Net Zero is our 2050 ambition for society, but to make this a reality city must be held to a far higher standard. Our urban environments will need to become ‘carbon negative’ if we intend to mount a robust response to the climate emergency. New technologies and techniques are part of the solution. But there is another challenge.

Most of our major cities have already been built and are old. Embodied carbon means we should refrain from knocking down old buildings, but how can inefficient, dated structures play a part in the city of the future? Everything is in tension and there are very few easy wins. To make this all happen will take careful planning.

Guests

Rupert Green, Market Lead – Net Zero Energy Infrastructure, Atkins

Clare Hebbes, Director of Development, London Legacy Development Corporation

Matthew Tribe, Managing Director – Planning, Design and Engineering, SNC Lavalin

Resources

For more information on The Sustainable City in Dubai, click here and here

For more information on decarbonising buildings, click here

For some of the projects that guests in this episode have worked on, click here

And specific to the Net Zero ambitions of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Matthew Tribe co-authored this report 

Partner

Atkins, part of the SNC-Lavalin Group is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering, and project management consultancies. Employing over 18,000 people across the UK, North America, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe, Atkins utilities the latest technology to deliver major capital projects, and provide expert consultancy for clients across the energy, transportation and infrastructure sectors.

The post #184 The Future of Old Cities first appeared on Engineering Matters.