Land Use for Energy Conservation and Sustainable Development: A New Path Toward Climate Change Mitigation

Abstract

According to the most conservative United States Bureau of Census estimates, our population will increase by over 100 million by mid-century. 2 In order to accommodate this growth, as much as sixty-six percent of the development on the ground in 2050 will be built between now and then. 3 The construction and operation of buildings as well as the VMT for daily work, errands, and pleasure will account for a large percentage of the energy needs by mid-century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its "Fourth Assessment Report" on climate change in 2007. 4 According to this document, global temperatures and sea levels have risen dramatically. 5 In the IPCC's words, these changes are "very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic [greenhouse gas] (GHG) concentrations," as global GHG emissions have risen "70% between 1970 and 2004."6 C02 specifically composed 77% of total anthropogenic GHG emissions in 2004, resulting in 38 gigatonnes (Gt) of C02 being released into the atmosphere. 7 As of 2009, CO 2 represents 83% of the total GHG emissions in the Unit-2.

Land use and energy nexus

“…The main concern of EE is to reduce the required amount of energy for producing goods and services. The most efficient way of achieving energy efficiency in the built environment can be obtained through means of land use planning with a view to lowering energy requirements and consumption is by reducing VMT [20], [76]. Sustainable development and energy conservation can be achieved through reducing vehicle miles travelled using a variety of methods, including mixed-use development, urban block development, and encouraging transport-oriented development.…”

“…The main aim of energy efficiency is to diminish the amount of energy required for producing goods and services [19]. The tools and techniques of land use have impressive potential to reduce a community's energy consumption and are also required for improving the economy and mitigating climate change [20]. Hence, this chapter focuses on the nexus between land use and energy.…”

Dissertation: Zukunftsf�hige Energienutzung in �sterreich. Beitr�ge �ber die Transformation zu einem nachhaltigen Energiesystem

“…Raumplanung legt fest, welches Land wie genutzt werden kann und wie diese Nutzung organisiert wird und hat somit entscheidenden Einfluss darauf, welche Auswirkungen die Nutzung von Land hat (Nolon, 2011). In den Umweltwissenschaften wiederum stehen die Auswirkungen der Energieproduktion auf die Landnutzung im Mittelpunkt .…”

Towards a Sustainable Spatial Organization of the Energy System: Backcasting Experiences from Austria

“…However, the different sides of this relationship are discussed in different communities whereas a common and integrated discussion focusing on inter-linkages is hard to find. The impacts of energy production on land use are well discussed within the environmental community [9] while the effects of land use, in particular of residential areas, are the focus of the land planning community [10]. The increasing demand for renewable energy sources has given further prominence to the intertwined relationship and it prompts a multidimensional discourse including economic, organizational and social concerns.…”