Publication: Embodied Carbon Emissions
Loading...
Date
2024
ISSN
Published
2024
Author(s)
Chen, Tao
Editor(s)
Abstract
The United Nation (UN) projects that 2.5 billion more people will live in cities by 2050, up from 4.4 billion today. Of the growing global population, most will come from the urban areas of low- and middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with Sub-Saharan African cities currently already seeing a 4.1 percent growth in population annually. African cities need to construct an estimated 56 million additional housing units to meet demand. The construction of this volume of new buildings and accompanying urban infrastructure involves significant embodied carbon emissions, i.e., emissions stemming from manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building materials. While public discourse often centers around curtailing operational emissions, for example through energy efficiency and low-carbon energy supply, embodied emissions may surpass operational emissions, depending on the project. There has been limited research comparing operational and embodied emissions at the scale of entire cities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. However, rough calculations suggest that in certain cases, embodied emissions may approach or even exceed the volume of operational emissions, for example in rapidly expanding cities with relatively low operational emissions due to mild climates, low household incomes, or renewable sources of grid electricity. This note is intended as an introduction to the subject of embodied emissions, aimed at urban decision-makers in low- and middle-income countries, including government officials, urban planners, advisors from international organizations, and others. It assesses prevailing practices within the construction industry and delves into several options to mitigate embodied emissions associated with construction. The annex also provides an overview on tools that can aid in estimating the environmental impact of various construction standards and policies.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Chen, Tao; Deuskar, Chandan. 2024. Embodied Carbon Emissions. City Climate Finance Gap Fund Technical Note. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/43086 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Existing and Potential Technologies for Carbon Emissions Reductions in the Indian Cement Industry : A Set of Technical Papers Produced for the Project 'Low Carbon Technology Road Map for the Indian Cement Industry'(Washington, DC, 2013-01)This set of technical papers was commissioned by the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) members in India. CSI is a member-led program of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The report represents the independent work of the CII - Godrej Green Business Centre (CII, Godrej GBC), a center of excellence of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB). The author of each paper is shown after its title. It aims to identify, describe and evaluate technologies, which may contribute to increased energy efficiencies and reduced greenhouse gas emissions from cement production in India today and in the longer-term. The results have been reviewed by CII, NCB, CSI member companies and stakeholders like the International Energy Agency (IEA). All papers follow the same format, outlining the current status of the technology, the impact on energy consumption, anticipated benefits from implementation, the CO? reduction potential, main parameters influencing implementation, cost estimation, and the conditions, barriers and constraints of implementation. For the more futuristic technologies, where quantification is difficult, a qualitative summary is provided instead, indicating those technologies felt to be promising for future implementation and emissions reductions potential. In these papers, only the anticipated impact on energy consumption and barriers to further development can be shown. In every paper, a range of potential thermal and electrical savings is provided; this range has been reached through consultation with technical experts. Where INR costs are indicated, approximate USD equivalent costs have also been given, using exchange rate USD 1 = INR 50.Publication Global Urban Carbon Emissions(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2022)City-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data is necessary as an input into identifying, planning, and monitoring urban climate change mitigation actions. Until recently, the availability of emissions data at the city level required the existence of a local emissions inventory, produced through painstaking local data collection. These inventories use different methodologies and urban boundary definitions, and are available for different years, making comparison or trend analysis across cities difficult. However, academic researchers and international organizations have used modeling techniques and proxy data from various sources to estimate city-level emissions globally. As a result, data sets are now available that estimate emissions, by sector, for thousands of cities worldwide.Publication Viability of Current and Emerging Technologies for Domestic Solid Waste Treatment and Disposal : Implications on Dioxin and Furan Emissions(Washington, DC, 2011-05)This study was undertaken to identify and assess the technologies available worldwide for treatment and disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW), and to make a general assessment of the applicability of these technologies to various waste management 'settings' within the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Region. Each technology was evaluated for a number of key attributes, including demonstrated commercial viability, economics, institutional factors, sustainability metrics, and environmental attributes, including emissions of dioxins and furans. The study focused on the waste treatment technologies that have been commercially demonstrated worldwide; however, selected alternative and emerging technologies were also considered. After profiling the available waste management technologies, an assessment was then made of the general applicability of these technologies to various characteristic settings found within the LAC region. Technology applicability assessment at specific locations within the LAC region will require detailed, site-specific evaluation. Such site specific evaluations of applicable technologies would be the subject of subsequent studies.Publication Carbon Crediting and Urban Climate Change Mitigation(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023)Approximately 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are generated through consumption in urban areas, which means that decarbonization of cities is essential to limit climate change to 1.5 to 2 °C. While per capita emissions in low- and middle-income countries remain low so far, prompt action is needed to ensure that cities in these countries remain on a low-carbon pathway, before rapid urbanization and increases in consumption lock in high emissions for decades. Technically feasible actions can cut up to 90% of emissions in cities globally between now and 2050. However, the infrastructure investments necessary to do this would cost USD 1.8 trillion each year, by one estimate.Publication Brazil Low Carbon Case Study : Waste(Washington, DC, 2010)This report synthesis the findings for the waste sector of a broader study, the Brazil low carbon study, which was undertaken by the World Bank in its initiative to support Brazil's integrated effort towards reducing national and global emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) while promoting long term development. The purpose of the present report is to assist in the preparation of public policy proposals regarding GHG emissions and the additional financial resources necessary. The main purpose of the scenarios is to provide an evaluation of the GHG emissions arising from the different approaches and methods for treating waste and to ensure that important environmental aspects are taken into account when key decisions are being made on the waste treatment technologies to be applied in Brazil. The World Bank and covers four key areas with large potential for low-carbon options: 1) Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF), including deforestation; 2) transport systems; 3) energy production and use, particularly electricity, oil and gas and bio-fuels; and 4) solid and liquid urban waste.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
No results found.