The net-zero target is now a daily companion in all our decisions. Numerous PropTech solutions have left the pilot-phase and are scaling up. Nevertheless, every portfolio will still have residual emissions to be compensated, hence turning negative emissions, with a regenerative effect, into the new economic driver.
Improvements in existing buildings and CO2 neutrality in new ones is not enough to achieve our goals. It is worth considering two additional aspects: regeneration and sufficiency. We already know that to achieve the 1.5 target, besides avoiding further emissions, it will be essential to develop projects that bind free CO2 in a positive sense. This is precisely where the greatest opportunity lies, where technologies that permanently bind emissions, such as carbon capture materials, could become an export hit and boost our manufacturing economy as climate tech solutions.
Using efficiency potential means producing the same but with fewer resources and lower emissions. Think of the smart thermostats (i.e. Rysta), which save up to 25% of the energy requirement at the same comfort temperature by incorporating weather data, controlling ventilation behavior, etc. However, a major problem with efficiency is the rebound effect, i.e. the fact that resource savings are eaten up by increased consumption. One example is the decreasing heating demand per m² since 1990 due to better insulation and system efficiency, that is constantly overcompensated by the increasing demand for living-space per capita.
This brings us to circular economy, which is a lever of consistency. Consistency means that we produce differently, in a closed cycle without waste and where everything is recycled. The use of renewable energies (i.e. EINHUNDERTEnergie´s model of solar tenant electricity) or “crade-to-cradle” construction projects are good examples of this.
Sufficiency therefore comes only into play as accompanying measure. Sufficiency means consuming and producing less. It sounds at first like a major obstacle to economic growth, but it doesn’t have to be. We are already seeing numerous good sufficiency measures, such as co-working and home-office concepts that reduce the space need for offices, co-living offers that reduce the m2 per resident by integrating communal areas and, last but not least, switching from cars to cargo bikes.
The same applies to regeneration. Regeneration means creating areas that actively absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Examples include orchards in city gardens, green roofs, and urban farming in backyards. Some will say it’s all been done before, but so far, they have tended to be individual pilots and amateur projects, rather than part of a holistic portfolio and systematic implementation.
