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Home , Earth Overshoot Day

Introduction in the sustainable built environment Drs. Charlotte Verhaeghe

1 Questions to be answered

• Why is sustainable built environment relevant? • What defines a sustainable built environment? • How do we assess it?

2 I. Relevance of a sustainable built environment

3 Evolution of the world

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 4 Evolution of the consumption Primary energy demand by energy carrier

IEA, Energy outlook 2020

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 5 Carbon emissions per capita

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 6 Evolution of the steel production

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 7 Source: https://vlaanderen-circulair.be/en/infographics Relevance of a sustainable built environment 8 Source: https://vlaanderen-circulair.be/en/infographics Relevance of a sustainable built environment 9 Related price developments • 1973/74 and 1979: oil-crisis • 1979: incidents with the Three Miles Island (Penn, USA) • ….

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 10

1995 2013

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 11 Cotton cultivation

1989 2008 2014 Relevance of a sustainable built environment 12 Cotton cultivation

1989 2008 2014 Relevance of a sustainable built environment 13 Residential use

Prediction for 2050

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 14 Malthus’ Basic Theory (1798)

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 15 analysis

Unevenly distributed between developing and more developed countries.

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 16 Exponential growth vs. limits to supply

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 17 From Ecological footprint to EOD

• day (EOD)= Ecological Dept Day

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 18 Earth overshoot day

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 19 Towards

Source: , 2012; UNDP, 2014)

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 20 Historic perspective

Club of Rome (starting from 1968) • Group of industrialists and scientists • Asking: • ‘What are the limits to growth?’ • ‘Does continued growth in production lead to depletion of raw materials and energy carriers?’ • ‘What about the livability of the planet for the ever-growing ?’ The limits to growth (1972) • Environmental and nutritional issues on the political agenda

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 21 Limits to Growth

The limits to growth (1972) • Computer model of the interaction between growth of: • Population • Industrial production • production • Use of • Environmental pollution

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 22

Our Common Future/ Brundtland report (1987)

“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

Source: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future (Brundtland report), 1987

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 23 Towards sustainable development

• UN Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio Conference, or ) (1992) • Strategy for sustainable development • Climate agreement as a basis for the • Protect human and the environment: People, Planet, Profit - Triple Bottom Line

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 24 Towards sustainable development

• Kyoto Protocol (1997) • Aiming to decrease emissions

• Earth Summit Johannesburg (2002) • Changing profit to prosperity

• (2015) • ‘Limit global warming to “well below” 2°C or 1,5°C if possible’

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 25 Towards sustainable development • Sustainable Development Goals –SDGs (2015)

Relevance of a sustainable built environment 26 II. Defining a sustainable built environment

27 “Definition” of

• Durability • Long lifetime • In accordance with quality criteria

• Sustainability • Sustainable development goals • Holistic approach (multiple criteria)

Defining a sustainable built environment 28 “Definition” of sustainability • Which one is more sustainable?

1

2 Defining a sustainable built environment 29 • Which one is more sustainable?

A B

Defining a sustainable built environment 30 “Definition” of sustainability • Which one is more sustainable?

1

2 Defining a sustainable built environment 31 “Definition” of sustainability • Which one is more sustainable?

1

2 Defining a sustainable built environment 32 Defining a sustainable built environment 33 A sustainable built environment

Shift in the level of scale: • Building → building in its surroundings → sustainable cities

Defining a sustainable built environment 34 A sustainable built environment

Life cycle thinking (a systems theory)

End-of- Materials

Consumption Design

Retail model Production

Defining a sustainable built environment 35 End-of-life treatment

Hierarchy by Lansink

Assessing a sustainable built environment End-of-life treatment

Delft stairs

Assessing a sustainable built environment 37 End-of-life treatment

Butterfly diagram by Ellen MacArthur

Assessing a sustainable built environment 38 A sustainable built environment

Circular

"The circular economy is an economic system in which products and materials are kept at their maximum value and functionality."

Defining a sustainable built environment 39 A circular economy

Defining a sustainable built environment A circular economy

Possible business models • Valorization of residual material • Increasing the lifespan of the product • The use of circular or less materials • Shift from possession and property to services (e.g. ESCOs) • Co-creation and transparence

“how can businesses make more money by selling less products?”

Defining a sustainable built environment 41 A circular economy

Examples • Philips: Sale of lighting systems → leasing of ‘lux’ • FLOOW2: Buying individual service and equipment →platforms where services and materials can be offered between companies • Renault: Sale of new cars and use of more resources → take-back of cars and car parts • XEROX: Sale of new printers → printing as a service

Defining a sustainable built environment 42 III. Assessing a sustainable built environment

43 Life-cycle thinking

Thematic approach • Energy performance of buildings • Passive building (Passive house platform) • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) • Labels • … Integrated approach • Rating tools (LEED, BREEAM, World Green Building Council,..) • Circular economy (e.g. the Material Circularity Indicator tool) • …

Assessing a sustainable built environment 44 Thematic approach

LCA

Assessing a sustainable built environment 45 Integrated approach

LEED, BREEAM, DGNB,…

Assessing a sustainable built environment 46 Integrated approach

Tools:

Assessing a sustainable built environment 47 Greenwashing

Source: https://www.ecowatch.com/7-sins-of-greenwashing-and-5-ways-to-keep-it-out-of-your-life-

Defining a sustainable built environment 48 Rebound effects

Diesel

Energy market

Defining a sustainable built environment 49 Rebound effects

Diesel Bio-diesel

Energy market

Defining a sustainable built environment 50 Rebound effects

- $$ Diesel Bio-diesel

Energy market

Defining a sustainable built environment 51 Rebound effects

farmland EU

- $$ Diesel Bio-diesel

Energy market

Defining a sustainable built environment 52 Rebound effects

farmland EU Status quo

- $$ Diesel Bio-diesel

Energy market

Defining a sustainable built environment 53 Rebound effects

Status Food production farmland EU quo

- $$ Diesel Bio-diesel

Energy market

Defining a sustainable built environment 54 Rebound effects

Status Status Food production X farmland EU quo quo

- $$ Diesel Bio-diesel

Energy market

Defining a sustainable built environment 55 Rebound effects

→ farmland

Status Status Food production X farmland EU quo quo

- $$ Diesel Bio-diesel

Energy market

Defining a sustainable built environment 56 Rebound effects

forests → farmland

Status Status Food production X farmland EU quo quo

- $$ Diesel Bio-diesel

Energy market

Defining a sustainable built environment 57 Rebound effects

forests → farmland intensification

Status Status Food production X farmland EU quo quo

- $$ Diesel Bio-diesel

Energy market

Defining a sustainable built environment 58 Take home messages

• Different interpretations for sustainability • This leads to differences in approaches • Avoid and be aware of greenwashing • Avoid and be aware of possible rebound effects

Conclusions 59 Sustainability is a public issue that can be seen as an opportunity, rather than a burden.

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