Watch the Climate Metrics presentations discussing approaches to measuring and managing mitigation in the built environment. From the special issue launch event at the "Beyond 2020" conference.
Can appropriate carbon metrics in combination with carbon budgets be developed and used by built environment professionals, clients and civil society? Is it feasible to have a scalable approach? Can governments provide clear, useful targets to the products / construction / real estate industries? Based on research in a just published Buildings & Cities special issue on Carbon Metrics, new findings are presented. An overview introduces latest developments in global warming indicators and potential applications at building and city levels.
The credibility and use of carbon metrics depend on improved transparency, accuracy and data quality. Clear targets and benchmarks based on a scientific carbon budget can provide clarity to the many supply- and demand-side actors and can be used to establish requirements for individual projects as well as larger strategic plans . The creation and integration of target values for the built environment into decision making will need to involve a multi-scale and multi-actor approach.
Carbon metrics can help to create assessments and how carbon budgets can be used as a target value and/or assessment scale at building, city and building stock levels.
Climate action at the neighbourhood scale: Comparing municipal future scenarios
Y Lu, C Girling, N Martino, J Kim, R Kellett & J Salter
Transformational climate actions by cities [editorial]
K R Slater & J B Robinson
Heat stress: adaptation measures in South African informal settlements
J M Hugo
The urban expansion of Berlin, 1862–1900: Hobrecht’s Plan
F Bentlin
Common sources of occupant dissatisfaction with workspace environments in 600 office buildings
T Parkinson, S Schiavon, J Kim & G Betti
Latest Commentaries
Collapse and Catastrophe: The Need to Protect Inhabitants
In light of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, David Oswald and Trivess Moore (RMIT University) reflect on the rights that inhabitants have for buildings to be safe, healthy, comfortable and robust. However, serial and various failings in the construction supply side and its oversight by governments mean greater accountability is needed.
Blind Spots in Energy Policy
As a policy practitioner who leads a national organisation representing households and small businesses in shaping the future of Australia’s energy system, Lynne Gallagher (Energy Consumers Australia) responds to the Buildings & Cities special issue, Energy, Emerging Technologies and Gender in Homes. Insights from lived experience reveal blind spots in the design, provision and use of smart tech that adversely affect energy outcomes.