From Nearly Zero Energy to Carbon-Neutral: Case Study of a Hospitality Building

Abstract

In recent years, many cities around the world have pledged to upgrade their building stocks to carbon-neutral. However, the literature does not yet provide a shared definition of carbon-neutral building (CNB), and the assessment objectives and methodological approaches are vague and fragmented. Starting from the available standards and scientific literature on life cycle assessment (LCA), this paper advances an operational definition for CNB on the basis of an explicit calculation approach. It then applies the definition to an urban case study, comparing it against a state-of-the-art nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) scenario, with the intent of highlighting the major practical limitations connected to the application of a methodologically sound carbon neutrality calculation. The case study shows that carbon neutral objectives can hardly be achieved by single urban buildings because of the lack of spaces that can provide onsite carbon offsetting actions. Carbon neutrality may be better approached at the city, regional, or national scales, where overarching policies may be defined.

Understanding the Use of Carbon Credits by Companies: A Review of the Defining Elements of Corporate Climate Claims

“…In a similar spirit, the paper by Helmers, Chang, and Dauwels [ 86 ] assesses, compares and discusses the claimed climate impact of twenty universities worldwide. Three articles zoom in on climate claims in the building sector: Causone, Tatti, and Alongi [ 87 ] advance a definition of carbon neutral buildings and identify related challenges; Shubbar et al. [ 88 ] compare carbon offsetting to other carbon management strategies available for buildings; and McArthur [ 89 ] adopts a multidimensional perspective to propose that carbon neutral buildings may ventilate above current code minima by offsetting GHG emissions.…”

“…In this context, carbon neutrality claims typically refer to a certain amount of product, service, or operational GHG emissions that has been offset or compensated through carbon credits issued on voluntary carbon markets. [ 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 ] In contrast to net‐zero claims, the use of carbon credits for carbon neutrality claims is typically done without a clear link to a global climate mitigation target, broader company climate strategy or within supply‐chain abatement efforts— [ 86 , 87 ] although the degree to which this is the case varies (see, e.g., Baxter [ 85 ] ).…”

“…In turn, carbon neutrality claims typically communicate that a product, service or company has a “neutral” impact on the global carbon emission levels, a feat often achieved through a substantial reliance on the use of carbon credits for offsetting purposes. [ 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 ] While carbon neutrality as an overarching concept refers to the global balance of emissions and removals, [ 113 ] corporates tend to use a weaker definition of carbon neutrality [ 113 ] that links the emissions of a company or specific products and services to emission reductions certified by voluntary carbon market programs. Given their reliance on carbon credits—and in light of their failure to incentivize a move away from business as usual and toward global net zero emissions—companies that use carbon neutral claims should inform stakeholders of i) how they define carbon neutrality and how they seek to achieve such neutrality and ii) how the carbon neutrality claim fits into the company's Paris‐aligned decarbonization pathway.…”

“…[7] claims typically refer to a certain amount of product, service, or operational GHG emissions that has been offset or compensated through carbon credits issued on voluntary carbon markets. [85][86][87][88] In contrast to net-zero claims, the use of carbon credits for carbon neutrality claims is typically done without a clear link to a global climate mitigation target, broader company climate strategy or within supply-chain abatement efforts- [86,87] although the degree to which this is the case varies (see, e.g., Baxter [85] ). Dawson, Dargusch, and Hill's [24] empirical account of insurance firm Allianz-which claims to have achieved carbon neutrality in 2012 and has committed to becoming net zero by 2050-further elucidates this distinction in how carbon neutral and net zero are often used by companies.…”

A comprehensive review of Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) for Improved Efficiency

“…The BEMS integrates with renewable energy sources, energy-efficient lighting, and smart building technologies to minimize energy consumption and carbon footprint. As a result, The Crystal has achieved LEED Platinum certification and serves as a model for sustainable building design (Causone, Tatti & Alongi, 2021, Omrany, 2021, Ward, et. al., 2019).…”