Delivering practical responses Infrastructure
The role of infrastructure in climate change
Sustainable communities should always seek to embrace infrastructure solutions. The existence and design of infrastructure affects the greenhouse gas emissions associated with a building or settlement and how well communities can adapt to climate change.
Design and delivery must be achieved at the earliest stages. Any initiative should be future-proofed for a long life. In this section we will begin to look at solutions for:
- Transport
- Energy
- Green space
- Water
Transport infrastructure
Road transport currently accounts for 22% of the UK’s CO2 emissions, with air transport contributing a further 3%. The Environment Agency predicts that road transport will grow by a further 33% in the next 20 years.
The provision of the following types of solutions can help encourage more sustainable movement patterns:
- Green travel plans (the strategic and most holistic approach)
- Cycle lanes on the road network and cyclist facilities at all destinations (e.g. storage, shower rooms, clothing storage and ironing services)
- Attractive, secure, permeable pedestrian routes
- Regular, reliable, accessible, safe and comfortable public transport services
- Restricted car parking
- Car pool facilities
Examples of innovative transportation solutions including: Brighton's tricycle courier service; Sweden's biogas train; and Dongtan's integrated transport solutions, can be found on the websites of the Sustainable Development Commission and the Urban Design Compendium.
Energy infrastructure
According to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (2006; formerly DTI) coal, oil and natural gas account for 71.8% of electricity generation. In contrast to this, renewable energy accounts for around 5% of electricity generation and around 2% of total energy generation.
Decentralised or local renewable and low carbon energy infrastructure can a sustainable alternative to centrally supplied energy. It provides the opportunity to achieve power generation locally for both heating and electricity, reducing CO2 emissions and achieving efficiencies in terms of distribution.
Examples of where decentralised, low carbon energy systems have been developed include the Woking Energy Services Company (pdf) and at Bo01 (pdf) in Malmo, Sweden. In the case of a system set up to service its immediate community, see the Aberdeen City Council example available on the website for the Energy Saving Trust.
Green infrastructure
Greenspace within and around settlements and buildings can significantly affect CO2 emissions and aid adaptation, for humans and wildlife, to climate change.
Examples include:
- Green roofs - can help reduce emissions and adapt to climate change by filtering CO2 out of the air, reducing the heat island effect, and reducing heating and cooling loads on a building. They can also help to increase biodiversity, improve fire resistance, noise attenuation, and storm water retention to reduce flooding.
- Vegetation as shade - trees and vegetation can provide shade over buildings, reducing the need for energy-intensive air conditioning systems.
- Urban cooling - parks and green spaces provide invaluable cooling spaces in urban environments, critical during times of increased temperatures. Green infrastructure produces cooling effects through increasing evaporative cooling and providing shaded spaces for communities to congregate in hotter periods.
- Surface runoff - green infrastructure can aid adaptation to climate change through reducing surface water runoff in comparison to many less vegetated spaces.
Water
The water industry consumes about 2% of the total energy used in the UK, generating around 4 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (Water UK).
Water-saving measures can reduce the CO2 emissions generated through water supply and treatment. In terms of adaptation, climate change is likely to result in increased water shortages in summer and increased flood risk in many areas of the UK.
Water saving can be easily incorporated into new developments or retrofitted in existing buildings.
The following provides some easy water saving ideas:
- Dual flushing systems on toilets can save up to 50% of your average flush
- Water-saving taps and showers use sensors to ensure taps are not left running
- Greywater and rainwater recycling systems use rain or waste water from sinks to water green spaces
- Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are designed to reduce flooding and pollution and can contribute to the management of flood risk. Solutions include filter strips and swales, permeable surfaces, infiltration devices and basins and ponds.
Who can help?
- Environmental specialists - Sustainable Drainage Systems, green roofs and the impact of climate change on the environment.
- Infrastructure engineers - flooding, water supply and adaptation measures.
- Transport engineers and planners - designing alternative transport systems.
- Planners - policies related to green infrastructure and developing sustainable infrastructure in an integrated fashion.
- Landscape architects - adapting urban and rural landscapes to provide sustainable green infrastructure.