Future of Built Environment Seen from the Lens of Sustainability Science

Dear Colleagues,

The built environment sector offers the largest cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions reduction potential, with economic gains through the possible implementation of existing technologies, policies, and building designs. In order to achieve the 2^oC pathway, the built environment sector must reduce carbon emissions (CO2) by 40% by 2030 and energy consumption by 60% by 2020. This aggressive goal is nothing short of a dramatic transformation toward a completely zero-carbon built environment.

This special issue is focused on addressing the significant problems related to the development and design of sustainable built environment from all aspects of sustainability science. It covers many different topics and issues, including unintended environment impact of current sustainable design/ build practice, integration of natural ecosystem and built infrastructure, modelling and planning carbon neutral city, renovating existing buildings and infrastructure to meet carbon neutral goal, embodied energy and environmental impact, policy and regulation that promote sustainable built environment development. An important focus of special issue is exploring a more comprehensive a built environment development framework that go beyond current energy-centric approach. Empirical studies, theatrical development and case studies in all domains of sustainable environment design are all welcomed.

Even though energy-efficient building has experienced continuous improvement since 1990—at an annual rate of approximately 1.5%^[i], however, an expanding population accompanied by rapid purchasing power growth in emerging economies and developing countries may cause a potential 50% increase in the overall global energy demand of buildings by 2050.^[ii] Meanwhile, in order to limit the global temperature change to a rise of no more than 2^o–4^oC overall, an 80% reduction in world carbon emissions is required by 2050.^[iii] The built environment sector offers the largest cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions reduction potential, with economic gains through the possible implementation of existing technologies, policies, and building designs. In order to achieve the 2^oC pathway, the built environment sector must reduce carbon emissions (CO2) by 40% by 2030 and energy consumption by 60% by 2020.^[iv] This aggressive goal is nothing short of a dramatic transformation toward a completely zero-carbon built environment.

A carbon neutral environment requires the balance between highly efficient building infrastructures and preserved or restored natural ecosystem. Current sustainable practice in built environment is largely focused on operating energy. While significant effort has been devoted to increasing the energy efficiency of buildings in operation, the focus has not been extended to reducing embodied energy and preserve natural environment that support the buildings. The research community generally agrees that, as the operating energy efficiency increases due to improvements in technology, the energy used and emissions created in other stages of a building’s life will become increasingly important. Therefore, it is essential to look beyond the current practice of sustainable design and envision what the environment could look like in the future from the lens of sustainability science.

This special issue is focused on addressing the significant problems related to the development and design of sustainable built environment from all aspects of sustainability science. It covers many different topics and issues, including unintended environment impact of current sustainable design/ build practice, integration of natural ecosystem and built infrastructure, modelling and planning carbon neutral city, renovating existing buildings and infrastructure to meet carbon neutral goal, embodied energy and environmental impact, policy and regulation that promote sustainable built environment development. An important focus of special issue is exploring a more comprehensive a built environment development framework that go beyond current energy-centric approach. Empirical studies, theatrical development and case studies in all domains of sustainable environment design are all welcomed.

Dr. Ming Hu
Guest Editor

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• Carbon neutral
• Renovation
• Environmental impact
• Embodied energy and impact
• Sustainable policy