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This paper discusses the results of five case studies of dwellings in Swansea, UK, that received retrofitted external wall insulation through the first phase of the Welsh government's 'Arbed' scheme in Wales between 2010 and 2012. Arbed is part of the Welsh government's carbon dioxide emissions reduction and fuel poverty policy objectives. Energy consumption, costs and carbon dioxide emissions data are presented and discussed for each case study, which were collected as part of a doctoral research project undertaken in collaboration with two housing associations in Swansea, Wales. These data are analysed to assess alleviations of fuel poverty, reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and the payback of the interventions. Furthermore, unintended benefits and the implications for further dwellings receiving external wall insulation are also discussed. This paper will be useful to stakeholders involved in the upgrade of existing buildings built around 1919 in reviewing options that give the best payback against energy and carbon dioxide emissions savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the significance and importance of urban sustainability in China and China's history of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, this paper aims to incorporate the investigation of climate change and air pollution in urban sustainability research in China through a driver-pressure-state-impact-response model. The model has 12 indices: population, enterprise, registered vehicles, energy consumption, emissions and concentrations of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, land use change, annual temperature, tropical nights and reforestation were selected. It was used in the analysis of 14 cities in the Liaoning Province. The results show that the model is an effective tool for urban sustainability research, allowing for the investigation of interactions of climate change and air pollution and contributing to the body of knowledge by aiding generation of realistic and practical measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local and urban authorities are increasingly seen as crucial in translating national and international agreements into locally applicable guidelines for the delivery of climate policy. It has been recognised that energy policy is a crucial area for bringing about emissions reductions, based on the close relationship between energy consumption and generation and greenhouse gas emissions. Against this background, this paper investigates how Barcelona and London are formulating urban planning policies that encourage the use of low-carbon and renewable energy technologies to meet the heating and electricity demands of new buildings and those undergoing major renovation. Drawing on theoretical insights from science and technology and urban studies, the paper contributes to the debate about changing patterns in urban energy provision, arguing that there are general aspects to reconfiguring energy patterns in the city, such as the technological choices involved in articulating more sustainable energy futures and socio-technical obduracies of established 'urban energy regimes'. It is recognised that place-specific features must be taken into account in the process of reorienting cities' energy trajectories onto more sustainable pathways, in particular with respect to the potential for carbon mitigation from the built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the adverse effects of global warming and climate change is a critical issue. For the past 15 years the University of East Anglia has been addressing these concerns through a multi-pronged approach using technical means of low-energy building design, installing renewable energy sources, good energy management and raising awareness. Through good energy management, the university has been able to reduce the energy consumption of already low-energy buildings by as much as 50%. A large-scale building-integrated photovoltaic (PV) array has been installed along with on-site generation of heating, cooling and electricity via a 3 MW combined heat and power (CHP) plant and, recently, an adsorption chiller. In this paper, potential improvements in a more effective utilisation of PV electricity will also be discussed, as will future plans to reduce carbon emissions by installing further sources of renewable energy. The last part of this paper focuses on the CRed (Community Carbon Reduction) Programme established in 2003 and based at the university. The CRed programme takes up this challenge through innovative and integrated ways in promoting a low carbon economy and, in particular, promoting awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is known to be a major contributor to environmental pressures due to its high energy consumption and carbon dioxide generation. The growing amount of carbon dioxide emissions over buildings' life cycles has prompted academics and professionals to initiate various studies relating to this problem. Researchers have been exploring carbon dioxide reduction methods for each phase of the building life cycle - from planning and design, materials production, materials distribution and construction process, maintenance and renovation, deconstruction and disposal, to the material reuse and recycle phase. This paper aims to present the state of the art in carbon dioxide reduction studies relating to the construction industry. Studies of carbon dioxide reduction throughout the building life cycle are reviewed and discussed, including those relating to green building design, innovative low carbon dioxide materials, green construction methods, energy efficiency schemes, life cycle energy analysis, construction waste management, reuse and recycling of materials and the cradle-to-cradle concept. The review provides building practitioners and researchers with a better understanding of carbon dioxide reduction potential and approaches worldwide. Opportunities for carbon dioxide reduction can thereby be maximised over the building life cycle by creating environmentally benign designs and using low carbon dioxide materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]