Building Policy Research Articles

Using Horizon Scanning to Build Policy Resilience: Case of Waste Crime

ABSTRACTWaste crime is a pressing concern for the waste and resource industry as it is undermining investment, growth and jobs within the industry and threatening the natural environment. However, there is little knowledge of the scale of the problem, the types of criminality and motivations involved, and the precise nature of crime. Environmental regulators are building foresight capabilities to better understand the effect of current and future changes in markets, in technology and in the legislative environment on waste crime and associated behaviours. At the heart of this paper is the question: how can horizon scanning be adopted by environmental regulators to shape decision processes and build resilience to waste crime? We report our efforts to build a toolkit and guidance for conducting horizon scanning, aimed at supporting environmental regulators, investigators and intelligence analysts to build an understanding of—and interpretation of the consequences of—behavioural, market, technological and pollution trends in the waste sector. A review of the academic and grey literature provided insights to organisational approaches and design principles for public sector horizon scanning. Outputs guided discussion at a stakeholder workshop with waste regulators, criminal intelligence and industry professionals to explore institutional challenges and to agree broad design principles for a horizon scanning process. The toolkit supports environmental regulators in applying horizon scanning to policy and wider operational and delivery‐focused challenges; learning how to: (1) spot weak signals and emerging trends quickly, (2) examine the evidence around potential threats and opportunities for the future, and (3) take action on strategically important issues to minimise the impact of crime on the environment, society and business. The paper sets out further research needed to integrate horizon scanning with data analytics (e.g., predictive and hotspot analyses) to challenge assumptions about the patterns of change, based largely on historical trends, and to better manage these so there is greater adaptability to current and future trends.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Nearly Zero-Carbon Office Buildings in Taiwan

The formulation of an affordable and economically-feasible policy for nearly zero-carbon building design is a challenge that countries encounter in promoting net-zero building. In 2022, Taiwan promulgated Building Energy Rating System (BERS), the world's first building energy efficiency assessment system tailored for subtropical climates, as a basis for evaluating its goal of achieving nearly zero-carbon buildings by 2050. However, whether this nearly zero-carbon building policy is financially feasible has remained unknown to the government and the industry. To address the issue, the objective of the paper is to conduct a cost-benefit and payback period analysis of newly constructed nearly zero-carbon office buildings in accordance with the Building Energy-efficiency Rating System for New Buildings (BERSn) assessment framework, and thereby examines the financial affordability and feasibility of Taiwan's net-zero building policies.Firstly, this study introduces existing building energy performance evaluation methods in Europe, America, and Japan, and explains the methodology of Taiwan's Building Energy Rating System (BERS). The paper then reviews international Cost-Benefit Analyses of Nearly Zero Energy Office Buildings and parallelly conducts a Cost-Benefit Analysis of Nearly Zero-Carbon Office Buildings in Taiwan. Following the BERS methodology, this paper identifies the baseline efficiency level and the Nearly Zero-Carbon Building (NZCB) efficiency level, along with their associated solutions and investment costs, for air conditioning and lighting systems. In this study, a questionnaire survey of 28 experts identifies the air conditioning unit costs of Basic Mechanical Equipment Efficiency (BME) and energy-saving control technologies (R) for energy-efficient design of Fan Coil Unit (FCU), Air Handling Unit (AHU), and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system. Accordingly, 33 air conditioning design solutions and their corresponding construction costs complying with the BERSn requirements of EAC≦0.5 for nearly-zero carbon office buildings are identified. Regarding the nearly zero-carbon lighting design, the simulations reveal that the use of LED panel luminaires or T8 LED luminaires (including those with energy-saving labels) can achieve an average operational lighting illuminance of 500 LUX and the BERSn requirements of EL ≤ 0.5 for lighting. Finally, the study further analyzes the payback period and premium cost ratio of NZCB by employing the budget data of seven building projects. The analysis shows that the premium cost ratio and the payback period of NZCB range from 1.33%-1.50% and 6.4-7.7 years, respectively. The results demonstrate that while a higher budget is commonly associated with NZCB by the public, it is in fact economically and technologically feasible to realize NZCB with prevailing energy-efficient measures.

Health burden and costs attributed to the carbon footprint of health systems in the European Union

Abstract Background Health systems have an environmental impact of around 4.6% of global emissions, contributing to aggravating the climate crisis. However, the health impact of the carbon emissions originated by health systems is not regularly assessed. We aim to estimate the health burden and associated costs of the carbon footprint of health systems across the European Union (EU). Methods We calculated DALYs and associated costs based on human health damage factors (DALYs/kg-CO2e) by considering four scenarios. Three scenarios for shared socioeconomic pathways (S1 - high growth, S2 - baseline, and S3 - low growth) represented variations of global society, demographics, and economics until 2100. A fourth scenario (S4) considered the current EU’s 55% reduction goal of greenhouse gas emissions. The healthcare sector’s emissions per capita (in CO2-equivalent) in 2019 were extracted from the Lancet Countdown, and population data were retrieved from Eurostat for the same year. Results In the EU, 365,047 DALYs (95%CI: 194,692-535,403) are expected to be caused by health systems’ emissions at baseline (S2). In an S1 scenario, the burden would slightly decrease to 315,374 DALYs (95%CI: 170,355-462,393), whereas a S3 scenario would increase 486,730 DALYs (95%CI: 243,365-681,422). If EU’s carbon goals are met, the burden could be substantially reduced to 164,271 DALYs (95%CI: 87,611-240,931). The monetisation of DALYs can result in costs amounting to 25.6 billion euros. Conclusions CO2 emissions from health systems are expected to significantly impact human health. It is therefore of the utmost importance to ensure that EU climate policies for healthcare buildings are in line with the Paris Agreement. This will require the implementation of climate mitigation programmes within the health sector and a review of clinical practices at the local level. Key messages • The carbon footprint of health systems is estimated to significantly impact health, with high economic burden. • EU climate policies for healthcare buildings and procurement must be aligned with the Paris Agreement.

The Challenges and Opportunities of NEP-2020 in the Reference of Inclusive Education in India: An Overview

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 provides a transformative vision for India's education system by emphasizing inclusive education and offering equal learning opportunities for children from varied socio economic, cultural and ability backgrounds. This paper looks at the challenges and opportunities given by NEP 2020 for promoting inclusive education in India. Infrastructure deficiencies, insufficient teacher preparation, and social biases are major hurdles, but policy-driven changes, technological integration, and financial support mechanisms present potential. This report gives an overview of the challenges and opportunities for implementing inclusive education in light of NEP 2020. Poor infrastructure, a lack of specialized teacher training and entrenched social attitudes about disability and marginalization all impede progress. However, opportunities arise as a result of policy-driven efforts, growing use of information and communication technology (ICT), and financing provisions aimed at fostering more equal learning settings. The research emphasizes the need of teacher capacity building, community participation, and long-term policy commitment in overcoming these challenges and realizing NEP 2020's inclusive vision. According to the findings, successful policy implementation requires stakeholder engagement to establish a more inclusive and easier to able education system in India.

Identifying the Layout of Retrofitted Rainwater Harvesting Systems with Passive Release for the Dual Purposes of Water Supply and Stormwater Management in Northern Taiwan

Due to its unique climate and geography, Taiwan experiences abundant rainfall but still faces significant water scarcity. As a result, rainwater harvesting systems (RWHSs) have been recognized as potential water resources within both water legal and green building policies. However, the effects of climate change—manifested in more frequent extreme rainfall events and uneven rainfall distribution—have heightened the risks of both droughts and floods. This underscores the need to retrofit existing RWHSs to function as stormwater management tools and water supply sources. In Taiwan, the use of simple and cost-effective passive release systems is particularly suitable for such retrofits. Four key considerations are central to designing passive release RWHSs: the type of discharge outlet, the size of the outlet, the location of the outlet, and the system’s operational strategy. This study analyzes three commonly used outlet types—namely, the orifice, short stub fitting, and drainage pipe. Their respective discharge flow formulas and design charts have been developed and compared. To determine the appropriate outlet size, design storms with 2-, 5-, and 10-year return periods in the Taipei area were utilized to examine three different representative buildings. Selected combinations of outlet diameters and five different outlet locations were assessed. Additionally, probably hazardous rainfall events between 2014 and 2023 were used to verify the results obtained from the design storm analysis. Based on these analyses, the short stub fitting outlet type with a 15 mm outlet diameter was selected and verified. For determining the suitable discharge outlet location, a three-step process is recommended. First, the average annual water supply reliability for different scenarios and outlet locations in each representative building is calculated. Using this information, the maximum allowable decline in water supply reliability and the corresponding outlet location can be identified for each scenario. Second, break-even points between average annual water supply and regulated stormwater release curves, as well as the corresponding outlet locations, are identified. Finally, incremental analyses of average annual water supply and regulated stormwater release curves are conducted to determine the suitable outlet location for each scenario and representative building. For the representative detached house (DH), scenario 2, which designates 50% of the tank’s volume as detention space (i.e., the discharge outlet located halfway up the tank), and scenario 3, which designates 75% (i.e., the discharge outlet at one-quarter of the tank height), are the most suitable options. For the four-story building (FSB), the outlet located at one-quarter of the tank’s height is suitable for both scenarios 2 and 3. For the eight-story building (ESB), scenario 2, with the outlet at one-quarter of the tank’s height, and scenario 3, with the outlet at the lowest point on the tank’s side, are preferred. The framework developed in this study provides drainage designers with a systematic method for determining the key parameters in passive-release RWHS design at the household scale.

Factors Affecting the Adoption of E-HRM Practices in Public Service Organizations in Tanzania: A Case Study of the Tanzania Judicial Service Commission Headquarters

The scanty understanding on the factors affecting the adoption of e-HRM practices among public service organizations in Tanzania posed a rationale of undertaking this study. The study took place at the Judicial Service Commission of Tanzania. This study sought to address three specific objectives; to assess HRM practices which are under e-HRM, factors influencing the adoption of e-HRM practices and challenges facing the adoption of e-HRM practices in the study area. This study was guided by innovation adoption theory. The study used descriptive case-study research design with a mix of qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Simple random sampling was used to sample 77 respondents out of 96 employees who constitute the target population from the study area. Data collection was done through interview and questionnaire methods where contents analysis and descriptive statistics analysis were used in data analysis. The study findings revealed seven HRM practices in the study area are under e-HRM namely planning, recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisal, compensation, health related, safety and labour relations practices. The study findings further revealed social, economic and institutional factors as the major factors influencing the adoption of e-HRM practices in the study area. This study concluded inadequate ICT skills among employees, competent ICT experts, financial resources, e-HRM practices awareness, capacity building programs, supportive laws and policies as the major challenges facing the adoption of e-HRM practices. The study further concludes the e-HRM having strong contribution to the entire organizational performance. In the view of the revealed study findings, the study hereby recommends to the public service organizations to conduct routine capacity building programs for creating awareness and strengthening the adoption of e-HRM practices in the organizational undertakings.

Evaluation of Coastal Management in the Municipality of Paulista/PE in the Light of the Decalogue

Brazil adopts Integrated Coastal Management as a way of protecting coastal environments through sustainable use and through the National Coastal Management Plan – PNGC structures actions directed at coastal areas, guaranteeing municipalities a prominent position in the integrative process. The structuring of the legal and institutional framework does not remove the picture of degradation borne by coastal cities, which have problems with sanitation, erosion and reduction of biodiversity. The general objective of this article is to analyze the Coastal Management process adopted by the municipality of Paulista, Pernambuco, in order to provide subsidies for institutionalization and sustainable governance. The methodology was structured in two parts. The first part used the Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) dataset available free of charge MapBiomas collection 6. The second part used the methodology proposed by Barragán in the “Decalogue for the Management of Coastal Areas”, where the 10 indicators are analyzed fundamental to evaluate actions related to coastal management. The methodology was adapted to include the mapping of the use and occupation of the municipality's coastal area over a period of 36 (thirty-six) years. The results of the analysis of land use and occupancy indicate a steady growth in anthropized areas from 1986 until the end of the 1990s, stabilizing with few changes. After an increase, there was a new stabilization between 2006 and 2012, followed by a notable growth in 2013–2014 and a subsequent period with less pronounced increments until the year 2021. Regarding the matrix analysis, there is a greater advancement in aspects related to Knowledge and Information, Normative and Competencies, whereas items such as Training and Capacity Building, Resources, and Public Policies require better strategic definitions by the municipality. As for the results of the matrix analysis, they reveal the need for the implementation of impact mitigation measures, the strengthening of oversight and monitoring, the development of strategies for climate change adaptation, the promotion of environmental education, and the fostering of scientific research in coastal areas. Finally, there is a suggestion for the continuous evaluation and correction of actions related to coastal and marine areas of the municipality, as well as the use of scientific evidence in decision-making.

The Spatial Patterns and Building Policies of Rural Settlements in the Context of Demolition: The Case of Xian’an, China

In China, the “land-restructuring” policy provides balanced land for urban settlements that is strictly limited in expansion. Therefore, reassessing and adjusting the layout of rural settlements is of great practical significance for promoting rural revitalization. In this paper, taking Xian’an district in Hubei Province as an example, we use the weighted rank-sum ratio comprehensive evaluation method and spatial association analysis method to analyze the development level and spatial pattern of settlements. The results show that: (1) The development level of settlements in Xian’an shows obvious spatial differences, with a spatial pattern of ‘high in the core–low in the periphery’ and ‘high in the northwest–low in the southeast’, which is the result of the combined effect of natural geographical conditions and socioeconomic conditions; (2) The comprehensive development level of settlements, evaluated based on four major indicators—population size, resource endowment, spatial characteristics, and material construction—reveals the presence of cluster effects, distance decay effects, administrative hierarchy effects, and “long board” effects; (3) Within village communities, settlements with significantly high levels and settlements with significantly low levels have a similar geographic distribution and mosaic spatial patterns. Lastly, based on the overall development level and spatial association patterns of settlements, this article presents possible options for governmental settlement governance from the standpoint of rural building management.

Preservation of Historical Buildings through the Lens of International Law

Historical buildings deserve preservation not only for their aesthetic features but also as guardians of cultural and spiritual values. This is now acknowledged by several international law norms. Nonetheless, the legal discourse about their preservation carries a set of problematic implications because it is hard to adopt regulations that combine protection, promotion and valorisation with economic investments and market strategies and with everyday urban life. This is particularly evident with regard to immovables located within historical cities or towns whose economy depends on marketing the cultural identity, authenticity and history of the place to outsiders. This paper highlights the approach adopted by the most relevant international legal instruments which focus on the protection of what belongs to the historical city’s cultural heritage as being of crucial significance for individuals and communities in relation to their cultural identity. In this perspective, the safeguard of historical buildings can be linked to the right of access to and enjoyment of cultural heritage: a specific human right recognized under international law. The issue at stake is how to comply with principles and rules of international law while at the same time respond to the needs of modern life and economy. This paper identifies the rules and principles of international law that have gained legal relevance and can provide valid tools to states and local administrations to implement and fulfil protectionist policies for historical buildings.

A Study on the Impact of China’s Prefabricated Building Policy on the Carbon Reduction Benefits of China’s Construction Industry Based on a Difference-in-Differences Method

The construction industry is a significant contributor to carbon emissions in China. To effectively meet the “dual carbon” targets, several provincial regions within the country started to implement policies promoting prefabricated buildings. This study examines data from 18 provinces in China over the period from 2012 to 2021, treating the introduction of prefabricated building policies as a quasi-natural experiment. Utilizing the difference-in-differences methodology, this research assesses the impact of these policies on the carbon emission performance of China’s construction sector and evaluates the robustness of the findings. The results indicate that the prefabricated building policies positively influenced the carbon emission efficiency of the construction industry. Specifically, these policies enhance carbon emission efficiency by increasing labor productivity, optimizing the allocation of mechanical resources, and improving the utilization rate of building materials. Additionally, the effectiveness of these policies is positively correlated with the level of regional technological innovation, environmental protection efforts, and the advancement of energy structure optimization. The study concludes with several policy recommendations aimed at further enhancing the effectiveness of prefabricated building policies.

Looking beyond energy efficiency targets: Life cycle sustainability of mechanical and water heating equipment in Canadian homes

The building sector's impacts on climate are widely acknowledged, leading to policies and standards promoting energy-efficient buildings. In order to achieve sustainability in a holistic sense, the environmental, social, and economic impacts of equipment used in buildings need to be evaluated. In this regard, a novel decision support framework is introduced to evaluate the heating and cooling equipment in single-family detached homes. Energy simulation, life cycle environmental, social, and economic analyses, and a multi-criteria decision-making method are used to identify the most sustainable set of equipment. This framework is demonstrated through its application on mechanical and water heating equipment in three existing residential buildings of varying energy efficiencies (low, medium, and high, the latter being net-zero home) over a 50-year study period.The results indicate that the carbon footprint of a natural gas furnace is six times higher than that of other equipment. In contrast, the drain water heat recovery unit showed the lowest impacts attributed to lower material and energy usage. For most equipment, the product stage accounted for more than 50% of the total impacts. When grouped, the equipment in the low-efficiency home showed the highest environmental impacts, while the equipment in the medium-efficiency home had higher social and economic impacts. Overall, the equipment set in a net-zero home is the best choice under equal, pro-social, and pro-economic scenarios and only lags behind the equipment set in a medium-efficiency home for pro-environmental scenario. The work will help improve sustainable building policies beyond immediate energy and operational cost savings.

On the role of building use and operational strategy in integrating ice storage systems: an economic perspective

Ice thermal energy storage has been widely used in different types of building to manage cooling peak loads. In the present study, technical and economic feasibility studies have been performed to evaluate the effect of building use and storage strategy on integrating ice storage. Four different building uses, namely residential, office, educational, and commercial; and nine storage strategies are investigated. For each building type and storage strategy, the hourly cooling load is simulated for a typical day in each month. The appropriate cooling system is then selected and analyzed in terms of energy consumption. The additional capital required to install ice storage and the potential savings obtained by shifting the cooling load from peak to off-peak hours using this installation are estimated to assess the economic feasibility of integrating the storage system. The results show that although the energy consumption in systems with ice storage is generally higher than that in a conventional system, the annual energy costs can be up to about 50 % lower with appropriate storage strategies, albeit at the expense of a higher initial investment. It is also shown that building use and storage strategy significantly impact the economic feasibility of integrating ice storage into building cooling systems. Comparing four building types, the use of an ice storage system in residential buildings is much less economical due to the presence of 24-h cooling loads, so the payback period assuming an electricity tariff of 20¢ and considering the best storage strategy is more than 7 years, which is 62, 66 and 73 months more than the payback period for the office, commercial and educational buildings, respectively. Therefore, implementing different policies for residential and non-residential buildings is recommended to encourage the use of cold storage systems in the building sector.

Ventilation and Public Health: A Fraught History.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a vigorous public health discussion has arisen over indoor air quality and ventilation. In popular press articles, bestselling books, and the US Environmental Protection Agency's recently announced Clean Air in Buildings Challenge, scholars and policy experts have claimed that improved ventilation systems can lead to better productivity and performance. By reevaluating those claims in light of the history of public health in Great Britain and the United States, we found that better ventilation has frequently been proposed as a cost-effective and nonintrusive means of improving health in institutions experiencing structural and environmental public health problems. Furthermore, our examination of efforts to provide ventilation for enslaved people, incarcerated people, and the urban poor revealed a consistent lack of government regulation and a disassociation of air quality concerns from broader environmental, social, and economic realities. By continuing to ignore these broader contexts, current ventilation efforts risk repeating this pattern. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(8):798-804. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307670).

Unaffordable, untrustworthy, or unnecessary? Reasons for foregoing building, home contents, and comprehensive car insurance in disaster‐prone Australia

AbstractIn Australia, building, home contents, and comprehensive car insurance facilitate the accumulation of assets associated with rational, responsible citizenship while promising protection in case of events such as fire, flooding, car accident, or theft. Yet many Australians lack these insurance products, risking exposure to devastating financial losses when disaster strikes. This article compares the findings of online surveys of insured and uninsured Australians and explores the factors driving some to forego insurance coverage. Our findings show that inability to afford premiums is a major driver of noninsurance in Australia, particularly for people with low levels of disposable income and assets, or those living in areas affected by rising disaster risk. Yet the decision to forego insurance is also influenced by attitudes to financial matters. Australians who forego insurance have lower levels of trust in insurance and are less likely to consider themselves under a social obligation to be insured. However, contrary to portrayals of the uninsured as risk‐takers, the decision to forego coverage does not appear to be driven by lesser risk aversion among uninsured Australians relative to those who do purchase building, home contents, and comprehensive car insurance policies.

Educating national cultural values for students from perspective building and developing cultural

Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, the goal and driving force of national development. Culture is important in forming human personality, national identity, and character. Culture is identified as one of the factors that play a decisive role in the strength and position of each country and nation. Therefore, building and developing Vietnam’s culture in response to the need for sustainable development of the country is one of the most important tasks of the Vietnam revolution today. Building the right cultural policy will help promote cultural development and is significant for cultural value education for today’s students. To clarify the policy of building and developing national culture and its role in educating national cultural values students, a qualitative study was conducted; at the same time, a survey was conducted with 175 people including policymakers, managers, lecturers and students at universities. Based on the results achieved, this study proposes solutions for policy development as well as future educational measures.

Benchmarking building energy consumption for space heating using an empirical Bayesian approach with urban-scale energy model

Calibration of an urban-scale building energy model is crucial for advancing building energy efficiency codes and policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions whereas the accuracy of the model is challenged by performance gaps resulting from sparse data and uncertainties in modeling. An empirical Bayesian (EB) approach, incorporated a probability-based mixed-effects energy model and Monte Carlo Markov chain simulation, was developed to predict and benchmark building energy use intensity (EUI) for space heating, using the metering data of 2020 stochastically sampled district heating substations from a municipal utility database. The limitations, implementations and performances of different modeling strategy, including EB as well as Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE), Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) and Fully Bayes (FB) were compared. The results show that EB strategy achieved superior prediction performance than other strategies on the novel test dataset. The preparation, calibration, and validation efforts for implementing the EB approach were demonstrated. The proposed methodology is recommended as a robust approach for benchmarking urban-scale building EUI, distinguished from other machine learning approaches by requiring fewer training samples, better interpreting uncertainties in the data used, and exhibiting superior generalization capabilities. The proposed methodology was successfully demonstrated through the urban-scale benchmarking of space heating EUI in Beijing.

China's green building revolution: Path to sustainable urban futures

This paper critically examines the significant strides China has made toward sustainable urban development, emphasizing the evolution of green building practices since 2015. Through a detailed analysis of green building policies under China's 13th and 14th Five-Year Plans, as well as the General Code for Building Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Utilization, this study highlights the progressive integration of sustainability in construction. Notable advancements include the implementation of stringent energy efficiency standards and the incorporation of renewable energy technologies, which have collectively shifted the paradigm of architectural practices in urban China. Moreover, the paper draws upon several case studies, such as the Shanghai Chenghuaxinyuan Project and Mini Sky City, to illustrate the tangible outcomes and the effectiveness of these policies in real-world settings. These examples not only demonstrate significant reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions but also reflect the scalability and replicability of such initiatives in other urban contexts. Key findings suggest that China's proactive policy landscape has catalyzed a national movement towards environmentally responsible construction, setting a global benchmark for sustainable urban development. The paper argues that these policy-driven initiatives have important implications for practitioners, who are encouraged to adopt innovative construction technologies and sustainable practices. For policymakers, the study underscores the necessity of continuous support for research and development in green technology, coupled with robust regulatory frameworks to sustain momentum in the green building sector. Finally, the paper offers comprehensive recommendations aimed at enhancing the efficacy and adoption of green building practices, proposing that future policy directions should focus on integrating smart city technologies to further optimize energy use and urban sustainability.

Health burden and costs attributable to the carbon footprint of the health sector in the European Union

BackgroundThe healthcare sector has an environmental impact of around 4.6% of global CO2 emissions, contributing to aggravating the climate crisis. However, the impact of the health sector’s emissions on human health is not regularly assessed. We aim to estimate the health burden and associated costs of the health sector’s carbon footprint within the European Union (EU). MethodsWe calculated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and associated costs based on human health damage factors (DALYs/kg-CO2e) by considering four scenarios. Three scenarios for shared socioeconomic pathways (S1 – high growth, S2 − baseline, and S3 − low growth) represented variations of global society, demographics, and economics until 2100. A fourth scenario (S4) considered the current EU’s 55% reduction goal of greenhouse gas emissions. The healthcare sector’s emissions per capita (in CO2-equivalent) in 2019 were extracted from the Lancet Countdown, and population data were retrieved from Eurostat for the same year. ResultsIn the EU, 365,047 DALYs (95%CI: 194,692–535,403) are expected to be caused by the health sector’s emissions at baseline (S2). In an S1 scenario, the burden would slightly decrease to 316,374 DALYs (95%CI: 170,355–462,393), whereas a S3 scenario would increase 486,730 DALYs (95%CI: 243,365–681,422). If EU’s carbon goals are met, the burden could be substantially reduced to 164,271 DALYs (95%CI: 87,611–240,931). Costs can amount to 25.6 billion euros, when considering DALYs monetisation. ConclusionCO2 emissions from the health sector are expected to significantly impact human health. Therefore, it is important to ensure that EU climate policies for public buildings are in line with the Paris Agreement, increase funding for climate mitigation programs within the healthcare sector, and review clinical practices at the local level.

Analysis of the necessity of revising the building energy efficiency certificate for non-residential buildings in South Korea

The Building Energy Efficiency Certification (BEEC) program is a crucial government policy aimed at reducing building energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in numerous countries, including South Korea. This study aims to evaluate the achievable BEEC level by designing a typical building with a construction permit and analyze the appropriateness of the awarded BEEC level. We collected 327 samples of non-residential buildings from South Korea's architectural administration system and established reference building models from these samples. The buildings were categorized into four use types (office, educational, retail, or cultural) and large or small sizes. We evaluated the energy consumption of the reference buildings and assigned them a BEEC level. Retail buildings exhibited the highest energy consumption, followed by office, cultural, and educational buildings. All reference buildings had an energy consumption of less than 260 kWh/m2/yr and were awarded a BEEC level of 1 to 1++, indicating energy efficient buildings. Non-residential buildings, reflecting common design trends, achieved a BEEC level of at least level 1 without additional efforts to enhance energy efficiency. We recommend the South Korean government should revise the current BEEC rating criteria and review the certification evaluation methodology. The results of this study strongly advocate for continuous improvement of the BEEC certification system. This study is expected to enhance the effectiveness of energy efficiency policies for buildings and advance related policies.

Impact and implementation of UNESCO’s Recommendation on Open Educational Resources in academic libraries: SPARC Europe Case Study

This paper analyses the role of libraries in the development of Open Educational Resources (OER) and, more specifically, the impact and level of implementation of UNESCO’s (2019) OER Recommendation in Higher Education libraries. This study, the result of a joint undertaking between a national R&D project and SPARC Europe, is based on an online survey, disseminated amongst the European Network of Open Education Librarians (ENOEL) and uses a descriptive research methodology. The results highlight the implementation actions being taken by university libraries (n = 136) in each of the five areas of action of UNESCO’s Recommendation. We find that the main contributions are being made in the areas of capacity building and Open Education policies, but that considerable work has yet to be done in terms of promoting inclusiveness and the sustainability of OER. Thus, the full implementation of UNESCO’s recommendation requires a greater commitment on the part of librarians to joint actions undertaken via international networks and projects, as well as greater institutional commitment and the building of interdepartmental alliances.