Approaches to reducing emissions will need to vary from place to place. UK cities can learn from places around the world that are using their higher density to decarbonise how we build, travel and generate power.
The UK Government has pledged to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. While the UK’s net zero target is national, what role have different places played in helping the UK meet its target? And what should they focus on to bring greenhouse gas emissions down? That’s the focus of 911±¬ÁÏÍø’ latest report Accelerating net zero delivery: what can UK cities learn from around the world?Ìý
Much of the policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions is developed at the national or international level but some measures will need to be local or regional, particularly when it comes to tackling domestic and transport emissions. It is in these areas that places should focus on reducing emissions to accelerate the UK’s progress towards net zero.Ìý
The ability of different areas to achieve emissions reductions varies. This is because the built environment influences the lifestyles people choose, directly affecting their domestic and transport emissions. For instance, homes in densely populated urban areas tend to be smaller, resulting in lower emissions compared to larger homes in less dense regions. And in dense areas, people are far more likely to use public transport, walk, or cycle, as these options are much more convenient than those in rural areas. It is for this reason that greenhouse gas emissions are 41 per cent lower in cities in the UK than elsewhere (see Figure 1).Ìý
Almost all the case studies that the report looks at are underpinned by density. This makes planning policy a key tool for fighting climate change.Ìý
Nationally, to maximise the ability of cities to reduce their emissions, a move towards a more rules-based planning framework could streamline the process for new developments, speeding up the construction of energy-efficient homes and supporting denser, sustainable urban growth. The Government’s proposed amendments and modifications are good steps towards that direction.Ìý
Locally, cities should prioritise high-density housing near existing and future public transport hubs to facilitate access to sustainable travel options. Low-density housing estates on the edge of town bake in car dependence, making it more difficult to reduce transport emissions – the UK’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.ÌýÌý
What else can cities do? Beyond this, cities should focus on 3 areas to reduce emissions where they can make a difference: how we build, how we move, and how we power our cities. The report gathers case studies from the UK and around the world under these themes.Ìý
For example, under how we build, it highlights how emissions can be reduced from buildings through retrofitting and new energy-efficient housing. One case study looks at Camden Council’s redevelopment of the Agar Grove Housing Project, one of the first UK housing projects to deliver Passivhaus design standards at a large scale. It combines retrofits with new builds and uses future private sales to cross-subsidise the first phase of building.ÌýÌý
Paired with adequate industry regulation and governmental incentives, owners and councils can deliver greener homes. This could be done through, for example, using city-level legislation to get the private sector to increase energy efficiency beyond national standards, as and have done; or via existing standards from construction industry bodies such as the Low Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI) Climate Emergency in the UK.Ìý
Camden Borough (London) Agar Grove Housing Project
Paris is a good example of a city that has addressed how we move. ItÌý has implemented a package of measures to reduce car usage, particularly fossil-fuel vehicles, alongside measures aimed at improving public and active travel options and making these more attractive. On the former, the city has limited access for the most polluting vehicles through a Low Emissions Zone based on the ‘Crit’Air’ vehicle emissions . It will build on this with a city-centre closed to all vehicles and higher parking charges for SUVs, which take up valuable city centre space due to come into force next year. On the latter, the city is expanding its already extensive metro system and is re-prioritising space from cars to active travel by switching half of car parking spaces to pedestrian and bike-friendly infrastructure.ÌýÌý
Paris has been acting as a leader in car disincentivisation measures and active travel infrastructure deploymentÌý
On how we power our cities, from heat networks to electric vehicles (EVs), the extent to which many of the featured case studies in this report contribute to reducing GHG emissions hinges on using zero or low-carbon energy sources for electricity generation. Several cities have supported energy emissions reduction by encouraging the adoption of renewable technologies, such as solar panels on residential buildings like Tokyo. In the Japanese capital, new mandating solar panels for small and medium-sized new homes (under 2,000m2) built by large developers (housing suppliers that supply over 20,000m2 per year) will come into effect in April 2025. By 2030 around 400,000 new buildings will include mandated solar panels and by 2050 about half of Tokyo’s existing buildings will have been replaced, with a total of 1.3 million new buildings subject to the legislation.Ìý
Cities will need to play a central role if the UK is to meet its net zero goals. In doing so, they should focus on the areas where they can make a difference. And if they do nothing else, they should use planning policy as a tool to bring their emissions down.ÌýÌý
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