Green buildings, leaky pavement and trees could help cities meet net zero carbon emissions: study

Dozens of cities in Europe could reach net zero carbon emissions within the next 10 years by incorporating nature into their urban infrastructure, according to new research.

Dozens of cities in Europe could reach net zero carbon emissions within the next 10 years by incorporating nature into their urban infrastructure, according to new research.

A recent study published by researchers from Sweden, the U.S. and China in the scientific journal Nature Climate Change shows how 54 European cities could reduce carbon emissions by an average of 17.4 per cent using nature-based solutions like parks, streetscaping and rooftop gardens.

The key to these and other solutions included in the study is that they can do more than just capture carbon emissions.

“Nature-based solutions not only offset a proportion of a city’s emissions, but can contribute to reduction in emissions and resource consumption too,” Zahra Kalantari, co-author and associate professor of water and environmental engineering at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, said in a media release.

For example, urban parks, green space and trees promote more walking, cycling and other environmentally-positive habits.

Other examples of nature-based solutions Kalantari and her co-authors studied include urban farming, permeable pavements which enable rainwater absorption into the ground, narrower roads with more greenery and trees and wildlife habitat preservation.

The research team studied data from previous studies on the effects of these solutions and found that by combining them, cities can sequester carbon, encourage low impact land use and travel, offset city and transportation carbon emissions, capture air pollutants, regulate temperature, increase access to green space and reduce the heat island effect associated with urban areas.