Infrastructure development compromises creation of low-carbon cities

Jukka Heinonen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference article in proceedingsScientificpeer-review

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Abstract

Of the UN SDGs, the role of infrastructure in enabling or compromising the development of future low-carbon settlements falls under the goal #11 "Sustainable cities and communities". However, when it comes to the specific content of the SDG #11, only the sub-goals 11.6 and 11.B-C loosely include these development-phase emissions. If it was shown that infrastructure development compromises creation of low-carbon cities, it would also mean that the SDG #11 might fail to guide the development to sustainable cities and communities. In this study the role of infrastructure and capital development emissions are analyzed from different perspectives by synthesizing the suggested emissions levels from previous studies. Iceland is looked at separately as a case country and the capital Reykjavik as a case city. Previous studies on Iceland are utilized to discuss the infrastructure and capital development related emissions and to compare them to the overall carbon footprints suggested for these locations and their residents. The results suggest that climate-sustainable built environment cannot be built with the currently dominant materials of concrete, steel and asphalt. The issue should quickly receive more attention before we run out of the remaining carbon quota.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationBeyond 2020 - World Sustainable Built Environment conference
PublisherInstitute of Physics Publishing
Number of pages7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Nov 2020
MoE publication typeA4 Conference publication
EventWorld Sustainable Built Environment Conference - Gothenburg, Sweden
Duration: 2 Nov 20204 Nov 2020

Publication series

NameIOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
PublisherInstitute of Physics Publishing
Number4
Volume588
ISSN (Print)1755-1307

Conference

ConferenceWorld Sustainable Built Environment Conference
Abbreviated titleWSBE
Country/TerritorySweden
CityGothenburg
Period02/11/202004/11/2020

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