Delivering on the Climate Emergency: Towards a Net Zero Carbon Built Environment

✍ Scribed by Deo Prasad, Aysu Kuru, Philip Oldfield, Lan Ding, Malay Dave, Caroline Noller, Baojie He

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2023
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 271
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book focuses on the transition towards net-zero carbon built environments to deliver on the climate emergency. It provides an evidence-based roadmap and proposes guidelines to achieving targets covering emerging technologies, materials, innovative design, regulations and policies.

✦ Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
List of Boxes
1: The Climate Emergency and the Built Environment
1.1 The Climate Emergency
1.2 Carbon Emissions and the Built Environment
1.2.1 Climate Action in the Built Environment: Towards Net Zero Emissions
1.2.2 Green Building Council of Australia
1.2.3 Architecture 2030 Challenge
1.2.4 RIBA 2030 Challenge
1.2.5 LETI
1.2.6 C40 Challenge
1.2.7 GlobalABC Regional Roadmap for Buildings and Construction in Africa
1.2.8 IEA Roadmap for Energy-Efficient Buildings and Construction in ASEAN
1.3 Challenges and Gaps in Achieving Net Zero Carbon in the Built Environment
1.3.1 Increasing Global Construction
1.3.2 Urban Heating and the Growing Demand for Cooling
1.3.3 Lack of Building Codes, Policy and Regulation
1.3.4 Upgrading and Retrofitting Existing Buildings
1.3.5 Education and Training
1.4 Summary and Upcoming Chapters
References
2: Operational Carbon in the Built Environment: Measurements, Benchmarks and Pathways to Net Zero
2.1 Measuring Operational Energy and Carbon
2.1.1 Benchmarking and Normalisation Factors
2.1.2 Building Performance Ratings
2.1.3 Building Performance Assessment Tools
2.1.4 Post-occupancy Evaluation
2.2 Factors Impacting Operational Carbon Benchmarks
2.2.1 Overview of Factors
2.2.2 Overview of Factors: Australian Context
2.3 Comparison of Published Benchmarks and Targets
2.3.1 The Current State of Operational Energy and Carbon in Australia
2.3.2 Global Targets
2.3.3 Australian Targets
2.4 Strategies to Reduce Operational Carbon
2.4.1 Energy-Efficient Design: New Build and Retrofit
New Build Design Strategies
Retrofit Design Strategies
2.4.2 Energy Generation
2.5 Towards Net Zero Operational Carbon
References
3: Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment: Measurements, Benchmarks and Pathways to Net Zero
3.1 The History of Measuring Embodied Carbon
3.2 Factors Impacting Embodied Carbon Benchmarks
3.2.1 Functional Unit Area Definition: Estimated Impact on Embodied Carbon Measurement of 12–30%
3.2.2 Building Classification: Estimated Impact on Embodied Carbon Measurement of up to 100%
3.2.3 Methodology for Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) Coefficients: Estimated Impact on Embodied Carbon Measurement of between 2 and 99%
3.2.4 Building-Scale Lifecycle Carbon Methodology: Estimated Impact on Embodied Carbon Measurement of up to 77%
3.2.5 Completeness or Scope of Items Included: Estimated Impact on Embodied Carbon of up to 50%
3.2.6 Geographic Context: Estimated Impact on Embodied Carbon of 30% or More
3.2.7 Case Study Example: Clay Brick
3.3 Existing Embodied Carbon Benchmarks
3.4 Strategies to Reduce Embodied Carbon
3.4.1 Design Strategy 1: Building Nothing/Adaptive Reuse
3.4.2 Design Strategy 2: Optimise and Dematerialise
3.4.3 Design Strategy 3: Smart Design
3.4.4 Design Strategy 4: Low Carbon Supply Chain
3.5 Net Zero Embodied Carbon
References
4: Delivering a Net Zero Carbon-Built Environment: Synthesis, Measurability, Targets and Reporting
4.1 Methods Used to Determine Climate Emergency Targets
4.1.1 Methods Used to Determine Operational Carbon Targets
Top-Down Method: Paris Proof
Bottom-Up Method
Combined Method to Determine Climate Emergency Targets
4.1.2 Methods Used to Determine Embodied Carbon Targets
4.2 Climate Emergency Targets
4.2.1 Climate Emergency Targets for Operational Carbon Emissions
4.2.2 Climate Emergency Targets for Embodied Carbon Emissions
4.3 Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Pathway
4.3.1 Comparing and Combining Operational and Embodied Data
Step 1: Convert GFA to the Floor Area Defined in the Embodied Carbon Functional Unit
Step 2: Convert Electricity to Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e)
Example: An Office Building in Sydney
Limitations
4.3.2 Implementation and Reporting of the Pathway
References
5: Case studies: Exemplars to Learn From
5.1 Exemplar Buildings
5.1.1 New Buildings—Residential
Design and Performance Profile
Design Intentions
Performance and Pathway to Net Zero
Case Study Information Source
Design and Performance Profile
Design Intentions
Performance and Pathway to Net Zero
Case Study Information Source
Design and Performance Profile
Design Intentions
Performance and Pathway to Net Zero
Case Study Information Source
Design and Performance Profile
Design Intentions
Performance and Pathway to Net Zero
Case Study Information Source
5.1.2 New Buildings—Non-residential
Design and Performance Profile
Design Intentions
Performance and Pathway to Net Zero
Case Study Information Source
Design and Performance Profile
Design Intentions
Performance and Pathway to Net Zero
Case Study Information Source
Design and Performance Profile
Design Intentions
Performance and Pathway to Net Zero
Case Study Information Source
5.2 Exemplar Precincts
5.2.1 New Precincts
Design and Performance Profile
Design Intentions
Performance and Pathway to Net Zero
Case Study Information Source
Design and Performance Profile
Design Intentions
Performance and Pathway to Net Zero
Case Study Information Source
5.3 Exemplars in Embodied Carbon Reduction
5.3.1 New Buildings
Design and Performance Profile
Design Intentions
Performance and Pathway to Net Zero
Case Study Information Source
5.3.2 New Precincts
Design Intentions
Design and Performance Profile
Net Zero Carbon Exemplars—Challenges and Opportunities
References
6: Policy Pathways to a Net Zero Carbon-Built Environment
6.1 Australia’s Zero Carbon Policy
6.1.1 Australia’s National Targets, Policies and Programs
6.1.2 State and Territory Governments’ Objectives and Action Plans
6.1.3 Local Government Initiatives
6.1.4 Mandatory and Voluntary Approaches to Reducing Operational and Embodied Energy Demand and Increasing the Use of Renewable Energy
Mandatory Approaches
Non-mandatory or Voluntary Approaches
Voluntary Rating Systems
Voluntary Government Programmes
Incentive Schemes
Industry-Led Initiatives
6.1.5 Australian Zero Carbon Policy Nexus
6.2 International Policies, Standards and Initiatives
6.2.1 International Mandatory and Voluntary Standards and Policies
6.2.2 Mandatory Standards for the Embodied Carbon of Buildings
6.2.3 Leading Groups and Initiatives Worldwide
6.3 Opportunities and Challenges of Existing Zero Carbon Policies
6.4 The Evolution of Zero Carbon Policies
References
7: Conclusions and Recommendations: Envisioning a Net Zero Carbon Future in the Built Environment
7.1 Concluding Remarks
7.2 Recommendations for Future Directions
References
Index