.
• Future air quality challenges in Beijing are likely to focus on the smaller particles (PM2.5), which are not currently subject to standards in China but raise health issues.
Transport
The Beijing organisers' comprehensive measures to cut emissions and improve public transportation in the sprawling city included a switch to more stringent vehicle emission and fuel quality standards in 2008, in line with Euro III and Euro IV emission standards.
• The authorities also improved the city's public transport infrastructure, bringing the number of railway tracks from four to eight. Some of the temporary measures introduced during the Games, including a ban on heavily polluting vehicles and restrictions on the number of cars in the city centre, were extended for several months after the Games.
The report concludes that the Games played a crucial role in Beijing's transition to more stringent vehicle standards and smoothed the way for the Beijing authorities and China's Central Government to implement future sustainable transport initiatives.
However congestion remains a challenge, with 1,000 new vehicles registered daily. The authors recommend that the city further expand its public transport capacity by building more subways and railways, and consider policy options including tax cuts for clean vehicles and congestion fees in crowded areas.
• The report also recommends that the integrated approach for fuels and vehicles taken in Beijing be pursued at the national level.
Energy
Reducing Beijing's dependence on coal and improving energy efficiency and air quality were a priority for the Game organisers.
• The report notes that the Olympic Games accelerated the introduction of energy-efficient infrastructure in Beijing, more than 20 per cent of the total electricity consumed in all the venues was supplied by renewable energy, and that the Games' showcase of best practices in clean energy and energy efficiency "provided a basis for the organisers of other mass events to learn from".
The city of Beijing continues to rely on coal for 40 per cent of its energy consumption, and the report recommends "a more deliberate effort to reduce coal consumption in Beijing, in tandem with increasing the supply of clean and renewable energy".
Water
Protecting Beijing's limited water supply was a key objective of the organisers, and the report concludes that the measures they took "serve as an international example of creative and aggressive measures that can be taken to minimise water use, maximise the efficient use of existing water resources and protect the water ecosystems".
To build on these achievements, the report recommends that the Beijing Municipal Government ensure that innovative water-efficiency measures (including storm water capture and storage) be increasingly applied throughout the city, especially in all new buildings and developments.
• The authors also say the International Olympic Committee should promote in all the cities hosting Olympic events the adoption of sustainable water management strategies that will benefit host cities well beyond the staging of the Games.
Waste
Beijing achieved all of its commitments in the area of waste - waste classification and recycling goals were exceeded, and the in-venue recycling rate was 23 per cent higher than the committed level.
• The report recommends that additional policies and infrastructure be used to increase waste treatment and capacity, along with economic incentives to complement waste reduction and more comprehensive policies and regulations on waste and recycling.
Green venues
The report praises Beijing's "remarkable results in incorporating an array of environmental elements into the planning, construction and management of Games venues".
• In several areas, particularly efficient design and renewable energy use, the Games pioneered technologies and planning that leave a green legacy for further planning across China, but also for the organisers of other mass events.
Areas where there is room for improvement include sustainable forestry, with a lack of mandatory timber purchasing guidelines for the Beijing venues, as well as the lack of a systematic environmental footprint analysis to assess the benefits of the green measures.
The IOC should encourage future host cities to invest in new and innovative approaches in energy efficient design and water-saving technologies, and to adopt mandatory purchasing policies for Games-related construction materials.
Climate neutrality
For the first time for a global sports event, Beijing's climate neutrality programme took into account the carbon emissions from international flights. However, the lack of a clear methodology and reliable figures make it difficult for UNEP to assess the carbon footprint of the Games and the impact of the measures to mitigate and offset the emissions.
The report says organisers of upcoming major sports events should be encouraged to seriously look at their carbon footprint and analyse primary data from events. It would also be useful for the IOC and other sport organisations to come up with a harmonised standard for addressing the issue of carbon neutrality in sport.
Relations with Non-Governmental Organisations
The report says the Beijing Organising Committee missed an opportunity to fully engage with NGOs and benefit from their expertise from the outset of the Games preparations. The organising committee only began engaging NGOs from the end of 2006, by which time the construction of most Games facilities was nearing completion and many policies were already in place.
The authors say it would be useful for the Beijing Municipal Government to engage NGOs in discussions on how to carry forward and reinforce the full range of environmental measures undertaken for the Games.
World Cannot Afford to Ignore Climate Change
The world must tackle the growing threat of climate change, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a sustainable development summit in New Delhi earlier this month, stressing that the crisis threatens to roll back development gains and lead to further economic and social misery.
“We cannot afford to ignore or underestimate this existential threat. Failure to combat climate change will increase poverty and hardship,” Ban said upon receiving the Sustainable Development Leadership Award at the summit taking place in the Indian capital.
“It will destabilise economies, breed insecurity in many countries and undermine our goals for sustainable development,” he told the gathering.
Ban, who has made climate change the priority of his mandate as United Nations chief, stressed that tackling the threat will require “all our leadership, all our commitment, all our ingenuity.”
While facing up to the crisis will not be easy, he noted, it does provide an “exciting opportunity” to make progress on a range of sustainable development issues.
“By pursuing a green economy based on efficient and equitable resource use, we will cut down greenhouse gas emissions and protect essential ecosystems.
“At the same time, we will reinvigorate national economies, create employment and livelihood opportunities, improve human well-being and achieve our sustainable development targets,” said the Secretary-General.
Looking ahead to the crucial climate change negotiations scheduled for December in Copenhagen, Ban stressed the need to achieve an ambitious, comprehensive and ratifiable agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A successful outcome will depend on resolving three main political challenges, he added.
First, Copenhagen must clarify commitments of developed countries to reduce their emissions, by setting ambitious mid-term targets, with credible baselines. Also important is to achieve clarity on what mitigation actions developing countries will be prepared to make.
Secondly, Copenhagen must advance on the issue of financing the mitigation and adaptation needs of developing countries.
Thirdly, governments, as well as the UN system must come up with credible solutions for the governance of new funds, and for their implementation response.
Earlier in the day, Ban met with CEOs of Indian industry and heard about how they plan to respond to climate change issues. He emphasised that India has what it takes to lead on green technology.
“Already India has shown ingenuity and dedication. Industrialists here have moved forward on new energy technologies. I would encourage you to intensify this work and engage even more with other international efforts in this field,” he told the gathering.
“We cannot afford to ignore or underestimate this existential threat. Failure to combat climate change will increase poverty and hardship,” Ban said upon receiving the Sustainable Development Leadership Award at the summit taking place in the Indian capital.
“It will destabilise economies, breed insecurity in many countries and undermine our goals for sustainable development,” he told the gathering.
Ban, who has made climate change the priority of his mandate as United Nations chief, stressed that tackling the threat will require “all our leadership, all our commitment, all our ingenuity.”
While facing up to the crisis will not be easy, he noted, it does provide an “exciting opportunity” to make progress on a range of sustainable development issues.
“By pursuing a green economy based on efficient and equitable resource use, we will cut down greenhouse gas emissions and protect essential ecosystems.
“At the same time, we will reinvigorate national economies, create employment and livelihood opportunities, improve human well-being and achieve our sustainable development targets,” said the Secretary-General.
Looking ahead to the crucial climate change negotiations scheduled for December in Copenhagen, Ban stressed the need to achieve an ambitious, comprehensive and ratifiable agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A successful outcome will depend on resolving three main political challenges, he added.
First, Copenhagen must clarify commitments of developed countries to reduce their emissions, by setting ambitious mid-term targets, with credible baselines. Also important is to achieve clarity on what mitigation actions developing countries will be prepared to make.
Secondly, Copenhagen must advance on the issue of financing the mitigation and adaptation needs of developing countries.
Thirdly, governments, as well as the UN system must come up with credible solutions for the governance of new funds, and for their implementation response.
Earlier in the day, Ban met with CEOs of Indian industry and heard about how they plan to respond to climate change issues. He emphasised that India has what it takes to lead on green technology.
“Already India has shown ingenuity and dedication. Industrialists here have moved forward on new energy technologies. I would encourage you to intensify this work and engage even more with other international efforts in this field,” he told the gathering.
Scientists Call to Halt Rising Acidity in World’s Oceans
Greenhouse gases are putting the world’s oceans at risk of becoming too acidic to support coral reefs and marine life, warned over 150 scientists who called on governments to take immediate action to sharply reduce carbon dioxide emissions in a declaration drafted as a result of a United Nations conference.
The leading marine scientists noted in the Monaco Declaration on Ocean Acidification that levels of acidity were accelerating and that its negative socio-economic impacts can only be limited by cutting back on the amounts of greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere.
Prince Albert II of Monaco urged political leaders today to take notice of the Declaration, drafted by scientists from 26 different countries, ahead of negotiations at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen at the end of the year.
“The chemistry is so fundamental and changes so rapid and severe that impacts on organisms appear unavoidable,” said James Orr of the UN Marine Environment Laboratories, a Monaco-based subsidiary of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The Declaration is based on a report outlining the most important areas of research related to oceanic pollution, which was developed by participants attending a UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) symposium last year called “The Ocean in a High-CO2 World.”
“The report from the symposium summarises the state of the science and priorities for future research, while the Monaco Declaration implores political leaders to launch urgent actions to limit the source of the problem,” said Orr, who chaired the symposium.
“The questions are now how bad will it be and how soon will it happen,” he added.
The leading marine scientists noted in the Monaco Declaration on Ocean Acidification that levels of acidity were accelerating and that its negative socio-economic impacts can only be limited by cutting back on the amounts of greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere.
Prince Albert II of Monaco urged political leaders today to take notice of the Declaration, drafted by scientists from 26 different countries, ahead of negotiations at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen at the end of the year.
“The chemistry is so fundamental and changes so rapid and severe that impacts on organisms appear unavoidable,” said James Orr of the UN Marine Environment Laboratories, a Monaco-based subsidiary of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The Declaration is based on a report outlining the most important areas of research related to oceanic pollution, which was developed by participants attending a UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) symposium last year called “The Ocean in a High-CO2 World.”
“The report from the symposium summarises the state of the science and priorities for future research, while the Monaco Declaration implores political leaders to launch urgent actions to limit the source of the problem,” said Orr, who chaired the symposium.
“The questions are now how bad will it be and how soon will it happen,” he added.
Zero Carbon Homes
The University of Nottingham has started work on two concept homes, in partnership with Tarmac Limited, designed to provide house builders and registered social landlords with a blueprint for low cost, zero carbon homes that can be built in large numbers across the country.
The two semi-detached properties are being built as part of the next phase of The University of Nottingham’s pioneering research into innovative energy efficient homes for the future. The latest buildings will be the first in the UK to demonstrate that it is possible to build zero carbon homes using traditional masonry building techniques as part of large scale development.
Dr Mark Gillott, who is leading the Creative Energy Homes Project at the School of Built Environment, said, "The research we are undertaking here at the University of Nottingham is essential due to the massive step changes in design and construction practice required to meet the UK's Code for Sustainable Homes targets — the post occupancy evaluation of these homes is important in allowing us to understand how they work in reality and not just on paper."
Phil Sabin, Tarmac’s Business Development Manager adds: “Up until now, zero-carbon homes in the UK have been one-off showpieces which nobody lives in, or they are highly costly ‘Grand Designs’ which only a small minority of people can afford.
“We are breaking new ground by building two properties which are affordable, zero- carbon and could potentially be built as part of large-scale development. With Government targets for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016, together with its plans for three million new homes to be built by 2020, it is vital that we use this research project in Nottingham to show the construction industry how this can be achieved.”
Researchers, in collaboration with Tarmac and its partners Lovell, the leading affordable house builder, and Bill Dunster Architects are hoping to understand how meeting the highest levels of zero-carbon housing translates into practical reality.
The project will also tackle some of the industry myths that still surround the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH). This includes misconceptions relating to the Green Code product specification and the optimum mix of renewables required for Code Level 6 properties.
The Tarmac home is the latest home to be built on Green Close on University Park near the School of Built Environment. It expected to be completed by July 2009. It will provide accommodations for visiting academics while researchers will analyse the energy usage and thermal efficiency as well as how occupants potentially have to adapt to living in a Code Level 6 and 4 properties.
A total of six homes are planned for Green Close. Last year saw the completion of the BASF house which showcases all the latest technology for energy efficient living. E-ON has also collaborated with the University to build a 1930s style house to assess cost effective measures for reducing carbon emissions from ageing domestic properties.
The two semi-detached properties are being built as part of the next phase of The University of Nottingham’s pioneering research into innovative energy efficient homes for the future. The latest buildings will be the first in the UK to demonstrate that it is possible to build zero carbon homes using traditional masonry building techniques as part of large scale development.
Dr Mark Gillott, who is leading the Creative Energy Homes Project at the School of Built Environment, said, "The research we are undertaking here at the University of Nottingham is essential due to the massive step changes in design and construction practice required to meet the UK's Code for Sustainable Homes targets — the post occupancy evaluation of these homes is important in allowing us to understand how they work in reality and not just on paper."
Phil Sabin, Tarmac’s Business Development Manager adds: “Up until now, zero-carbon homes in the UK have been one-off showpieces which nobody lives in, or they are highly costly ‘Grand Designs’ which only a small minority of people can afford.
“We are breaking new ground by building two properties which are affordable, zero- carbon and could potentially be built as part of large-scale development. With Government targets for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016, together with its plans for three million new homes to be built by 2020, it is vital that we use this research project in Nottingham to show the construction industry how this can be achieved.”
Researchers, in collaboration with Tarmac and its partners Lovell, the leading affordable house builder, and Bill Dunster Architects are hoping to understand how meeting the highest levels of zero-carbon housing translates into practical reality.
The project will also tackle some of the industry myths that still surround the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH). This includes misconceptions relating to the Green Code product specification and the optimum mix of renewables required for Code Level 6 properties.
The Tarmac home is the latest home to be built on Green Close on University Park near the School of Built Environment. It expected to be completed by July 2009. It will provide accommodations for visiting academics while researchers will analyse the energy usage and thermal efficiency as well as how occupants potentially have to adapt to living in a Code Level 6 and 4 properties.
A total of six homes are planned for Green Close. Last year saw the completion of the BASF house which showcases all the latest technology for energy efficient living. E-ON has also collaborated with the University to build a 1930s style house to assess cost effective measures for reducing carbon emissions from ageing domestic properties.
New York is First US City to Win International Award for Sustainable Transport
Honourable mentions include Beijing, Istanbul, Mexico City, Milan
New York has been honoured as the first US city to win the 5th annual Sustainable Transport Award. The other award finalists, Beijing, Istanbul, Mexico City and Milan receive honourable mentions.
The Sustainable Transport Award is granted to cities for adopting innovative transportation strategies. This year’s nominees made noteworthy strides in confronting climate change and decreasing air pollution from vehicle emissions. Street space was reclaimed to build attractive public plazas. Increased public transit options led to a boom in ridership. New bicycle lanes were installed, prompting more commuters to bicycle. Pedestrian amenities were enhanced, encouraging more walking trips.
“As Congress crafts its stimulus bill, these cities serve as great models for how we can strengthen the environment, improve energy efficiency, and prepare our infrastructure for the 21st century,” said US Representative Earl Blumenauer, the 2nd ranking Democrat on the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and a featured speaker at the awards ceremony.
"With much of the world looking for transport projects to provide an economic stimulus, this year’s winners demonstrate the sort of investments that would create the liveable and competitive cities of tomorrow,” said selection committee member Dr Walter Hook, executive director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. “Other cities will be inspired by the achievements of the cities honoured tonight.”
New York City has demonstrated that political will, bold leadership and citizen engagement can lead to sweeping transportation reforms. In 2008, the city implemented key parts of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s long-term sustainability vision, PlaNYC 2030. The laudable changes made throughout 2008 have reshaped the experience of walking on New York City streets. The city has embraced biking and walking as investment-worthy transportation alternatives, while the traditional car oriented mobility model is taking a back-seat.
“For a mega-city to embark on an Eco Mobility agenda requires courage,” said Konrad Otto-Zimmermann, selection committee member and Secretary General of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability based in Toronto, Canada. “New York must be congratulated for both courage and drive, and I am sure it will take the well deserved Award as an incentive to do even more.”
In 2008, New York City took 49 acres of road space, traffic lanes and parking spots away from cars and gave it back to the public for bike lanes, pedestrian areas and public plazas. Protected on-street bike lanes were part of the 140 miles (255 kilometres) of bike lanes implemented. Bike ridership increased by 35 per cent from the past year. The city planted more than 98,000 trees, implemented a select bus service and introduced car-free Saturdays. The NYC Department of Transportation recycles 40 per cent of the asphalt used to repair streets.
“In tough economic times, bus service is the most immediate and inexpensive way to meet growing commuter demand for transit in New York City,” said Michael Replogle, a civil engineer and transportation modelling expert who is the Transportation Director for Environmental Defence Fund, an adviser to the US Department of Transportation, as well as co-founder and president of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. “It also makes the Big Apple more liveable by reducing traffic congestion, air and global warming pollution.”
Beijing has made impressive efforts improving air quality and working to make transportation better and cleaner. The city implemented vehicle restrictions for the Olympics, most of which were re-instituted afterwards because of popular demand. The restrictions require owners to leave their automobiles home one day each week, getting 800,000 vehicles off the streets every day. The government mandated Euro IV fuel standards, which lowered the amount of sulphur allowed in gasoline and diesel from 150 parts per million (ppm) to 50 ppm. The city also added a new line to the metro system and two new lines for the bus rapid transit (BRT) system in 2008, extending the hours for both the metro system and BRT. Beijing increased its bus fleet, while decreasing the fleet of government vehicles by 30 per cent. One-third of the police fleet is now patrolling the streets using non-motorised and electric bikes.
“The Olympics provided Beijing with a unique opportunity to introduce an impressive mix of measures that transformed the air quality and liveability of the city,” said Sophie Punte, executive director of Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia). ”It is an encouraging example for other Asian cities, showing us that this transformation can only be achieved by an integrated approach that covers all aspects of transport.”
Mexico City, Mexico has continued its efforts to implement a cohesive and broad sustainable transport and development agenda, El Plan Verde. Metrobus, Mexico City’s BRT system, expanded along Avenue Insurgents, and the city inaugurated the second line, Eje 4, in 2008. Metrobus now carries 320,000 passengers a day. Accidents dropped by 30 per cent, and the corridor saw a five per cent shift from private vehicles to public transport. Mayor Ebrard also initiated Sunday Closing – Paseo Domincal – which closes Reforma and other major avenues from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm every Sunday. This transformation has helped to stimulate a growing cycling and walking culture. The city approved a bicycle master plan and a pilot new bikeway, but has not yet implemented the plan or built the bikeway.
“Mexico is one of the world examples of congestion, but now it is a world example of how a megacity can improve substantially by implementing well-thought out projects,” said Manfred Breithaupt of GTZ, the German technical cooperation enterprise on sustainable development. “Replication effects in other cities of the country show its snowball effect.”
Istanbul, Turkey has quickly moved to open Metrobus, a BRT system that now carries 450,000 passengers a day over 43 kilometres (about 27 miles) of segregated busway. After pursuing many high cost, not terribly sustainable transport projects, Istanbul opened one of the most effective BRT lines in the world. Metrobus was built on expressways, so it reaches exceptionally fast travel speeds at 40 kilometres per hour (about 25 miles per hour), reducing travel times by 75 per cent. The system is also integrated with the underground metro and existing bus services. Other cities in Turkey are looking to this low cost, quickly implemented example as a model.
“It is impressive that after so many wrong starts with transportation projects in Istanbul, the city quickly and with dedication moved to implement this,” stated Dario Hidalgo senior transport engineer at EMBARQ and former deputy director of TransMilenio, Bogotá’s BRT system. “It is always nice to look for inspiration in New York City, but not less interesting to find remarkable efforts in other cities like Istanbul.”
Milan, Italy introduced Ecopass in January 2008, which is designed to restrict access to the central Cerchia dei Bastioni area of the city by charging the most heavily polluting vehicles. It is the first urban environmental policy worldwide in the transport sector based on the European Union’s “polluter pays” principle and is an evolution of the London’s congestion charge. Milan also just unveiled its bike share program, BikeMi, with 1,300 bikes and 103 stations.
“It is an ambitious project which has already shown a reduction in car traffic. The public transport offer should be increased to make it more attractive than driving the car. This system is different from London’s because it is based on environmental performance,” observed Heather Allen, senior manager of Sustainable Development at the International Association for Public Transport (UITP). “Ecopass not only addresses the increasing congestion and high levels of pollution in downtown Milan, but it also sends a strong signal to citizens that there is a choice.”
Since February 2008, there has been a 19.2 per cent traffic reduction within and an 8 per cent reduction outside the Ecopass enforcement time. As a result, public transport speed increased by 11.3 per cent, passenger ridership increased on public transport by 9.7 per cent and in two months the government generated revenues of Euro3.9 million (about USD5.6 million). As a result, carbon dioxide has decreased by 12 per cent during the enforcement period, and particulate matter has decreased by 19 per cent.
The selection committee includes the most respected experts and organisations working internationally on sustainable transportation. For more information, photos, and videos about the award and its current and past winners, visit www.st-award.org.
New York has been honoured as the first US city to win the 5th annual Sustainable Transport Award. The other award finalists, Beijing, Istanbul, Mexico City and Milan receive honourable mentions.
The Sustainable Transport Award is granted to cities for adopting innovative transportation strategies. This year’s nominees made noteworthy strides in confronting climate change and decreasing air pollution from vehicle emissions. Street space was reclaimed to build attractive public plazas. Increased public transit options led to a boom in ridership. New bicycle lanes were installed, prompting more commuters to bicycle. Pedestrian amenities were enhanced, encouraging more walking trips.
“As Congress crafts its stimulus bill, these cities serve as great models for how we can strengthen the environment, improve energy efficiency, and prepare our infrastructure for the 21st century,” said US Representative Earl Blumenauer, the 2nd ranking Democrat on the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and a featured speaker at the awards ceremony.
"With much of the world looking for transport projects to provide an economic stimulus, this year’s winners demonstrate the sort of investments that would create the liveable and competitive cities of tomorrow,” said selection committee member Dr Walter Hook, executive director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. “Other cities will be inspired by the achievements of the cities honoured tonight.”
New York City has demonstrated that political will, bold leadership and citizen engagement can lead to sweeping transportation reforms. In 2008, the city implemented key parts of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s long-term sustainability vision, PlaNYC 2030. The laudable changes made throughout 2008 have reshaped the experience of walking on New York City streets. The city has embraced biking and walking as investment-worthy transportation alternatives, while the traditional car oriented mobility model is taking a back-seat.
“For a mega-city to embark on an Eco Mobility agenda requires courage,” said Konrad Otto-Zimmermann, selection committee member and Secretary General of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability based in Toronto, Canada. “New York must be congratulated for both courage and drive, and I am sure it will take the well deserved Award as an incentive to do even more.”
In 2008, New York City took 49 acres of road space, traffic lanes and parking spots away from cars and gave it back to the public for bike lanes, pedestrian areas and public plazas. Protected on-street bike lanes were part of the 140 miles (255 kilometres) of bike lanes implemented. Bike ridership increased by 35 per cent from the past year. The city planted more than 98,000 trees, implemented a select bus service and introduced car-free Saturdays. The NYC Department of Transportation recycles 40 per cent of the asphalt used to repair streets.
“In tough economic times, bus service is the most immediate and inexpensive way to meet growing commuter demand for transit in New York City,” said Michael Replogle, a civil engineer and transportation modelling expert who is the Transportation Director for Environmental Defence Fund, an adviser to the US Department of Transportation, as well as co-founder and president of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. “It also makes the Big Apple more liveable by reducing traffic congestion, air and global warming pollution.”
Beijing has made impressive efforts improving air quality and working to make transportation better and cleaner. The city implemented vehicle restrictions for the Olympics, most of which were re-instituted afterwards because of popular demand. The restrictions require owners to leave their automobiles home one day each week, getting 800,000 vehicles off the streets every day. The government mandated Euro IV fuel standards, which lowered the amount of sulphur allowed in gasoline and diesel from 150 parts per million (ppm) to 50 ppm. The city also added a new line to the metro system and two new lines for the bus rapid transit (BRT) system in 2008, extending the hours for both the metro system and BRT. Beijing increased its bus fleet, while decreasing the fleet of government vehicles by 30 per cent. One-third of the police fleet is now patrolling the streets using non-motorised and electric bikes.
“The Olympics provided Beijing with a unique opportunity to introduce an impressive mix of measures that transformed the air quality and liveability of the city,” said Sophie Punte, executive director of Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia). ”It is an encouraging example for other Asian cities, showing us that this transformation can only be achieved by an integrated approach that covers all aspects of transport.”
Mexico City, Mexico has continued its efforts to implement a cohesive and broad sustainable transport and development agenda, El Plan Verde. Metrobus, Mexico City’s BRT system, expanded along Avenue Insurgents, and the city inaugurated the second line, Eje 4, in 2008. Metrobus now carries 320,000 passengers a day. Accidents dropped by 30 per cent, and the corridor saw a five per cent shift from private vehicles to public transport. Mayor Ebrard also initiated Sunday Closing – Paseo Domincal – which closes Reforma and other major avenues from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm every Sunday. This transformation has helped to stimulate a growing cycling and walking culture. The city approved a bicycle master plan and a pilot new bikeway, but has not yet implemented the plan or built the bikeway.
“Mexico is one of the world examples of congestion, but now it is a world example of how a megacity can improve substantially by implementing well-thought out projects,” said Manfred Breithaupt of GTZ, the German technical cooperation enterprise on sustainable development. “Replication effects in other cities of the country show its snowball effect.”
Istanbul, Turkey has quickly moved to open Metrobus, a BRT system that now carries 450,000 passengers a day over 43 kilometres (about 27 miles) of segregated busway. After pursuing many high cost, not terribly sustainable transport projects, Istanbul opened one of the most effective BRT lines in the world. Metrobus was built on expressways, so it reaches exceptionally fast travel speeds at 40 kilometres per hour (about 25 miles per hour), reducing travel times by 75 per cent. The system is also integrated with the underground metro and existing bus services. Other cities in Turkey are looking to this low cost, quickly implemented example as a model.
“It is impressive that after so many wrong starts with transportation projects in Istanbul, the city quickly and with dedication moved to implement this,” stated Dario Hidalgo senior transport engineer at EMBARQ and former deputy director of TransMilenio, Bogotá’s BRT system. “It is always nice to look for inspiration in New York City, but not less interesting to find remarkable efforts in other cities like Istanbul.”
Milan, Italy introduced Ecopass in January 2008, which is designed to restrict access to the central Cerchia dei Bastioni area of the city by charging the most heavily polluting vehicles. It is the first urban environmental policy worldwide in the transport sector based on the European Union’s “polluter pays” principle and is an evolution of the London’s congestion charge. Milan also just unveiled its bike share program, BikeMi, with 1,300 bikes and 103 stations.
“It is an ambitious project which has already shown a reduction in car traffic. The public transport offer should be increased to make it more attractive than driving the car. This system is different from London’s because it is based on environmental performance,” observed Heather Allen, senior manager of Sustainable Development at the International Association for Public Transport (UITP). “Ecopass not only addresses the increasing congestion and high levels of pollution in downtown Milan, but it also sends a strong signal to citizens that there is a choice.”
Since February 2008, there has been a 19.2 per cent traffic reduction within and an 8 per cent reduction outside the Ecopass enforcement time. As a result, public transport speed increased by 11.3 per cent, passenger ridership increased on public transport by 9.7 per cent and in two months the government generated revenues of Euro3.9 million (about USD5.6 million). As a result, carbon dioxide has decreased by 12 per cent during the enforcement period, and particulate matter has decreased by 19 per cent.
The selection committee includes the most respected experts and organisations working internationally on sustainable transportation. For more information, photos, and videos about the award and its current and past winners, visit www.st-award.org.
Landmark Blueprint for Climate Protection Legislation
Broad and Diverse Coalition Presents Consensus Approach on Major Climate Initiatives
The US Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) recently unveiled a comprehensive and detailed set of integrated policy recommendations for developing legislation that would create an environmentally effective and economically sustainable national climate protection programme.
The landmark document – titled A Blueprint for Legislative Action – echoes the sense of urgency that President-elect Obama has articulated regarding the need for a cap on greenhouse gas emissions.
Developed through two years of intensive analysis and consensus-building among 26 corporations and five environmental organisations, the Blueprint offers policy makers a clear path forward endorsed by a coalition representing a broad swath of the economy and diverse environmental interests.
"Building on the new wave of energy in Washington, it is essential for Congress to pass strong global warming legislation in 2009,” said Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC). “Strong climate legislation can generate revenue for investment in new technologies, create million of new jobs, and jump-start our economic recovery. This more detailed blueprint, supported by a wide range of businesses and environmental groups, can help Congress tackle global warming this year and move our country to a brighter economic future."
"In the past, the US has proven that we have the will, the capabilities and the courage to invest in innovation – even in difficult times," said Jeff Immelt, Chairman and CEO of GE. "Today, cap-and-trade legislation is a crucial component in fuelling the bold clean energy investments necessary to catapult the US again to pre-eminence in global energy and environmental policy, strengthen the country's international competitiveness, and create millions of rewarding new American jobs."
USCAP believes that strong climate legislation is a critical element of any effort to stimulate investment and innovation in low-carbon technologies. The Blueprint provides specific guidelines for the Administration and Congress to enact legislation that both protects the environment and facilitates the necessary transition to a vibrant, low-carbon economy. That includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent of 2005 levels by 2050 through an economy-wide cap-and-trade program.
“The health of our economy and the safety of our climate are inextricably linked, except nature doesn’t do bail-outs,” noted Jonathan Lash, President of the World Resources Institute. “USCAP has redefined what is possible. If the diverse membership of USCAP can find common ground, Congress can agree on effective legislation.”
USCAP noted that every year of delay in controlling emissions increases the risk of unavoidable consequences that could necessitate even steeper greenhouse gas reductions in the future, at substantially greater economic cost and social disruption.
The Blueprint details steps for creating a mandatory, economy-wide cap-and-trade program, coupled with cost containment measures and complementary policies addressing a federal technology research development and deployment program, coal technology, transportation, and building and energy efficiency.
Expanding significantly on USCAP’s 2007 groundbreaking Call for Action, the Blueprint includes an aggressive emission reduction schedule, further details on the scope of coverage for the cap-and-trade program and recommendations for how to include as much of the US economy under the cap as administratively and politically feasible.
Highlights from the Blueprint include:
• Requiring an 80 per cent emissions reduction below 2005 levels by 2050: National climate legislation should include aggressive emission reduction targets that can be achieved at manageable costs to the economy. The targets and time tables in the Blueprint are consistent with the schedule proposed by President-elect Obama.
• Allowing the ample use of offsets to manage program costs: Offsets should be used to help meet compliance obligations and should be environmentally additional, verifiable, permanent, measurable, and enforceable. Other cost containment measures to limit price spikes and volatility are detailed in the Blueprint.
• Using the value of emissions allowances to protect consumers and businesses while advancing climate program goals: USCAP believes the distribution of allowance value should facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy for consumers and businesses, provide capital to support new low and zero GHG-emitting technologies, and address the need for humans and the environment to adapt to climate change. A significant portion of allowances should be initially distributed to capped entities and particularly disadvantaged economic sectors. The Blueprint identifies principles to guide the fair and equitable allocation of allowance value to mitigate costs to consumers and impacted sectors of the economy.
• Creating incentives for technology development and deployment: In addition to outlining the design and function of a cap-and-trade system, the Blueprint details complementary measures for coal, technology transformation, transportation, and buildings and energy efficiency that are needed to facilitate rapid technology transformation and to ensure that actual reductions in emissions occur across the economy. These measures are presented as necessary components of the cap-and-trade recommendations.
The full text of USCAP recommendations is available online at www.us-cap.org
The US Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) recently unveiled a comprehensive and detailed set of integrated policy recommendations for developing legislation that would create an environmentally effective and economically sustainable national climate protection programme.
The landmark document – titled A Blueprint for Legislative Action – echoes the sense of urgency that President-elect Obama has articulated regarding the need for a cap on greenhouse gas emissions.
Developed through two years of intensive analysis and consensus-building among 26 corporations and five environmental organisations, the Blueprint offers policy makers a clear path forward endorsed by a coalition representing a broad swath of the economy and diverse environmental interests.
"Building on the new wave of energy in Washington, it is essential for Congress to pass strong global warming legislation in 2009,” said Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC). “Strong climate legislation can generate revenue for investment in new technologies, create million of new jobs, and jump-start our economic recovery. This more detailed blueprint, supported by a wide range of businesses and environmental groups, can help Congress tackle global warming this year and move our country to a brighter economic future."
"In the past, the US has proven that we have the will, the capabilities and the courage to invest in innovation – even in difficult times," said Jeff Immelt, Chairman and CEO of GE. "Today, cap-and-trade legislation is a crucial component in fuelling the bold clean energy investments necessary to catapult the US again to pre-eminence in global energy and environmental policy, strengthen the country's international competitiveness, and create millions of rewarding new American jobs."
USCAP believes that strong climate legislation is a critical element of any effort to stimulate investment and innovation in low-carbon technologies. The Blueprint provides specific guidelines for the Administration and Congress to enact legislation that both protects the environment and facilitates the necessary transition to a vibrant, low-carbon economy. That includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent of 2005 levels by 2050 through an economy-wide cap-and-trade program.
“The health of our economy and the safety of our climate are inextricably linked, except nature doesn’t do bail-outs,” noted Jonathan Lash, President of the World Resources Institute. “USCAP has redefined what is possible. If the diverse membership of USCAP can find common ground, Congress can agree on effective legislation.”
USCAP noted that every year of delay in controlling emissions increases the risk of unavoidable consequences that could necessitate even steeper greenhouse gas reductions in the future, at substantially greater economic cost and social disruption.
The Blueprint details steps for creating a mandatory, economy-wide cap-and-trade program, coupled with cost containment measures and complementary policies addressing a federal technology research development and deployment program, coal technology, transportation, and building and energy efficiency.
Expanding significantly on USCAP’s 2007 groundbreaking Call for Action, the Blueprint includes an aggressive emission reduction schedule, further details on the scope of coverage for the cap-and-trade program and recommendations for how to include as much of the US economy under the cap as administratively and politically feasible.
Highlights from the Blueprint include:
• Requiring an 80 per cent emissions reduction below 2005 levels by 2050: National climate legislation should include aggressive emission reduction targets that can be achieved at manageable costs to the economy. The targets and time tables in the Blueprint are consistent with the schedule proposed by President-elect Obama.
• Allowing the ample use of offsets to manage program costs: Offsets should be used to help meet compliance obligations and should be environmentally additional, verifiable, permanent, measurable, and enforceable. Other cost containment measures to limit price spikes and volatility are detailed in the Blueprint.
• Using the value of emissions allowances to protect consumers and businesses while advancing climate program goals: USCAP believes the distribution of allowance value should facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy for consumers and businesses, provide capital to support new low and zero GHG-emitting technologies, and address the need for humans and the environment to adapt to climate change. A significant portion of allowances should be initially distributed to capped entities and particularly disadvantaged economic sectors. The Blueprint identifies principles to guide the fair and equitable allocation of allowance value to mitigate costs to consumers and impacted sectors of the economy.
• Creating incentives for technology development and deployment: In addition to outlining the design and function of a cap-and-trade system, the Blueprint details complementary measures for coal, technology transformation, transportation, and buildings and energy efficiency that are needed to facilitate rapid technology transformation and to ensure that actual reductions in emissions occur across the economy. These measures are presented as necessary components of the cap-and-trade recommendations.
The full text of USCAP recommendations is available online at www.us-cap.org
Australians Embrace Climate Neutrality on National Day
Traditionally celebrated by having a family barbeque or going to the beach, this year’s Australia Day, marked nationwide on 26 January, is all about going carbon neutral for some of the country’s best-known cities, companies and community initiatives.
From the country’s best-recognised cities to one of its most successful public campaigns, these Australian brands have embraced the vision of low-carbon economies and societies by joining the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), an initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to promote global action and involvement in climate neutrality at all levels.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, said: “Combating climate change is the challenge of this generation. But it is also perhaps one of the greatest opportunities for transforming economies, triggering innovation, sparking human creativity and generating jobs now and in the future.”
“These new Australian members of the CN Net are therefore signalling their commitment to a Green Economy so urgently needed in the 21st century—one able to deal with the multiple crises of today and the ones to come. In doing so they are also supporting Australia’s renewed leadership on global warming in advance of the crucial UN climate convention meeting in Copenhagen,” he added.
With its world-famous Opera House, the “Coathanger” Bridge and the Harbour as its backdrop, Sydney is one of the world’s most spectacular cities. In 2007, the City of Sydney became Australia’s first carbon neutral local government. The City is implementing a wide range of initiatives to avoid carbon emissions and respond to climate change – from installing energy-efficient street lighting to creating a network of cycling paths to investigating alternative waste treatment options.
Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore said: “The City of Sydney is proud to be the first carbon neutral government in Australia. Though the emissions from the City of Sydney alone are small in terms of state, national and global emissions, we believe that our leadership can influence other governments by demonstrating that change is possible. The UNEP Climate Neutral Network is a significant opportunity to provide information and share experiences with a wide audience”.
Brisbane is Australia’s third largest city which aims to become carbon neutral by 2026. Through the Green Heart CitySmart programme, Brisbane City Council promotes the use of solar hot water systems after having estimated that traditional hot water systems chew up 28 per cent of household energy consumption. In the area of transport, the city has recently pioneered Australia’s first public bicycle hire scheme and introduced the “superbus”, a 14.5 metre low-emissions bus capable of carrying up to 98 passengers. The city is also spearheading the two million trees planting project, including 150,000 native seedlings to be planted to celebrate Brisbane’s 150th anniversary.
Another CN Net participant from Brisbane is Greenfest – a three-day long grassroots, free-to-the-public music festival which will kick off on World Environment Day, 5 June. This year’s focus of the event is sharing the passion for a cooler planet and creating awareness about the importance of the UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December 2009.
A further new member is Clean Up the World. The brainchild of Australian solo-yachtsman and builder Ian Kiernan, Clean Up the World campaign grew from the highly successful Clean Up Australia Day first held almost twenty years ago. Today it mobilises an estimated 35 million volunteers from 120 countries annually, making it one of the largest community based environmental campaigns in the world.
“Climate change is an indisputable fact, backed up by science. But rather than simply despairing we need to work together to find creative and sustainable solutions that allow us to reduce human impact and learn to live in harmony with our planet. Adopting carbon neutrality as accepted business practice is more than just possible, it’s an imperative. Clean Up the World is proud to be part of a network that encourages innovative thinking, shares experiences and rewards the achievement of practical carbon reduction strategies,” said Mr Kiernan.
SOURCE: CLIMATE NEUTRAL NETWORK
From the country’s best-recognised cities to one of its most successful public campaigns, these Australian brands have embraced the vision of low-carbon economies and societies by joining the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), an initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to promote global action and involvement in climate neutrality at all levels.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, said: “Combating climate change is the challenge of this generation. But it is also perhaps one of the greatest opportunities for transforming economies, triggering innovation, sparking human creativity and generating jobs now and in the future.”
“These new Australian members of the CN Net are therefore signalling their commitment to a Green Economy so urgently needed in the 21st century—one able to deal with the multiple crises of today and the ones to come. In doing so they are also supporting Australia’s renewed leadership on global warming in advance of the crucial UN climate convention meeting in Copenhagen,” he added.
With its world-famous Opera House, the “Coathanger” Bridge and the Harbour as its backdrop, Sydney is one of the world’s most spectacular cities. In 2007, the City of Sydney became Australia’s first carbon neutral local government. The City is implementing a wide range of initiatives to avoid carbon emissions and respond to climate change – from installing energy-efficient street lighting to creating a network of cycling paths to investigating alternative waste treatment options.
Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore said: “The City of Sydney is proud to be the first carbon neutral government in Australia. Though the emissions from the City of Sydney alone are small in terms of state, national and global emissions, we believe that our leadership can influence other governments by demonstrating that change is possible. The UNEP Climate Neutral Network is a significant opportunity to provide information and share experiences with a wide audience”.
Brisbane is Australia’s third largest city which aims to become carbon neutral by 2026. Through the Green Heart CitySmart programme, Brisbane City Council promotes the use of solar hot water systems after having estimated that traditional hot water systems chew up 28 per cent of household energy consumption. In the area of transport, the city has recently pioneered Australia’s first public bicycle hire scheme and introduced the “superbus”, a 14.5 metre low-emissions bus capable of carrying up to 98 passengers. The city is also spearheading the two million trees planting project, including 150,000 native seedlings to be planted to celebrate Brisbane’s 150th anniversary.
Another CN Net participant from Brisbane is Greenfest – a three-day long grassroots, free-to-the-public music festival which will kick off on World Environment Day, 5 June. This year’s focus of the event is sharing the passion for a cooler planet and creating awareness about the importance of the UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December 2009.
A further new member is Clean Up the World. The brainchild of Australian solo-yachtsman and builder Ian Kiernan, Clean Up the World campaign grew from the highly successful Clean Up Australia Day first held almost twenty years ago. Today it mobilises an estimated 35 million volunteers from 120 countries annually, making it one of the largest community based environmental campaigns in the world.
“Climate change is an indisputable fact, backed up by science. But rather than simply despairing we need to work together to find creative and sustainable solutions that allow us to reduce human impact and learn to live in harmony with our planet. Adopting carbon neutrality as accepted business practice is more than just possible, it’s an imperative. Clean Up the World is proud to be part of a network that encourages innovative thinking, shares experiences and rewards the achievement of practical carbon reduction strategies,” said Mr Kiernan.
SOURCE: CLIMATE NEUTRAL NETWORK
Solutions to Energy Needs Comes Naturally to Icelanders
I'm in hot water, with mud on my face.
Figuratively, such a combination would be a disgrace. But on this occasion, I'm literally sitting in a hot mineral stew at the Blue Lagoon, a famous Icelandic spa, smeared in a white silica mud mask.
In the distance, smokestacks of the Svartsengi power plant, the source of my spa treatment, blow plumes of steam into the cold October wind.
The water is a by-product of the geothermal power plant. After pumping lava-heated groundwater from two km below the surface, steam is used to generate electricity and the hot water to heat local homes.
Six million litres of the excess runoff, or geothermal brine, is then piped into the lagoon, a milky-blue water rich in "biostuff" such as minerals, silica and algae, and maintained at a temperature of between 37C - 39C.
The murky water feels soft on the skin. It's been scientifically proven to help treat psoriasis patients and attracts visitors from around the world. It's perhaps the most colourful example of how Iceland has turned around in the last 40 years to maximise its natural resources and wean itself off oil.
Iceland gets 99 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources: Kinetic energy from rivers and glaciers is harnessed to generate hydro power, and about 20 per cent of the country is run on geothermal energy. In the winter, geothermal systems melt snow on side walks and driveways and heat 90 per cent of homes.
The water is so clean that it is piped straight into city taps without being treated or chlorinated. A pollution-free environment is said to be one of the reasons why life expectancy on the island of 300,000 is among the highest in the world and, it's said, to turn out some of the best looking women in the world.
The country straddles the mid-Atlantic ridge where the European and American continental plates meet. Volcanic systems and deep, porous lava rocks have carved out a country dotted with more than 800 natural hot springs. In the last few decades the country has started to tap into their renewable energy potential.
The Svartsengi power plant is a "resource park" which delivers several revenue streams. Geothermal energy provides 17,000 people with hot water for heating, 45,000 residents with their electricity needs, and 400,000 yearly visitors with a spa experience.
Iceland is now in an international race to become the first carbon-neutral country in the world. New Zealand, Norway and Costa Rica have also thrown their hats into the ring as participants of the Climate Neutral Network, a UN Environment Programme initiative. The government has also set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 – 75 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050.
SOURCE: CLIMATE NEUTRAL NETWORK
Figuratively, such a combination would be a disgrace. But on this occasion, I'm literally sitting in a hot mineral stew at the Blue Lagoon, a famous Icelandic spa, smeared in a white silica mud mask.
In the distance, smokestacks of the Svartsengi power plant, the source of my spa treatment, blow plumes of steam into the cold October wind.
The water is a by-product of the geothermal power plant. After pumping lava-heated groundwater from two km below the surface, steam is used to generate electricity and the hot water to heat local homes.
Six million litres of the excess runoff, or geothermal brine, is then piped into the lagoon, a milky-blue water rich in "biostuff" such as minerals, silica and algae, and maintained at a temperature of between 37C - 39C.
The murky water feels soft on the skin. It's been scientifically proven to help treat psoriasis patients and attracts visitors from around the world. It's perhaps the most colourful example of how Iceland has turned around in the last 40 years to maximise its natural resources and wean itself off oil.
Iceland gets 99 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources: Kinetic energy from rivers and glaciers is harnessed to generate hydro power, and about 20 per cent of the country is run on geothermal energy. In the winter, geothermal systems melt snow on side walks and driveways and heat 90 per cent of homes.
The water is so clean that it is piped straight into city taps without being treated or chlorinated. A pollution-free environment is said to be one of the reasons why life expectancy on the island of 300,000 is among the highest in the world and, it's said, to turn out some of the best looking women in the world.
The country straddles the mid-Atlantic ridge where the European and American continental plates meet. Volcanic systems and deep, porous lava rocks have carved out a country dotted with more than 800 natural hot springs. In the last few decades the country has started to tap into their renewable energy potential.
The Svartsengi power plant is a "resource park" which delivers several revenue streams. Geothermal energy provides 17,000 people with hot water for heating, 45,000 residents with their electricity needs, and 400,000 yearly visitors with a spa experience.
Iceland is now in an international race to become the first carbon-neutral country in the world. New Zealand, Norway and Costa Rica have also thrown their hats into the ring as participants of the Climate Neutral Network, a UN Environment Programme initiative. The government has also set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 – 75 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050.
SOURCE: CLIMATE NEUTRAL NETWORK
Estidama: Sustainable Urban Planning
“You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however.” – Richard Bach
In September 2007, Abu Dhabi government published “Plan Abu Dhabi 2030: Urban Structure Framework Plan”, a comprehensive plan for the development of the city of Abu Dhabi that will guide planning decisions for the next quarter of a century. Under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Abu Dhabi an Urban Planning Council (UPC) was created.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Chairman of the Executive Council and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has continued to inspire and lead the efforts as the Chairman of UPC to fulfil the grand design envisaged by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the ongoing evolution of Abu Dhabi as a global capital city.
Speaking after the release of the plan, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said, “This urban plan provides a strong and comprehensive foundation for the development of the city of Abu Dhabi, in a strategic and coordinated way. It will ensure that future generations will continue to enjoy and be inspired by ongoing access to the desert, sea and natural assets that are integral to our national identity, while building a global capital with its own rich cultural heritage.”
Abu Dhabi has always maintained a unique identity of its own, thanks to visionary leadership of the late Sheikh Zayed – whose love for the nature and environment reached legendary proportions. With Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 and Masdar City, the leadership of Abu Dhabi renewed its commitment to continue on a journey guided by the late Sheikh Zayed’s wisdom.
The exponential growth of the UAE economy has put immense pressure on Abu Dhabi; there is a huge demand for residential and commercial space as never before. Everyone knew that a construction boom in Abu Dhabi is not too far away; what the market was waiting is to hear on how the government wanted to achieve its goals. Given the background of global warming, dark spectre of carbon emissions hanging over our existence, Abu Dhabi’s task was cut out – for a desert city to go green. With ‘green buildings’ becoming a global reality, and with many global standards to chose from, UPC were increasingly worried about fitting square pegs into round holes. There was not a single international green building code available, which was formulated, keeping the unique geographic and weather conditions of the Arabian Desert in mind.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as the chairman of UPC, inspired his team to come up with an urban planning code that goes beyond ‘green buildings’ and one that truly embodies the essence of Sustainable Living – embracing the real values of community life. Estidama, which was launched on 28th May 2008, is the result of that forward thinking.
Estidama, which means 'sustainability' in Arabic, is an integrated program to devise guidelines and regulations for sustainable design, operation and maintenance of all types of buildings and communities within the Emirates of Abu Dhabi.
The program has been initiated by a group of government agencies and developers (Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Municipality and Masdar) in alignment with the leadership's vision to transform Abu Dhabi into a sustainable Arab Capital.
It will also help in implementing the overarching principles of Plan 2030 and its recommendations for the future of Abu Dhabi City’s urban development. The Estidama program includes sets of discretionary guidelines and mandatory regulations, which are to be introduced to the market through a smooth and incremental process.
In an exclusive interview with Earthwitness, Dr. Ahmad N. Sadek, Senior Projects Manager, Urban & Regional Planning, UPC, explains how Estidama is going to achieve its goals.
Congratulations on Estidama. How did the journey begin?
For the Abu Dhabi government, the first pre-requisite was to make Abu Dhabi a sustainable Arab capital. The government wanted to stop irrational development and make Abu Dhabi a sustainable city; the vision can be found in Plan 2030 – where sustainability is the central theme.
Over the last year or so, in line with the global concerns on climate change, developers have started to show a keen interest in sustainable buildings. They have been looking around trying to understand and adopt standards for their buildings; developers have been looking at LEED, BREEAM, and Greenstar to build something sustainable.
The government and the developers wanted a standard that reflects the local concerns and conditions; Estidama came into being through an interactive process which involved both the developers and the government. But I have to say; it was His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who with his inspirational leadership motivated the entire UPC team in making Estidama a reality. He wanted us to accelerate the issuing of the design guidelines as soon as possible.
Abu Dhabi has placed sustainability at the very heart of urban planning. Does local culture play a major role in Estidama?
Sustainability is usually explained in terms of the three famous pillars which are the environment, economy and social responsibility. We believe a fourth pillar should be added which is the cultural pillar.
In the wider sense a sustainable community transcends the physical buildings and constructions. We would like to emphasise the importance of providing the ways and means of sustaining all the cultural groups that live here in Abu Dhabi, respect the local heritage and at the same time to look ahead of our time. The cultural dimension is very important to us; we do not want to import a readymade model from elsewhere. We are ready to look around, identify, understand, test, review and use what is good for this place. We are looking for more localised sustainable principles, guidelines, as well as regulations later on. This will not only cover the buildings but also the entire community.
How do you think Estidama is going to evolve?
The idea is for Estidama to be an independent agency – to transform Abu Dhabi into a sustainable city. Estidama has a research group, a monitoring group to monitor the market, a group to draft guidelines, and a group for doing assessments for various types of developments which covers all types of buildings – existing and newly designed buildings.
Estidama is about three fundamental frameworks: the new buildings that means buildings under design and then the operating and maintenance of the building no matter how old they are and then the third and most important framework is the community design. So within those three frameworks we are hoping to issue guidelines, regulations, assessment tools, and provide rating.
Estidama is going to evolve, learn and adjust to fit in the fundamental framework. As a first step, we have issued new building design guidelines. We have already started working on the interim design guidelines, to provide the development review team with some direction, given the development pace Abu Dhabi is witnessing.
We are not sure when exactly the regulations will come into effect because we want to test the reaction of the market – is the market ready to accept the transition from the traditional way of developing buildings to a more sustainable way. So we want to work in a very transparent and interactive way before we transform voluntary guidelines to regulations. We want to make sure that all stakeholders, designers, developers, material suppliers, as well as residents themselves are willing to make this transition with us. The government of Abu Dhabi doesn’t want impose things in the name of sustainability; Estidama is a collective responsibility – everyone has to come together.
Sustainable buildings in the region are more about saving energy and water… For example, are we going to see a gradual phasing out of the incandescent bulb?
We will try through the awareness campaigns with different social groups to convince them of the economic feasibility of shifting to less energy consuming bulbs or any other kitchen tools and all other kinds of things. If something is going to harm the sustainability, UPC or the agency responsible for putting the regulation and enforcing it, will take appropriate measures. We’d rather perceive that the market itself would start making the shift in the right direction.
Power tariff in the UAE is one of the lowest in the world. Working on the tariff policy a little bit might help mitigate some of the wasteful habits. UPC’s objective is to make sure that we are all serving the overall objective, which is to reduce energy consumption.
UPC is not alone on Estidama; the program is done with partnership. I can assure you all government agencies that are concerned with the physical development of Abu Dhabi are partners in the program – to name a few: ADWEA, Department of Transport, Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi municipality etc. In fact, we expect Estidama to cover whole emirate of Abu Dhabi, not only the Abu Dhabi city. So, yes we are all working together, whatever we recommend as the policy, as the guideline, whether it is a voluntary guideline or a regulation, it should be addressed by all.
What are the next steps from here…?
We are going to start some pilot projects with private developers as well as public agencies. For instance public buildings can be refurbished to be more sustainable. We have started to work with some of the major private developers, in which a part of their project is run as a pilot project on both sustainable neighbourhood design as well from a totally sustainable building angle.
We are working on what is known as sustainable utility design standard. We are looking at the way utility corridors are designed; we want to reduce the width of the corridor, lessen the leak of water and leakage of power – we have a good understanding on it now and we are working on it. The sustainable utility design is a massive undertaking, which cannot be done overnight. So, we are working on a pilot project – the new utility sustainable design standard will be applied in the new capital district, which is now under design. The new capital district is to going to take in 300,000 people; the scope is very big.
When we talk about sustainability, are we including affordable housing – which is in real short supply in the country at the moment?
Among the issues that we are going to tackle in the sustainable design guidelines is affordable housing –all the new developments need to provide opportunities of living and working for everybody, irrespective of their social and economic status. Affordable housing is one of the issues we are going to tackle and we are going to provide guidelines as well regulations later on, on how within this programme development project should provide certain percentage of their projects for affordable housing.
What we have now is a very preliminary draft of the guidelines and it explains the community design principles. It covers eight topics for the community – while there 10 topics for the buildings. The eight topics we are going to address in the community design guideline are:
1.Development patterns/ urban form/ land use mix
2.Alternative energy and energy conservation
3.Water conservation
4.Mobility/ Transportation
5.Natural resources, ecology, open space
6.Building design/ form (e.g., building orientation, height control, compatibility, Arab-inspired architecture
7.Balanced, authentic communities (affordable housing, adequate community facilities, gathering places, safety, etc.)
8.Recycling/ solid waste management
We are going to have a Formula One race in Abu Dhabi next year. Massive construction projects are underway already, how do those projects fit into Estidama?
We do not intend to create regulations through Estidama that will prevent or stop current projects which are on at the moment. Our plan is to tailor Estidama guidelines to be plugged in at any level of the project; they can adopt the Estidama principles at any stage – right from the conceptual plan stage to a finished project. Even if the project is complete, it can look at implementing Estidama principles in the form of sustainable landscaping, shading, open spaces and community areas and facilities etc. Estidama principles can be useful in enhancing the sustainability of any project – no matter when it embraces Estidama.
I can assure you, what is going to be mandatory are those guidelines that we believe become a prerequisite. A big part of Estidama guidelines will remain voluntary.
There is a common perception that sustainability comes at a heavy price – that going green is expensive…
That sort of thinking is as always short-sighted. We should not be looking at only one side of sustainability; we should have a comprehensive view of what sustainability means in the long run. We already have an overwhelming verdict in favour of sustainable buildings on many counts – for the residents the buildings are comfortable to live in. For the owners of the building it incurs a less running cost in the long run, low maintenance cost, low water and energy bill – the possibilities of savings are tremendous. Recovery period can be anywhere between three to four years and up to 20 years – it depends on what level of sustainability a developer is trying to achieve. The bottom-line is simple and clear: in the long run sustainable buildings are highly rewarding.
This is one aspect where we want a higher level of awareness, especially amongst developers. It is our endeavour to make private developers our partners in making Estidama succeed. We want them with us on the same boat – selecting the guidelines, in coming to a conclusion on what needs to be mandatory. We intend to achieve this through the select pilot projects – we, as the government, will set the example by proving how feasible sustainable buildings are even from an economic point of view. We are not concerned about the immediate profits made in the first year of a project; we need to look at the bigger picture.
In Estidama we have given 15 points for the indoor environment; the quality of indoor environment is directly proportional to the life and performance of the inhabitants. If the developer is only concerned about the value of the building…, from a market point of view, buildings which incur a low cost of running through sustainable measures always gets a higher value.
The developers in the region may not be happy with the potential gains from a sustainable building. Is the government going to offer some incentives to the developers for embracing Estidama?
The UPC as well as the government of Abu Dhabi, is looking seriously at a set of incentives, which start at the simple level of awarding the development in its design review stage, and also to expedite the time in getting the building license.
UPC truly understands that money and time are very important for the developers; we want to give them incentives which focus on both. We want to expedite their applications to help them save on time, which is very critical. In certain cases we might even give additional GFA (gross floor area), for example, if they provide more open spaces, provide community facilities etc. – we can provide them with utilities, or even additional height for the building…
These incentive structures are open for negotiation. At the moment we are checking on how to go about it, knowing too well that we need to be flexible in achieving our goals. We realise incentives are very important. Our intention is not to impose anything; we want developers to be our partners in making this transition a massive success.
The incentive structure provides a win-win situation for both the government and the developers. When would Estidama be ready with the complete guidelines?
We have organised seven workshops since the launch of Estidama to come out with a guideline as soon as possible. We are working on preparing interim design guidelines, which will be ready in three weeks. We are reviewing the new building design guideline – on upgrading and maintenance, appropriate to the conditions. We are also working on the institutional structure and framework.
By September we’ll have community design guidelines ready. We are hoping to cover the entire scope by October this year. Work is going on in parallel streams, three workshops every week with all stakeholders involved in the projects.
In six months, we will have a set of guidelines to get Estidama started. Considering the unique pace of development in Abu Dhabi, we need to have an innovative and out of the box working system to catch up with. The feedback we have received from developers and consultants is very positive.
The big developers, starting from Masdar, are in full support of Estidama; they are going to test our design guidelines. Aldar is now going to dedicate one of its developments to test the guidelines. We get so many phone calls a day; everyone wants to know when we’ll be ready.
Hammarby Sjostad: The Sustainable City
Hammarby Sjöstad was declared the winner of the World Clean Energy Award 2007, in the Construction Category. The award recognizes Hammarby Sjöstad’s sustainable city concept and for serving as a role model for urban development projects all around the world
Hammarby Sjöstad is a new district on the waterfront in the center of Stockholm, Sweden. The district will offer 10,000 apartments for 25,000 residents. From day one, the City of Stockholm has imposed tough environmental requirements on buildings, infrastructural solutions and the traffic environment. Overall goals include reducing Hammarby Sjöstad’s total impact on the environment by half when compared to any similar, conventionally developed new city district. Additionally, all waste and waste water coming from the inhabitants will be recycled and returned to the area in the form of renewable energy. To obtain these goals, integrated planning, innovative solutions and new technologies have been necessary. The project runs until 2015, and today half of the city area is complete. The Project Management Office, which has run the project from the beginning, has been responsible for meeting environmental requirements.
GlashusEtt, the environmental information centre of Hammarby Sjöstad, provides lectures on sustainable city planning and encourages inhabitants to live more sustainably.
The water has inspired the name of the entire project – the town around the lake Hammarby Sjö. The first drawings of what would become Hammarby Sjöstad were pencilled in back in 1990. The idea was to showcase a unique opportunity – expanding the inner city with a focus on the water, while converting an old industrial and harbour area into a modern neighbourhood.
Hammarby Sjöstad is Stockholm’s biggest urban development project for many years. The area’s location as a natural continuation of Stockholm’s inner city has helped shape the infrastructure, planning and design of the buildings. This expansion has involved extensive reconstructions of the infrastructure, with traffic barriers removed and the old industrial and terminal areas phased out, concentrated or given a new purpose.
The areas around Sickla Udde, Sickla Kaj and Sickla Kanal are now fully developed. The next phases involve Hammarby Gård (1,000 apartments), Redaren and Sjöfarten (500 apartments), Lugnet (650 apartments), Henriksdalshamnen (850 apartments) and Sjöstadsporten (260 apartments with 15 000 m2 office space and 15 250 m2 hotel space).
All of these areas offer a range of zoning types. The expansion of Hammarby Sjöstad coincides with the development of the area’s municipal and commercial services, and with increased investment in public transport.
Right from the start, the city has imposed strict environmental requirements on buildings, technical installations and the traffic environment. The goal of the entire environmental programme is to halve the total environmental impact in comparison with an area built in the early 1990s. Another way of putting it is that the buildings in Hammarby Sjöstad will be twice as eco-friendly as a normal building. The architecture is modern, with the focus on sustainable materials such as glass, wood, steel and stone, and the ground was thoroughly decontaminated before building work began.
Adapting the area to an environmentally friendly one has also entailed a heavy investment in green public spaces, with maintenance plans for the oak forest, a reed park with wooden jetties, a broad avenue, and several large parks. Attractive forms of public transport are also offered, such as light rail link, boat traffic and access to a carpool.
Conserving nature and creating new green public spaces
An avenue linking the city district’s new green public spaces and forming green corridors runs all the way through the southern part of Hammarby Sjöstad. The parks to the south of Hammarby Sjö are all linked to the major green public spaces of the Nacka nature reserve and Årsta forest, and form green wedges into the heart of Hammarby Sjöstad. The Nacka nature reserve is linked to the town area by means of ecoducts – planted viaducts – over the Södra Länken highway. New parks in northern Hammarby Sjöstad have been linked up with the Vitaberg park and the Stora Blecktorn park.
The natural environment along the shores of Sickla Udde has been recreated using new trees and reed beds. The oak forest on Sickla Udde has been thinned and the living oaks and dead trees that have been left in place together form attractive environments for many species of insect and bird. The parks are intended to be attractive environments and serve as footpaths for people, but are also intended to serve as dispersal corridors and living environments for animals and plants.
Eco-inspections and organically sustainable materials
Environmental consideration is the key for all of the materials used. This applies both to the visible materials used in the facades and on the ground as well as to the materials used in the internal parts of the buildings – their shells, installations and equipment. The guiding principle throughout has been to use tried and tested, sustainable materials and ecocertified products, and to avoid any use of chemical products or construction materials that contain hazardous substances.
Rainwater must not be contaminated with metals or oils en route to Hammarby Sjö, which is why facade or roofing materials that could release heavy metals or other hazardous substances have been avoided, and why eco-friendly oil has been used for the footpaths along Sickla Canal and stainless steel has been used for the cycle bridge.
Everyone who builds in Hammarby Sjöstad must check and declare their chemical products and construction materials before work on their project begins, and eco-inspections are conducted regularly throughout the construction process.
The Health City
One of the goals of Hammarby Sjöstad is for the district to be a healthy place for people to live, a place that stimulates the body and soul, and hence a place that offers opportunities for exercise, sports and culture.
Sjöstaden has a number of exercise and sports facilities, such as Hammarbybacken, a slalom ski slope with amazing views. The sports facility at Hammarbyhöjden, near the southern side of Hammarbybacken is an important asset, not least for school and youth sports activities. The foot of the slope is also home to the valuable Nacka nature reserve. A sports hall with a large exercise facility has been built in Sjöstaden, and this positive feature is echoed in the annual Sjöstad Games held on Sweden’s National Day under the administration of Hammarby IF sports association.
Sjöstaden has numerous footpaths and cycle paths alongside the canals, as well as many attractive paths for strolling through a variety of green public spaces in the district. There are also cycle paths along Sjöstaden’s main through-road.
A variety of different types of cultural activity are also important in terms of overall health. Cultural outlets in Hammarby Sjöstad include not only the Fryshuset social and cultural centre, but Kulturama, which offers tuition in a wide range of Arts for students of all ages, along with a library, not forgetting the cultural centre that will be opening soon.
Integrated planning with an eco-focus
The real key to the district’s success is the integrated planning work that was carried out before the area was developed. All of the various authorities and administrations that normally get involved in the various stages of the process sat down and drew up the plan for the new conceptual approach that would result in Hammarby Sjöstad. The integrated planning work carried out from the start was – and still is – unique. And the results were – and will continue to be – visible in Hammarby Sjöstad. The goal was to create a residential environment based on sustainable resource usage, where energy consumption and waste production are minimised, and resource saving and recycling are simultaneously maximised.
Sjöstaden is home to exciting new technical solutions for energy supply and energy usage, a pilot sewage treatment plant facility where new technology will be tested, and a practical automated waste disposal system for waste management.
One tried and tested example of integration solutions comes in the form of the heat extracted from the treated wastewater, which is used to produce district heating and, from the waste product of this process, district cooling.
The Hammarby model – a unique eco-cycle
The integrated environmental solutions can be followed through an eco-cycle that has become known as the Hammarby model. The eco-cycle handles energy, waste, water and sewage for housing, offices and other commercial activities in Hammarby Sjöstad. The eco-cycle is also designed to act as a role model for the development of equivalent technological systems in big cities.
The model has been developed by Fortum, Stockholm Water Company and the Stockholm Waste Managemant Administration. This model shows how sewage processing and energy provision interact, how refuse is handled and the added-values society gains from modern sewage and waste processing systems.
ENERGY
Sustainable and renewable energy
The City of Stockholm has always been well ahead of its time when it comes to finding new and renewable energy sources to make the city a better place to live in. For several decades now, Stockholm has been shifting over to using district heating to heat buildings.
In Hammarby Sjöstad, we have brought things one step further through the installation of various kinds of energy supply. New technology is being used as part of exciting development projects in Hammarby Sjöstad, e.g. as fuel cells, solar cells, and solar panels. The purpose is partly to test the new technology and partly to demonstrate methods of building a sustainable city.
When the construction work on Hammarby Sjöstad is completed, the area’s residents will produce half of all the energy they need. They will do this by utilising the energy present in treated wastewater and the energy to be found in the sorted-at-source combustible waste.
Eco-friendly energy, district heating and district cooling
District heating
The Högdalen combined heat and power plant uses sorted, combustible waste as an energy source (fuel) to produce electricity and district heating. Renewable energy sources are used wherever possible in order to spare the environment. Another example of sustainable heat supply is the Hammarby heat plant which extracts waste heat from the treated wastewater from the Henriksdal wastewater treatment plant.
District cooling
Stockholm’s focus on centralised production of district heating and district cooling makes the city a world leader in this field. District cooling in Stockholm has developed over a decade into the world’s largest system of its kind! From the cooled and treated wastewater that leaves the Hammarby plant’s heat pumps, heat is exchanged into cooling in the water that circulates in the district cooling network in Hammarby Sjöstad. Cooling is, in other words, purely and simply a waste product from the production of district heating.
The sun provides energy and heats water
A variety of different kinds of energy supply are being tried out in Sjöstaden. Hammarby Sjöstad has several solar cell installations which capture the energy of the sun’s light and convert into electrical power. Solar cells have been installed on several facades and roofs in Sjöstaden. The more effective the solar cells and the bigger the area they cover, the more effective the installation is. To date, solar cells have mainly taken the form of test projects from an energy viewpoint in urban environments. Two of the buildings on Sickla Kanalgata, for example, have been fitted with solar cells that are contributing to the buildings’ energy supply by providing the energy needed for their public areas. Solar panels have also been fitted to the roof of one of Sjöstaden’s larger apartment blocks.
Solar cells
Solar cells capture the sun’s luminous energy and convert it into electrical power in solar cells. The energy from a 1 m² solar cell module provides approximately 100 kWh/year, which corresponds to the domestic electricity requirement for 3 m² residential floor space.
Solar panels
390m² of south-facing solar panels have been installed on the roof of the Viken block. These panels capture the warm rays of the sun and use them to heat the buildings hot water supply. The solar panels shown in the picture below produce half of the energy required to meet the building’s annual hot water requirement.
Less water and cleaner sewage
One of Hammarby Sjöstad’s goals is to reduce water consumption by 50%. 200 litres/ person/day is normally used in Stockholm, but our aim is to reduce this figure to 100 litres/ person/day. Thanks to eco-friendly installations (energy class A: washing machines and dishwashers, low flush toilets and air mixer taps), consumption levels are currently approximately 150 litres/person/day.
It is even more important to reduce the amount of heavy metals and non biodegradable chemicals present in wastewater, because this will result in fewer contaminants being dispersed into the Stockholm archipelago via our treated wastewater, and will also give us a better residual product, known as sludge, which can be reused on agricultural land. The strategy to systematically work with your customers and society to reduce the amount of chemicals flushed into the wastewater system is called the Upstream approach. The Uppstream approach is now endorsed by many wastewater companies throughout Europe as being part of their core business.
By monitoring the wastewater, we can see whether campaigns in this area have any effect on the quality of the wastewater. In the spring of 2005, for example, a campaign to reduce the use of the bactericide Triclosan was conducted. Triclosan is an environmentally hazardous substance present in certain toothpastes and which there is no need whatsoever for ordinary consumers to use. Analyses of the wastewater before and after the campaign show that the amounts of Triclosan present had fallen.
Sjöstadsverket – wastewater treatment plant, evaluating new technology
Cutting edge technology evaluated in different processes
A new test wastewater treatment plant, Sjöstadsverket, has been built to evaluate new technology in the field of wastewater treatment. The first stage of Sjöstadsverket has four separate treatment lines for wastewater from the equivalent of 600 people in Hammarby Sjöstad. The various lines are being evaluated and a basis for decision-making for stage two – which may possibly see a water treatment plant built for the whole of Hammarby Sjöstad – will also be generated. The treatment lines under evaluation contain chemical, physical and biological processes that are run as efficiently as possible. The goal is both to treat the wastewater and to recycle resources from the wastewater with as little input of external resources, such as electrical energy and chemicals, as possible.
Cleaner biosolids and nutrient recycling
The buildings and infrastructure in Hammarby Sjöstad have been planned and built with great care when it comes to the choice of construction and building materials, and the processing of wastewater and refuse, for example. By avoiding the use of certain metals and plastics in the buildings, by ensuring that rainwater and snowmelt are treated and drained separately, and by providing residents with information, e.g. the importance of eco-labelled household chemicals (find out more on page 30), we can ensure that households’ wastewater is relatively clean.
The wastewater that goes to the local wastewater treatment plant comes solely from housing in the area, and does not come from storm water and industries. This means that right from the start, the wastewater contains a minimum of contaminants, which makes it easier for us to treat it and for the nutrients it contains to be reclaimed and, hopefully, be reusable on agricultural land.
The environmental goal is for 95 % of the phosphorus to be separated out and recycled for agricultural use, and for the level of heavy metals and other hazardous substances to be reduced by 50 %. The treated sewage has to meet exceptionally high standards.
Biogas is extracted from the digestion of sewage sludge
At the wastewater treatment plant, organic material is separated out from the wastewater in the form of sludge. The sludge is carried to large digestion tanks, where it is digested. Biogas, which is the most environmentally friendly form of fuel currently available, is produced during the digestion process. The biogas produced is primarily used as vehicle fuel, e.g. in inner city buses, garbage trucks and taxis. Biogas is also used in approximately 1,000 gas stoves in Hammarby Sjöstad.
Biosolids can be used as an efficient fertiliser
Once the digestion process is completed, the sludge – the biosolid – can be used as a fertiliser. The biosolid is nutritionally rich with a high phosphorus content, and is ideally suited for use as a fertiliser. It can be used on agricultural land and in the production of soil conditioners. Stockholm Water sends biosolids to northern Sweden, where they are used as filling material in mines that have been closed down.
Waste and recycling material
These days waste is no longer just waste. It is a resource that is being utilised more and more. New things are being produced from recycled materials, allowing us to be more economical with nature’s resources. A lot of things improve when everyone separates their waste, and if the waste is to be handled properly, everyone must do their bit.
When you separate waste, you help ensure that hazardous substances are not incinerated along with the rest of the refuse bags. Extraction of virgin raw materials is reduced, when the recycled materials can be used instead. This makes waste into a resource that can be used for materials recycling and energy recovery. Quantities of domestic waste are reduced, and the refuse collection personnel’s working environment improves.
Waste is separated at source and recycled or used to produce heating and electricity
Three-level waste management
In Hammarby Sjöstad, there are three different levels of waste management: building-based, block-based, and area-based:
Building-based separating at source
The heaviest and bulkiest waste is separated into fractions and deposited in different refuse chutes in or adjacent to the buildings.
• Combustible waste: Things made of plastic, paper and other forms of non-packaging are placed in ordinary plastic bags.
• Food waste: Food product waste is placed in bags made of corn starch which, unlike plastic bags, are biodegradable.
• Newspapers, catalogues, paper, etc: Left loose, not packed. Not for the mobile automated waste disposal system.
Block-based recycling rooms
The types of waste that do not belong in the building-based refuse chutes can be left in block-based recycling rooms:
• Glass, paper, plastic and metal packaging.
• Bulky waste, i.e. old furniture.
• Electrical and electronic waste. Items that require an electric socket or batteries to function, as well as light bulbs, fluorescent tubes and low-energy light bulbs.
• Some of the recycling rooms also have containers for textiles.
Area-based hazardous waste collection point
Waste that constitutes a danger to people and the environment, such as paint, varnish and glue residues, nail polish, solvents or cleaning agents, batteries and chemicals must never be placed in domestic waste or poured down the drain. It must be separated out and handed in at the hazardous waste collection point in GlashusEtt, the area’s environmental information centre.
Hammarby Sjöstad is a role model for city planners who are looking to develop a sustainable city, especially in the Middle East. There is a lot to learn and understand from Hammarby Sjöstad; the knowledge, experience and expertise they have acquired through this wonderful project is an invaluable lesson in building the next sustainable city.
Hammarby Sjöstad is a new district on the waterfront in the center of Stockholm, Sweden. The district will offer 10,000 apartments for 25,000 residents. From day one, the City of Stockholm has imposed tough environmental requirements on buildings, infrastructural solutions and the traffic environment. Overall goals include reducing Hammarby Sjöstad’s total impact on the environment by half when compared to any similar, conventionally developed new city district. Additionally, all waste and waste water coming from the inhabitants will be recycled and returned to the area in the form of renewable energy. To obtain these goals, integrated planning, innovative solutions and new technologies have been necessary. The project runs until 2015, and today half of the city area is complete. The Project Management Office, which has run the project from the beginning, has been responsible for meeting environmental requirements.
GlashusEtt, the environmental information centre of Hammarby Sjöstad, provides lectures on sustainable city planning and encourages inhabitants to live more sustainably.
The water has inspired the name of the entire project – the town around the lake Hammarby Sjö. The first drawings of what would become Hammarby Sjöstad were pencilled in back in 1990. The idea was to showcase a unique opportunity – expanding the inner city with a focus on the water, while converting an old industrial and harbour area into a modern neighbourhood.
Hammarby Sjöstad is Stockholm’s biggest urban development project for many years. The area’s location as a natural continuation of Stockholm’s inner city has helped shape the infrastructure, planning and design of the buildings. This expansion has involved extensive reconstructions of the infrastructure, with traffic barriers removed and the old industrial and terminal areas phased out, concentrated or given a new purpose.
The areas around Sickla Udde, Sickla Kaj and Sickla Kanal are now fully developed. The next phases involve Hammarby Gård (1,000 apartments), Redaren and Sjöfarten (500 apartments), Lugnet (650 apartments), Henriksdalshamnen (850 apartments) and Sjöstadsporten (260 apartments with 15 000 m2 office space and 15 250 m2 hotel space).
All of these areas offer a range of zoning types. The expansion of Hammarby Sjöstad coincides with the development of the area’s municipal and commercial services, and with increased investment in public transport.
Right from the start, the city has imposed strict environmental requirements on buildings, technical installations and the traffic environment. The goal of the entire environmental programme is to halve the total environmental impact in comparison with an area built in the early 1990s. Another way of putting it is that the buildings in Hammarby Sjöstad will be twice as eco-friendly as a normal building. The architecture is modern, with the focus on sustainable materials such as glass, wood, steel and stone, and the ground was thoroughly decontaminated before building work began.
Adapting the area to an environmentally friendly one has also entailed a heavy investment in green public spaces, with maintenance plans for the oak forest, a reed park with wooden jetties, a broad avenue, and several large parks. Attractive forms of public transport are also offered, such as light rail link, boat traffic and access to a carpool.
Conserving nature and creating new green public spaces
An avenue linking the city district’s new green public spaces and forming green corridors runs all the way through the southern part of Hammarby Sjöstad. The parks to the south of Hammarby Sjö are all linked to the major green public spaces of the Nacka nature reserve and Årsta forest, and form green wedges into the heart of Hammarby Sjöstad. The Nacka nature reserve is linked to the town area by means of ecoducts – planted viaducts – over the Södra Länken highway. New parks in northern Hammarby Sjöstad have been linked up with the Vitaberg park and the Stora Blecktorn park.
The natural environment along the shores of Sickla Udde has been recreated using new trees and reed beds. The oak forest on Sickla Udde has been thinned and the living oaks and dead trees that have been left in place together form attractive environments for many species of insect and bird. The parks are intended to be attractive environments and serve as footpaths for people, but are also intended to serve as dispersal corridors and living environments for animals and plants.
Eco-inspections and organically sustainable materials
Environmental consideration is the key for all of the materials used. This applies both to the visible materials used in the facades and on the ground as well as to the materials used in the internal parts of the buildings – their shells, installations and equipment. The guiding principle throughout has been to use tried and tested, sustainable materials and ecocertified products, and to avoid any use of chemical products or construction materials that contain hazardous substances.
Rainwater must not be contaminated with metals or oils en route to Hammarby Sjö, which is why facade or roofing materials that could release heavy metals or other hazardous substances have been avoided, and why eco-friendly oil has been used for the footpaths along Sickla Canal and stainless steel has been used for the cycle bridge.
Everyone who builds in Hammarby Sjöstad must check and declare their chemical products and construction materials before work on their project begins, and eco-inspections are conducted regularly throughout the construction process.
The Health City
One of the goals of Hammarby Sjöstad is for the district to be a healthy place for people to live, a place that stimulates the body and soul, and hence a place that offers opportunities for exercise, sports and culture.
Sjöstaden has a number of exercise and sports facilities, such as Hammarbybacken, a slalom ski slope with amazing views. The sports facility at Hammarbyhöjden, near the southern side of Hammarbybacken is an important asset, not least for school and youth sports activities. The foot of the slope is also home to the valuable Nacka nature reserve. A sports hall with a large exercise facility has been built in Sjöstaden, and this positive feature is echoed in the annual Sjöstad Games held on Sweden’s National Day under the administration of Hammarby IF sports association.
Sjöstaden has numerous footpaths and cycle paths alongside the canals, as well as many attractive paths for strolling through a variety of green public spaces in the district. There are also cycle paths along Sjöstaden’s main through-road.
A variety of different types of cultural activity are also important in terms of overall health. Cultural outlets in Hammarby Sjöstad include not only the Fryshuset social and cultural centre, but Kulturama, which offers tuition in a wide range of Arts for students of all ages, along with a library, not forgetting the cultural centre that will be opening soon.
Integrated planning with an eco-focus
The real key to the district’s success is the integrated planning work that was carried out before the area was developed. All of the various authorities and administrations that normally get involved in the various stages of the process sat down and drew up the plan for the new conceptual approach that would result in Hammarby Sjöstad. The integrated planning work carried out from the start was – and still is – unique. And the results were – and will continue to be – visible in Hammarby Sjöstad. The goal was to create a residential environment based on sustainable resource usage, where energy consumption and waste production are minimised, and resource saving and recycling are simultaneously maximised.
Sjöstaden is home to exciting new technical solutions for energy supply and energy usage, a pilot sewage treatment plant facility where new technology will be tested, and a practical automated waste disposal system for waste management.
One tried and tested example of integration solutions comes in the form of the heat extracted from the treated wastewater, which is used to produce district heating and, from the waste product of this process, district cooling.
The Hammarby model – a unique eco-cycle
The integrated environmental solutions can be followed through an eco-cycle that has become known as the Hammarby model. The eco-cycle handles energy, waste, water and sewage for housing, offices and other commercial activities in Hammarby Sjöstad. The eco-cycle is also designed to act as a role model for the development of equivalent technological systems in big cities.
The model has been developed by Fortum, Stockholm Water Company and the Stockholm Waste Managemant Administration. This model shows how sewage processing and energy provision interact, how refuse is handled and the added-values society gains from modern sewage and waste processing systems.
ENERGY
Sustainable and renewable energy
The City of Stockholm has always been well ahead of its time when it comes to finding new and renewable energy sources to make the city a better place to live in. For several decades now, Stockholm has been shifting over to using district heating to heat buildings.
In Hammarby Sjöstad, we have brought things one step further through the installation of various kinds of energy supply. New technology is being used as part of exciting development projects in Hammarby Sjöstad, e.g. as fuel cells, solar cells, and solar panels. The purpose is partly to test the new technology and partly to demonstrate methods of building a sustainable city.
When the construction work on Hammarby Sjöstad is completed, the area’s residents will produce half of all the energy they need. They will do this by utilising the energy present in treated wastewater and the energy to be found in the sorted-at-source combustible waste.
Eco-friendly energy, district heating and district cooling
District heating
The Högdalen combined heat and power plant uses sorted, combustible waste as an energy source (fuel) to produce electricity and district heating. Renewable energy sources are used wherever possible in order to spare the environment. Another example of sustainable heat supply is the Hammarby heat plant which extracts waste heat from the treated wastewater from the Henriksdal wastewater treatment plant.
District cooling
Stockholm’s focus on centralised production of district heating and district cooling makes the city a world leader in this field. District cooling in Stockholm has developed over a decade into the world’s largest system of its kind! From the cooled and treated wastewater that leaves the Hammarby plant’s heat pumps, heat is exchanged into cooling in the water that circulates in the district cooling network in Hammarby Sjöstad. Cooling is, in other words, purely and simply a waste product from the production of district heating.
The sun provides energy and heats water
A variety of different kinds of energy supply are being tried out in Sjöstaden. Hammarby Sjöstad has several solar cell installations which capture the energy of the sun’s light and convert into electrical power. Solar cells have been installed on several facades and roofs in Sjöstaden. The more effective the solar cells and the bigger the area they cover, the more effective the installation is. To date, solar cells have mainly taken the form of test projects from an energy viewpoint in urban environments. Two of the buildings on Sickla Kanalgata, for example, have been fitted with solar cells that are contributing to the buildings’ energy supply by providing the energy needed for their public areas. Solar panels have also been fitted to the roof of one of Sjöstaden’s larger apartment blocks.
Solar cells
Solar cells capture the sun’s luminous energy and convert it into electrical power in solar cells. The energy from a 1 m² solar cell module provides approximately 100 kWh/year, which corresponds to the domestic electricity requirement for 3 m² residential floor space.
Solar panels
390m² of south-facing solar panels have been installed on the roof of the Viken block. These panels capture the warm rays of the sun and use them to heat the buildings hot water supply. The solar panels shown in the picture below produce half of the energy required to meet the building’s annual hot water requirement.
Less water and cleaner sewage
One of Hammarby Sjöstad’s goals is to reduce water consumption by 50%. 200 litres/ person/day is normally used in Stockholm, but our aim is to reduce this figure to 100 litres/ person/day. Thanks to eco-friendly installations (energy class A: washing machines and dishwashers, low flush toilets and air mixer taps), consumption levels are currently approximately 150 litres/person/day.
It is even more important to reduce the amount of heavy metals and non biodegradable chemicals present in wastewater, because this will result in fewer contaminants being dispersed into the Stockholm archipelago via our treated wastewater, and will also give us a better residual product, known as sludge, which can be reused on agricultural land. The strategy to systematically work with your customers and society to reduce the amount of chemicals flushed into the wastewater system is called the Upstream approach. The Uppstream approach is now endorsed by many wastewater companies throughout Europe as being part of their core business.
By monitoring the wastewater, we can see whether campaigns in this area have any effect on the quality of the wastewater. In the spring of 2005, for example, a campaign to reduce the use of the bactericide Triclosan was conducted. Triclosan is an environmentally hazardous substance present in certain toothpastes and which there is no need whatsoever for ordinary consumers to use. Analyses of the wastewater before and after the campaign show that the amounts of Triclosan present had fallen.
Sjöstadsverket – wastewater treatment plant, evaluating new technology
Cutting edge technology evaluated in different processes
A new test wastewater treatment plant, Sjöstadsverket, has been built to evaluate new technology in the field of wastewater treatment. The first stage of Sjöstadsverket has four separate treatment lines for wastewater from the equivalent of 600 people in Hammarby Sjöstad. The various lines are being evaluated and a basis for decision-making for stage two – which may possibly see a water treatment plant built for the whole of Hammarby Sjöstad – will also be generated. The treatment lines under evaluation contain chemical, physical and biological processes that are run as efficiently as possible. The goal is both to treat the wastewater and to recycle resources from the wastewater with as little input of external resources, such as electrical energy and chemicals, as possible.
Cleaner biosolids and nutrient recycling
The buildings and infrastructure in Hammarby Sjöstad have been planned and built with great care when it comes to the choice of construction and building materials, and the processing of wastewater and refuse, for example. By avoiding the use of certain metals and plastics in the buildings, by ensuring that rainwater and snowmelt are treated and drained separately, and by providing residents with information, e.g. the importance of eco-labelled household chemicals (find out more on page 30), we can ensure that households’ wastewater is relatively clean.
The wastewater that goes to the local wastewater treatment plant comes solely from housing in the area, and does not come from storm water and industries. This means that right from the start, the wastewater contains a minimum of contaminants, which makes it easier for us to treat it and for the nutrients it contains to be reclaimed and, hopefully, be reusable on agricultural land.
The environmental goal is for 95 % of the phosphorus to be separated out and recycled for agricultural use, and for the level of heavy metals and other hazardous substances to be reduced by 50 %. The treated sewage has to meet exceptionally high standards.
Biogas is extracted from the digestion of sewage sludge
At the wastewater treatment plant, organic material is separated out from the wastewater in the form of sludge. The sludge is carried to large digestion tanks, where it is digested. Biogas, which is the most environmentally friendly form of fuel currently available, is produced during the digestion process. The biogas produced is primarily used as vehicle fuel, e.g. in inner city buses, garbage trucks and taxis. Biogas is also used in approximately 1,000 gas stoves in Hammarby Sjöstad.
Biosolids can be used as an efficient fertiliser
Once the digestion process is completed, the sludge – the biosolid – can be used as a fertiliser. The biosolid is nutritionally rich with a high phosphorus content, and is ideally suited for use as a fertiliser. It can be used on agricultural land and in the production of soil conditioners. Stockholm Water sends biosolids to northern Sweden, where they are used as filling material in mines that have been closed down.
Waste and recycling material
These days waste is no longer just waste. It is a resource that is being utilised more and more. New things are being produced from recycled materials, allowing us to be more economical with nature’s resources. A lot of things improve when everyone separates their waste, and if the waste is to be handled properly, everyone must do their bit.
When you separate waste, you help ensure that hazardous substances are not incinerated along with the rest of the refuse bags. Extraction of virgin raw materials is reduced, when the recycled materials can be used instead. This makes waste into a resource that can be used for materials recycling and energy recovery. Quantities of domestic waste are reduced, and the refuse collection personnel’s working environment improves.
Waste is separated at source and recycled or used to produce heating and electricity
Three-level waste management
In Hammarby Sjöstad, there are three different levels of waste management: building-based, block-based, and area-based:
Building-based separating at source
The heaviest and bulkiest waste is separated into fractions and deposited in different refuse chutes in or adjacent to the buildings.
• Combustible waste: Things made of plastic, paper and other forms of non-packaging are placed in ordinary plastic bags.
• Food waste: Food product waste is placed in bags made of corn starch which, unlike plastic bags, are biodegradable.
• Newspapers, catalogues, paper, etc: Left loose, not packed. Not for the mobile automated waste disposal system.
Block-based recycling rooms
The types of waste that do not belong in the building-based refuse chutes can be left in block-based recycling rooms:
• Glass, paper, plastic and metal packaging.
• Bulky waste, i.e. old furniture.
• Electrical and electronic waste. Items that require an electric socket or batteries to function, as well as light bulbs, fluorescent tubes and low-energy light bulbs.
• Some of the recycling rooms also have containers for textiles.
Area-based hazardous waste collection point
Waste that constitutes a danger to people and the environment, such as paint, varnish and glue residues, nail polish, solvents or cleaning agents, batteries and chemicals must never be placed in domestic waste or poured down the drain. It must be separated out and handed in at the hazardous waste collection point in GlashusEtt, the area’s environmental information centre.
Hammarby Sjöstad is a role model for city planners who are looking to develop a sustainable city, especially in the Middle East. There is a lot to learn and understand from Hammarby Sjöstad; the knowledge, experience and expertise they have acquired through this wonderful project is an invaluable lesson in building the next sustainable city.
Green it like London
Major cities in the Middle East could learn a lesson or two from the city of London, on how to reduce carbon emissions to win the battle against global warming. Other major cities like New York and Manchester are keen to follow the London model by slapping a big tax on gas guzzlers and luxury cars.
In a continued effort to improve its green credentials, the mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has proposed to increase the congestion charge from GBP8 to GBP25 a day. From October this year, vehicles emitting the highest amounts of CO2 will have to pay more, while the most fuel efficient cars will get into central London free of charge. In the meanwhile, sports car manufacturer Porsche and other claimants, including London businesses and residents, formally launched a High Court challenge to Livingstone's plan.
Even though, some of the sceptics would try to see this move as Livingstone's political ploy to up his re-election hopes, it remains a fact that a public consultation was launched in August 2007 to consider proposals to increase the congestion charge on cars with the highest levels of carbon emissions. The so-called 'Chelsea tractors', some high-powered sports cars and expensive luxury vehicles face the higher charge and also lose their entitlement to the residents' discount if applicable.
According to the World Resources Institute, road transport spews out around 10 per cent of global emissions. Providing incentives to move to more fuel-efficient models is definitely going to cut the exhaust fumes. Livingstone can take credit for making the carrots and sticks policy on automobiles - a big success.
Reacting to the judicial review sought by Porsche, Transport for London (TfL) believes the objections are unfounded. In a press release, TfL explains:
The CO2 Charge is about reducing CO2 emissions from cars driving in central London, whilst reducing congestion. It is quite clear motorists have the choice not to drive a high CO2 emitting car in central London, given the wide range of lower emitting cars available. Along with the higher £25 Charge for the cars emitting the most CO2, there will be a 100 per cent discount for the least emitting.
A recent IPSOS-MORI survey revealed that 61 per cent of Londoners support the proposed £25 CO2 Charge for gas guzzlers driving within the congestion charge zone, with just 29 per cent opposed. It also showed that 67 per cent of Londoners support the 100 per cent discount for those vehicles that emit the lowest levels of carbon dioxide, with only 21 per cent opposed. Six-five per cent of Londoners thought that the package of measures is good for London, while 19 per cent disagree.
Michèle Dix, managing director of planning, TfL, said, "We have already made clear that we believe Porsche's reasons for objecting to the proposed CO2 Charge are unfounded. We believe they should focus their attention on cutting CO2 emissions from the cars they produce, rather than pursuing this pointless legal action which we will vigorously contest when it reaches judicial review."
He added, "We have already seen several motor manufacturers rise to the challenge of cutting CO2 emissions from their cars and Porsche should join them. The principal aim of the scheme remains tackling congestion. The aim of the CO2 Charge element and discount of the scheme is to cut CO2 emissions, through influencing people's car purchasing choices by stimulating the market for low emissions cars and reducing the number of very high CO2 emitting cars driving in central London. At the moment, 17 per cent of cars driving in the charge zone are in Band G, while just 2 per cent are in Bands A and B. We expect to see the number of Band G cars cut significantly over time."
Transport for London believes that the scheme is legal and that TfL has the authority to introduce the CO2 Charge. Their contention is that the scheme will not breach European Law - the scheme affects UK and non-UK vehicles alike. And, the scheme does not infringe on the European Convention on Human Rights as claimed by Porsche.
With 17 per cent of cars currently in the charge zone in Band G and just 2 per cent in Bands A and B the scheme will have a broadly neutral impact on congestion in the short term. However, TfL will monitor the scheme closely to ensure that the benefits of reduced congestion are maintained.
The residents discount will be removed for Band G vehicles as there is no need to drive one of these cars in central London whether you are a resident or not. The use of Band G as a cut off point for the higher charge is reasonable as these are the highest CO2 emitting cars.
The aim of the CO2 Charge element and discount of the scheme is to cut CO2 emissions, through influencing people's car purchasing choices by stimulating the market for low emissions cars and reducing the number of very high CO2 emitting cars driving in central London.
In a continued effort to improve its green credentials, the mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has proposed to increase the congestion charge from GBP8 to GBP25 a day. From October this year, vehicles emitting the highest amounts of CO2 will have to pay more, while the most fuel efficient cars will get into central London free of charge. In the meanwhile, sports car manufacturer Porsche and other claimants, including London businesses and residents, formally launched a High Court challenge to Livingstone's plan.
Even though, some of the sceptics would try to see this move as Livingstone's political ploy to up his re-election hopes, it remains a fact that a public consultation was launched in August 2007 to consider proposals to increase the congestion charge on cars with the highest levels of carbon emissions. The so-called 'Chelsea tractors', some high-powered sports cars and expensive luxury vehicles face the higher charge and also lose their entitlement to the residents' discount if applicable.
According to the World Resources Institute, road transport spews out around 10 per cent of global emissions. Providing incentives to move to more fuel-efficient models is definitely going to cut the exhaust fumes. Livingstone can take credit for making the carrots and sticks policy on automobiles - a big success.
Reacting to the judicial review sought by Porsche, Transport for London (TfL) believes the objections are unfounded. In a press release, TfL explains:
The CO2 Charge is about reducing CO2 emissions from cars driving in central London, whilst reducing congestion. It is quite clear motorists have the choice not to drive a high CO2 emitting car in central London, given the wide range of lower emitting cars available. Along with the higher £25 Charge for the cars emitting the most CO2, there will be a 100 per cent discount for the least emitting.
A recent IPSOS-MORI survey revealed that 61 per cent of Londoners support the proposed £25 CO2 Charge for gas guzzlers driving within the congestion charge zone, with just 29 per cent opposed. It also showed that 67 per cent of Londoners support the 100 per cent discount for those vehicles that emit the lowest levels of carbon dioxide, with only 21 per cent opposed. Six-five per cent of Londoners thought that the package of measures is good for London, while 19 per cent disagree.
Michèle Dix, managing director of planning, TfL, said, "We have already made clear that we believe Porsche's reasons for objecting to the proposed CO2 Charge are unfounded. We believe they should focus their attention on cutting CO2 emissions from the cars they produce, rather than pursuing this pointless legal action which we will vigorously contest when it reaches judicial review."
He added, "We have already seen several motor manufacturers rise to the challenge of cutting CO2 emissions from their cars and Porsche should join them. The principal aim of the scheme remains tackling congestion. The aim of the CO2 Charge element and discount of the scheme is to cut CO2 emissions, through influencing people's car purchasing choices by stimulating the market for low emissions cars and reducing the number of very high CO2 emitting cars driving in central London. At the moment, 17 per cent of cars driving in the charge zone are in Band G, while just 2 per cent are in Bands A and B. We expect to see the number of Band G cars cut significantly over time."
Transport for London believes that the scheme is legal and that TfL has the authority to introduce the CO2 Charge. Their contention is that the scheme will not breach European Law - the scheme affects UK and non-UK vehicles alike. And, the scheme does not infringe on the European Convention on Human Rights as claimed by Porsche.
With 17 per cent of cars currently in the charge zone in Band G and just 2 per cent in Bands A and B the scheme will have a broadly neutral impact on congestion in the short term. However, TfL will monitor the scheme closely to ensure that the benefits of reduced congestion are maintained.
The residents discount will be removed for Band G vehicles as there is no need to drive one of these cars in central London whether you are a resident or not. The use of Band G as a cut off point for the higher charge is reasonable as these are the highest CO2 emitting cars.
The aim of the CO2 Charge element and discount of the scheme is to cut CO2 emissions, through influencing people's car purchasing choices by stimulating the market for low emissions cars and reducing the number of very high CO2 emitting cars driving in central London.
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