Carbon Dioxide Reduction in Housing: Experiences in Urban Renewal Projects in the Netherlands

Abstract

It is increasingly being recognised that the housing sector can contribute to reductions in the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2). The renewal of existing residential areas offers opportunities to reduce CO2 emissions. However, technical options for CO2-reduction, such as insulation, solar energy, and combined heat and power, often fail to materialise. For a better understanding of why options for CO2-reduction are applied or rejected, it is insufficient to consider only the economic and technical features of these options themselves: factors related to planning processes play an important role as well. Experiences in urban renewal projects suggest that a combination of local process management and national top-down strategies is needed to go beyond conventional building practices.