"Urban living is still the world's best model for living" declared Peter Sharratt, (http://
Peter chaired a session titled 'A New Low2No Carbon Urbanism' on Day 4 of this leading global event that attracted in total more than 23,000 attendees from over 130 countries. In his opening address, Peter talked about the need to conceptualize cities and economies in a way that we've never done before: "We need to move beyond resource efficiency to eco-effectiveness."
Peter's panel comprised: Marco Steinberg, Director of Strategic Design for SITRA the Finnish Innovation Fund; Greg Acker of the Urban Planning Council in Abu Dhabi; and Che Wall, Managing Director of green building specialists WSP Lincolne Scott.
The panel used Masdar as a case study which has created new global benchmarks in sustainable development and can inform other developments and help existing cities evolve. Marco Steinberg referenced the exciting transition occurring in Helsinki with the Low2No project that aims to create demand creep. Greg Acker outlined the Estidama Programme in the region, and Che Wall positioned a carbon trading policy proposal called 'Efficient Building Scheme' which can monetize the benefits of retro-fitting existing buildings.
Peter Sharratt explored what history can teach us in determining how our future landscape can be more efficient, and also promoted the current technologies of viral networks as a way of sparking ideas and socializing concepts to drive change. He described the UAE as a 'laboratory' that can inform and guide other urban societies to adapt and evolve to a low carbon future due to it's rapid rise of population and increased temperatures, partly caused by the increasingly built environment in the region. "Nowhere builds cities to the volume of the UAE" stated Peter, who explained that this learning is also valuable to export to assist the developing world.
