Carbon-neutral neighborhoods proving to be effective climate policy

Creating carbon-neutral neighborhoods is increasingly seen as an effective way to tackle climate change that will stand the test of time.

Neighborhoods that embark on ambitious projects to reduce carbon emissions, such as Heidelberg, Germany’s Bahnstadt district, can reap huge energy efficiency benefits that will pay off for many years. Bahnstadt, housing 6,500 residents, has become a model for sustainable urban living. Every building is designed to stringent energy efficiency standards, with the average building using 80% less energy for heating than buildings in other districts in Heidelberg.

In addition to well-insulated structures, the community’s infrastructure includes more than 3,000 smart meters tracking energy usage, and two-thirds of rooftops are covered with greenery to reduce urban heat and manage stormwater. Once these features are in place, they provide benefits for many decades and will not be dependent on changing political policies or funding ups and downs.

In the U.S., the Bryant community of Ann Arbor, Mich., a working-class community of 262 single-family homes, is aiming to be the country’s first carbon-neutral neighborhood. Prior to the launch of a transformational project a few years ago, many houses had poor insulation, with utility bills consuming up to 30% of residents’ incomes.

Using local and federal grants, the city embarked on a program to upgrade insulation, replace windows, install solar panels, and introduce geothermal energy systems. A community center was turned into a learning lab for residents to understand how to use the new technologies and hear from early adopters on how much they saved on energy bills, helping to win over skeptical residents.

Thus far, the program has facilitated upgrades for 40 homes, with 30 more households on deck. It also secured enough funding for work on 100 additional homes in the neighborhood.