Redesigning urban infrastructures for a low-emission future : an overview of urban low-carbon technologies
- Preventing the worst consequences of climate change would require that GHG emissions be reduced to levels near zero by the middle of the century. To respond to such a daunting challenge, we need to rethink and redesign the currently highly energy-dependent infrastructures of industrial societies and particularly the urban infrastructures to become low- or even zero-carbon cities. Sustainable urban infrastructures need technology. In this paper focused on Western European Cities, we discuss a wide set of technologies in the fields of building, energy and transport infrastructures that can significantly contribute to a reduction of energy and/or GHG emissions and are already available or are in the pipeline. Based on the review of a recentPreventing the worst consequences of climate change would require that GHG emissions be reduced to levels near zero by the middle of the century. To respond to such a daunting challenge, we need to rethink and redesign the currently highly energy-dependent infrastructures of industrial societies and particularly the urban infrastructures to become low- or even zero-carbon cities. Sustainable urban infrastructures need technology. In this paper focused on Western European Cities, we discuss a wide set of technologies in the fields of building, energy and transport infrastructures that can significantly contribute to a reduction of energy and/or GHG emissions and are already available or are in the pipeline. Based on the review of a recent study for the city of Munich, we then present how a mix of these technologies could reduce CO2-emissions by up to 90% for the metropolis of 1.3 million inhabitants and that this strategy could be economically attractive despite a high initial investment. All of the residential buildings of a city like Munich could be entirely redesigned for EUR 200 per inhabitant annually, which is about one third of an average annual natural gas bill.…
Document Type: | Peer-Reviewed Article |
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Author: | Stefan LechtenböhmerORCiDGND, Claus Barthel, Frank Merten, Clemens Schneider, Dietmar Schüwer, Dieter Seifried |
URN (citable link): | https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bsz:wup4-opus-35664 |
Year of Publication: | 2010 |
Language: | English |
Source Title (English): | Surveys and perspectives integrating environment and society |
Volume: | 3 |
Issue: | 2 |
First Page: | 1 |
Last Page: | 16 |
Divisions: | Zukünftige Energie- und Industriesysteme |
Dewey Decimal Classification: | 300 Sozialwissenschaften |
Licence: | Creative Commons - Namensnennung |