3:21 min.
The German Habitat Forum came to an end today with the "Berlin Recommendations". Thomas Silberhorn, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and Gunther Adler, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, handed over the "Berlin Recommendations". the recommendations to the Secretary General of the Habitat III Conference, Joan Clos. The "Berlin Recommendations" are intended as a contribution to the new urban development agenda that the United Nations intends to adopt at the third World Human Settlements Summit in Quito, Ecuador, in October.
Thomas Silberhorn: "Decisions made by today's urban planners will shape the way we live together in cities for decades to come. That is why we have to set the right course now. Our meeting in Berlin has shown: Sustainable urban development is not possible without innovative ideas, partnership, networked thinking and action. The key role is played by local actors - a powerful municipal administration, non-governmental organisations, business and science, and citizens.
More than 1,000 urban development experts, municipal representatives and personalities from politics, business, science and civil society from all over the world had spent two days at the German Habitat Forum developing recommendations on how to shape a liveable future in cities. Sustainable urban development combines many aspects: urban climate and environmental protection, social balance, safety and quality of life for all citizens. For this, according to the recommendations, cities and municipalities must be even more strongly recognised, empowered and financially equipped as central development actors at national and international level.
A final preparatory conference for the Habitat Summit will take place in Surabaya, Indonesia, at the end of July. Based on the principles "Liveable cities - cities capable of action - integrated urban solutions", Germany will there support the negotiations of the New Urban Agenda push forward.
You can download the "Berlin Recommendations" from the following link: www.bmz.de/berlinerempfehlungen (PDF 135 KB, English)
Source: Press release from 02.06.2016
Keywords:
SDG 2030, UN (United Nations), Environmental policy, Housing policy
Permaculture settlement "Eva Lanxmeer" in Culemborg
With 240 houses, it is the largest permaculture settlement worldwide. Construction time: 1994 to 2009. E.V.A. stands for the name of the group "Ecologisch Centrum voor Educatie, Voorlichting en Advies".
Info: http://sdg21.eu/db/eva-lanxmeer-in-culemborg
Photo gallery: https://siedlungen.eu/galerien/fotogalerie-culemborg
"Stad van de Zon" in Heerhugowaard
With 2,900 flats on 123 ha of building land, the settlement is the largest sustainable settlement in the world. The total area with park and water areas covers 177 ha. The photovoltaic system on the roofs has a capacity of 3.75 MW. Another PV system with 1.25 MW, as well as three wind turbines on the site are the active components of the CO2-neutral energy supply. Car-free zone. Planning: Ashok Bhalotra of urban design bureau KuiperCompagnons, Rotterdam. Partner of the European Sun Cities project.
Photo gallery: https://siedlungen.eu/galerien/fotogalerie-2017-heerhugowaard
Harbour Land West and East in Amsterdam
Project Info: http://sdg21.eu/db/haveneiland-in-amsterdam
Photo gallery: https://siedlungen.eu/galerien/fotogalerie-2017-haveneiland
Amsterdam Westerpark
With 600 residential units as a contiguous settlement, the largest settlement for cyclists in the world. The residents organise their everyday life without their own car. This saves the construction and operating costs of the expensive underground car park and it enables the use of the open spaces for purposes other than parking private cars, which do not drive to over 90% but take up space.
Photo gallery: https://siedlungen.eu/galerien/fotogalerie-2017-gwl-terrein-amsterdam-westerpark
Amersfoort Nieuwland
At the end of the 90s, the world's largest PV system on a housing estate with 1 MWpeak Power
Photo gallery: https://siedlungen.eu/galerien/fotogalerie-2017-amersfoort-nieuwland
Keywords:
News Blog Europe (without DE), News Blog Netherlands, Settlements, sdg21 news
Since February 2017, the houses of Chiemgauer Holzhaus have been awarded the RAL quality mark GZ 425. The solid wood houses achieve a GWP (Global Warming Potential) value of less than zero in their carbon footprint. This was tested by the "Gütegemeinschaft CO2 neutrale Bauwerke in Holz e.V.".
Taking into account all the necessary materials, such as concrete foundation, roof tiles, glass windows, etc., this means in the case of a solid wood house with approx. 150 m² of living space an CO2 reduction capacity of approx. 23,000 kg!
By comparison, a conventionally built house with bricks and otherwise the same conditions pollutes the environment with 24,000 kg of CO2. (Source: www.chiemgauer-holzhaus.de/
Certification of CO2 neutral solid wood buildings
Every building generates a verifiable "Global Warming Potential" (GWP) during the production of the building materials and during construction, which is primarily caused by the energy consumption during production. The aim of the new quality association is to certify solid timber buildings whose manufacturing energy balance has a GWP value of less than zero. This means that a manufactured solid wood building is at least CO2 neutral, or even has a CO2-reducing effect. For this purpose, the "German Institute for Quality Assurance and Labelling" (RAL) approved the "Quality Mark CO2 Reducing Wooden Structures" in 2015, which is awarded by the "Quality Association CO2 Neutral Structures in Wood". The quality mark has a modular structure and currently includes Part A of the EPDs as a component and basis. As soon as further European-recognised and standardised product indicators are available up to the disposal of a material, the quality mark will be extended with the same criteria in order to ensure a holistic view.
The basis of the "Quality mark for CO2-reducing timber structures" is timber from sustainable forestry. The more wood is used in construction and the more trees are replanted accordingly, the greater the CO2 reduction in our climate, both in the short and long term. The prerequisite for the award of the quality mark is the calculation and documentation of the EPDs as well as external monitoring according to the strict criteria of RAL.
INFOS:
Quality Association for CO2-neutral Buildings in Wood e.V., Munich
Internet: www.wood-co2.eu
RAL Guideline (June 2015): www.wood-co2.eu/file/co2-senkende-holzbauwerke-guetesicherung-ral-gz-425_cf941.pdf
Keywords:
DE-News, Wood construction, Climate protection, Certification & Labels, Life cycle assessment
What makes a sustainable university? Sustainability Council and 50 university administrations, employees and students are developing a sustainability code for universities. The test phase of the beta version of the university code will start in autumn. In autumn 2014, the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) held a stakeholder conference on "From Pilot to Standard: Implementing Sustainability in Research, Teaching and Operations" to discuss the implications [...]
www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.de/...der-nachhaltigkeitskodex-geht-jetzt-an-die-hochschulen
Keywords:
DE-News, University
