Climate Change Council NET ZERO PRECINCTS · As an example, urban water management may be overlooked, or de-emphasised in planning; however, with urban centres running the risk of

ACT Climate Change Council
























































































































































NET ZERO PRECINCTS SUMMARY



II.........NET ZERO PRECINCTS SUMMARY

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Summary

This paper explores the benefits of implementing carbon neutrality at a precinct level, be it a shopping centre, suburb or community hub.

The ACT has an opportunity to become a world leader in ‘net zero precinct implementation’, leveraging the benefits of precinct-scale approaches to the development of a carbon neutral or net zero (greenhouse gas) emissions economy. These benefits are multiple, and multiplied through the intersection of technology, policy, strategy and regulation.

Net zero precincts are cheaper, more liveable and create larger economic growth than normal precincts. This is not widely known.

Precinct-scale installations provide test beds for social policies and innovative technologies, allowing decision makers flexibility to investigate opportunities, impacts and new ideas within a wider regional context. There have been several small-scale case studies of net zero precincts worldwide.

'The ACT can advance and improve on strategies implemented in these precincts to become a world leader to assist in hitting the ACT's target of net zero emissions by 2045 or earlier and generating large economic growth.'

The Climate Change Council would like to acknowledge the work by Hedwig Kembek and Andrew Waldron and their report, Carbon neutral precincts in the 21st century – the time to ACT is now, which forms the basis of this net zero precinct paper.



















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The context for net zero precinctsThe breakdown of carbon emissions by sector has traditionally had electricity generation as the largest contributor. Through the ACT Government renewable energy target and policies, 100% of the ACT’s electricity will be from renewable electricity sources by 2020. The next two largest sources of emissions in the economy are transport and gas (largely used in buildings). Decisions made now can affect carbon budgets for decades, especially in the context of embedded emissions from construction materials and methods, and from transportation. With net zero precincts, transportation emissions are reduced through transport-oriented design (TOD) and a move to electric vehicles powered by renewable electricity. Building emissions are reduced through passive design for heating and cooling, and use of renewable materials for construction.

Implementation of net zero precincts in the ACT would reduce regional emissions, help the Territory hit carbon neutrality goals and provide a local sustainable development showcase that would further increase the ACT’s profile as a world leader in sustainability and green infrastructure.

The wider context for carbon neutrality is fundamentally linked to the effects of climate change, which are being felt around the world. By transitioning to net zero carbon across economies, the world can reduce carbon emissions and thus have some hope of avoiding dangerous levels of climate change.1 Improving the thermal efficiency of buildings and precincts by incorporating passive design will also help to make our cities and towns more resilient and liveable in a changing climate (Norman, 2016).

Cost-efficiency is an underlying driver in the formulation of government policy and legislation. Precinct renewal may provide financial incentives for both the public and private sectors. Financing development projects and urban renewal are needed in long-term planning, as well as in integrating precinct-level approaches.

1 As characterised by the IPCC and UNFCCC as a temperature rise of no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100.

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By taking a global leadership position on net zero precincts, the ACT will not only meet environmental and social goals, but will also stand to benefit from increased investment, economies of scale and knowledge brokering.

Cities play an ever-increasing role in addressing climate change. Local governments and sub-national actors hold significant potential for advancing low carbon policy and grassroots initiatives. This reflects the notion of cities being ‘laboratories for new approaches’ (Kemp, et al., 2015). Sub-national jurisdictions therefore play a vital role in driving innovation within planning practice. A good indicator of the engagement and commitment of cities is evident through their integration of climate change planning into their operations to build capacity and efficiency in response to climate challenges (C40 Cities and ARUP, 2015). By these measures, the ACT is well positioned as a leading sub-national actor on environmental and sustainability issues.

Australia has a high emissions economy. While global trends continue to shift towards stronger climate action, Australia runs the risk of being perceived as a climate passenger, or weak contributor, which may negatively impact Australia’s global standing. As mentioned by the Climate Change Authority (2014),

“ To avoid this risk, Australia needs policies that

drive reduction in domestic emissions, promote

a steady transformation of the domestic

economy, capture low emissions growth

opportunities, encourage innovation and

stimulate new low emissions investments.”

As a leading sub-national actor the ACT can show leadership both domestically and internationally by implementing net zero precincts while reaping environmental, sustainable and economic benefits both within the ACT and throughout the wider region.


Future direction for net zero precinctsThere are multiple aspects that need to be considered in net zero projects.

An overview of key emissions sources is shown here. All these aspects will

need to be considered to effectively mitigate the effects of changing climate.

PRECINCT CARBON

EMISSIONS

Embodied Carbon in Materials

Water Management

Construction ProcessesTransport

Waste Management

Energy Production

and Management

Key emissions sources within precinct developments (Bunning et al., 2013)

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As an example, urban water management may be overlooked, or de-emphasised in planning; however, with urban centres running the risk of becoming ‘urban heat islands’ in warmer months, water sensitive urban design can play an important part in reducing heat, treating stormwater and greening urban spaces. WSUD is both economically efficient and environmentally conscious.

Urban infrastructure, networks and transportation systems, with their generation of heat and power, greatly determine the amount of emissions a city produces. Once buildings or development are built, they are hard to change. The construction of inefficient, high emissions buildings and precincts “locks in” emissions for decades to come. It is estimated that around 30% of future annual CO2 emissions will be from new urban buildings and transport systems (Stockholm Environment Institute & C40 Cities 2015). Hence, to achieve net zero emissions, these systems need to be well understood, with low-carbon, or carbon-positive (going beyond zero carbon emissions by making additional contributions to addressing climate change such as generating more renewable electricity than is used on site) solutions, tested and validated through effective demonstration-scale implementation. Installation at precinct scale allows for this investigation while reducing institutional risk from larger economy-wide installations.

With a push towards 100% renewable electricity and electrification of public transport, urban transportation emissions can be significantly reduced. One method to accelerate carbon emission reduction is through an increased emphasis on transit-oriented development (TOD). Zero carbon precincts are increasingly integrating TOD elements into their design and function. Elements of TOD include limiting or minimising the number of parking spaces at residential housing complexes, increasing accessibility to public transport infrastructure and incorporating pedestrian and bicycle activity into the transportation mix.

Precincts are an ‘ideal scale’ for implementing green technology and renewables. The small scale of precinct-size designs allows decision makers to implement smaller, more incremental change while providing the test bed for innovations that can have a more transformative effect on

emissions reduction and sustainability targets. Precinct-scale installations allow large problems to be viewed in smaller, more manageable chunks, incrementally reducing the overall carbon footprint of a city. Once technologies and strategies are proven at precinct-scale, and new opportunities have been sufficiently de-risked, larger scale, city- or economy-wide implementations can occur.

Four key principles for governing low-carbon precincts have been identified:

1. strengthening decentralised, inter-municipal collaboration

2. public–private infrastructure partnerships

3. building new roles for low-carbon, sustainable community precincts and creating synergies with other sectors

4. removing barriers for low-carbon, sustainable precincts.

As an example of inter-sector synergy, the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Bruce Campus Microgrid Feasibility Study found significant cost savings could be made with a microgrid in contrast to a business-as-usual scenario.2 This was due partly to solar and battery storage prices decreasing, with a result that projects such as the CIT Microgrid became more feasible. The approved microgrid project in CIT is intended to be a test bed of microgrid technology for Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

In another local example, the ACT Government is promoting household battery use by highlighting benefits to consumers. Residents with battery storage may reduce their energy bills during peak times, since grid prices are highest during these periods (ACTSmart, 2016). Additionally, due to less demand on the local energy grid, increased charging of batteries at peak times benefits the ACT’s energy grid and saves the Territory money. The ACT Next Generation Energy Storage Program and its 36 megawatt (MW) roll-out of battery storage allows local households to collaborate in low-carbon strategies.

2 2016 presentation to Microgrid international event at the University of Canberra.


Case studies, challenges and opportunities

Case studiesIn the report prepared by Kembek and Waldron (2017), four net zero precinct case studies were identified. These case studies included two international studies (Vauban in Germany and Malmö in Sweden) and two domestic case studies (Adelaide in South Australia and Fremantle in Western Australia). Features in these precincts included:

» low energy consuming houses and passive house architecture and design

» solar PV, geothermal heat pumps and other localised renewable energy generation

» reduction in car use through TOD, limited parking volume and public transport close to housing

» greywater recycling

» biogas generation from sewage waste and organic household wastes

» social programs and policies towards organic food, with food product emission reduction targets

» green infrastructure and the greening of spaces

» renewable energy investment funds for low-carbon initiatives and renewable energy

» carbon offsetting as a last resort.

ChallengesSome key challenges and financial barriers identified in the report include:

» inefficient silo thinking—integrating land use, transport, energy, building design and place making are essential for an efficient approach

» a city-wide strategy can be too overwhelming—urban infill and renewal in the ACT would benefit from a precinct-level approach to meeting the ACT’s 2020 and 2050 targets

» the ‘sustainability cost premium’ – whereby the additional costs associated with integrating sustainability into urban development makes the product uncompetitive against conventional designs

» the split incentive whereby financial incentive to invest in (sustainable) technology (by the developer) is split from the beneficiary (the occupant) (UNEP, 2009)

» the short term nature of 3–4 year electoral cycles and difficulty of meeting the long-term planning horizons of sustainability (Thomson, 2013).

A core challenge of low-carbon precinct development is to reduce the carbon footprint of precinct infrastructure through developing better planning tools and techniques, while simultaneously becoming highly desirable places to live and work. In the long term, improved precinct planning will allow carbon footprints to be reduced to zero whilst quality of life continues to grow (Taylor and Thomson, 2015). Low emission built environments in Australia can be delivered through existing knowledge; however, the challenge is securing market-acceptable cost-effective models for implementation. In addition to strategic obstacles, the rapid transition from business-as-usual to zero carbon sustainable urbanism is also prevented by major structural and financial barriers (Thomson, 2013).

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OpportunitiesTo decarbonise the built environment the existing building stock will require retrofitting to reduce energy demand. As Australia transitions towards low carbon urbanism, precinct- (and neighbourhood/community) scale development can prove more useful. Precinct development has many benefits over individual building developments, including a distinct sense of place within precincts, feasible eco-infrastructure and integration of social infrastructure within a precinct.

Zero carbon buildings can be achieved through the integration of energy efficiency, fuel switching and zero emissions electricity into design, construction and operation.

In the ACT, with the advantage of many public institutions, there is clear opportunity to integrate net zero projects into existing precincts. For example, the Parliamentary Triangle, national institutions within inner Canberra, and the four universities (following in the footsteps of CIT Bruce Campus’s microgrid as an exemplary model) provide opportunities for the National Capital Authority, the ACT Government, business and community groups to take an integrated approach in net zero strategy. Reviewing the major planning strategies to facilitate the transition from the status quo into a net zero Canberra is key to our future.


ReferencesACTSmart (2016) ACTSmart Next Generation Energy Storage. Fact Sheet. ACT Government. http://www.actsmart.act.gov.au/data/assets/pdf_file/0004/854779/20160902-Battery-Storage-Fact-Sheet-FINAL2.pdf

Bunning, J., Beattie, C., Rauland, V. and Newman, P. (2013) Low-Carbon Sustainable Precincts: An Australian Perspective. Sustainability, 5(6), pp.2305-2326.

C40 Cities and ARUP (2011) ‘Climate Action in Mega Cities: C40 Cities Baseline and Opportunities,’ Version 1.0, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Groups, New York, United States of America, [online] http://www.c40.org/

Climate Change Authority (2014) Reducing Australia’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Targets and Progress Review, Final Report, Climate Change Authority, Australia, http://climatechangeauthority.gov.au/files/files/Target-Progress-Review/Targets%20and%20Progress%20Review%20Final%20Report.pdf.

Kembek, H., Waldron, A. (2017) Carbon neutral precincts in the 21st century – the time to ACT is now, University of Canberra.

Kemp, L., Sackett, P. and Jotzo, F. (2015) Sub-National Climate Policies: How does the ACT compare?, ACT Climate Change Council, Canberra.

Norman, B. (2016) Climate Ready Cities. Policy Information Brief 2, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast.

Land Development Agency (LDA) (2013) Creating Sustainable Developments for Canberra. ACT. http://www.lda.act.gov.au/uploads/ckfinder/files/pdf/1_About/Sustainability/Sustainable_Development_Book.pdf

Stockholm Environment Institute & C40 Cities (2015) ‘Keeping Cities Green: Avoiding carbon

lock-in due to urban development,’ Working Paper 2015-11, Stockholm Environmental Institute and C40 Group, United States, https://www.sei.org/publications/keeping-cities-green-avoiding-carbon-lock-in-due-to-urban-development/

Taylor, M, A, P & Thompson, S (2015) ‘PR-2015 Carbon Reductions and Co-Benefits: Literature and Practice Review of Australian Policies relating urban planning and public health, Final Report- Part II An analysis of current levels of active transport usage in Australia – Towards a measure of base line activity,’ Report, CRC Low Carbon Living, http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/research/program-2-low-carbon-precincts/rp2015-carbon-reductions-and-co-benefits-literature-and.

Thomson, G (2013) ‘PR-2003, Scoping Study, A Review of International Low Carbon Precincts to Identify Pathways for Mainstreaming Sustainable Urbanism in Australia, Phase 1; Interim Report, CRC Low Carbon Living, Australia, http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/sites/all/files/publications_file_attachments/rp2003_crclcl_precincts.pdf

United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) (2014) ‘The Emissions Gap Report 2014,’ Final Report, United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), Nairobi, accessed 30/11/2016, http://www.unep.org/publications/ebooks/emissionsgapreport2014/portals/50268/pdf/EGR2014_LOWRES.pdf

Kembek, H, Waldron A (2017) Carbon neutral precincts in the 21st century – the time to ACT is now

http://www.actsmart.act.gov.au/data/assets/pdf_file/0004/854779/20160902-Battery-Storage-Fact-Sheet-FINAL2.pdf



http://www.c40.org/

http://climatechangeauthority.gov.au/files/files/Target-Progress-Review/Targets%20and%20Progress%20Review%20Final%20Report.pdf




http://www.lda.act.gov.au/uploads/ckfinder/files/pdf/1_About/Sustainability/Sustainable_Development_Book.pdf



http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/research/program-2-low-carbon-precincts/rp2015-carbon-reductions-and-co-benefits-literature-and



http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/sites/all/files/publications_file_attachments/rp2003_crclcl_precincts.pdf




http://www.unep.org/publications/ebooks/emissionsgapreport2014/portals/50268/pdf/EGR2014_LOWRES.pdf



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Climate Change Council NET ZERO PRECINCTS · As an example, urban water management may be overlooked, or de-emphasised in planning; however, with urban centres running the risk of