Buildings and Neighborhoods Step Up to Meet the Climate Challenge in Germany

This essay abstract went to the publication team of NextGen (www.cnunextgen.org) so I may be expanding on it later.

As climate change has become a central issue to planners, designers and developers over the past year, it also makes for an interesting time to live in a country that is one of the world’s biggest proponents on climate change action. Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, speaks often about the ability to meet environmental goals while making economic progress. At the German Council for Sustainable Development conference, she noted that Germany produces 11 tons of CO2 per capita per year. Germany’s goal for 2020 is to reduce overall CO2 emissions by 40% from 1990 levels (above EUs goal of 30%). In comparison the United States produces 20 tons of CO2 per capita per year. And its federal goal right now is nonexistent. So how does Germany plan to reduce its CO2 emissions? Like any other place, that’s easier said than done.

Germany is certainly a leader when it comes to environmentally friendly building design. Solar panels are not unusual here, nor are triple-paned glass, solar shades, heat exchangers, gray water systems, green roofs, and a whole host of other technology. The most noteworthy projects are considered “special” cases that are known worldwide – such as DaimlerCrystler complex, Potsdamer Platz and the Freiburg Solar Village. Public funds with strings attached, a common part of the funding system, and more stringent regulation encourage projects to reduce their environmental impact. Despite the use of many innovative ideas throughout Germany, they still are not the default in construction.

Bringing the middle and the bottom of the building stock to the same environmental level as the top is much more difficult but plans are underway in the federal government. A current proposal is for new heating systems for all apartments in Germany. It proposes more stringent energy standards (including improving insulation in walls, roofs and windows), more power from cogeneration plants that generate both heat and electricity at the same time, and fines or penalties for the noncompliant. However, the initial cash outlay may be challenging for building owners to swallow, especially if they face long payback periods. Building owners are afraid they will have to bear most of the costs while tenants rights’ groups are afraid that rent increases of 10 percent will be difficult for low income tenants. It remains to be seen how the work will be financed and the negotiating process on this is expected to go on into 2008. This reflects the difficulty in finding a workable process, even in a nation that is trying to lead the world in climate change.

On the neighborhood scale, Germany grew up with a history of walkable neighborhoods that still remain today. However, sprawl still occurs here – just not at the level that it does in many U.S. cities. One of the newest efforts to analyze a location’s sustainability for new development is the Urban Index. Developed by Wolfgang Christian (an active CEU member), it is similar to LEED-ND. In anticipation of the World Building Council seeking to implement a system similar to LEED-ND on a national level, the Urban Index provides a solution calibrated for Europe. It is envisioned to be an advantage for project marketing and a tool that can be used by cities to evaluate the best place for a new neighborhood as it relates to the region, the neighborhood center and to ecological aspects. The Urban Index is one of many similar initiatives, so the jury is out whether or not there will be a national standard for Germany or Europe as LEED-ND is posed to become in the United States.