Achieving net zero neighborhoods: a case study review of circular economy initiatives for South Wales

Edwards, Jacob, Xia, Hanbing, Li, Qian Jan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0827-2134, Wells, Peter ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4376-7178, Milisavljevic-Syed, Jelena, Gallotta, Alberto and Salonitis, Konstantinos 2024. Achieving net zero neighborhoods: a case study review of circular economy initiatives for South Wales. Journal of Cleaner Production 469 , 143117. 10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.143117

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Abstract

Adopting net zero neighborhoods (NZN) combined with circular economy are increasingly recognized as an essential strategy for construction companies, allowing their transition towards sustainability and contributing to climate change mitigation. Transforming existing neighborhoods into NZN is necessary to achieve energy self-sufficiency and net zero by 2050. The success of NZN hinges on government initiatives. However, existing studies appear to lack a comprehensive exploration of the transformation initiatives within NZN, spanning aspects like raw materials, construction practices, transportation, and waste management, particularly in terms of technological advancements. To address the gap, this research introduces a conceptual framework that integrates the multiple case studies design method with an urban transformative capacity model. This innovative framework is the first application of a multi-level urban transformative capacity model in transforming existing neighborhoods into NZN within a specific region. This research specifically utilizes South Wales in the UK as a case study. It identified four key initiatives in technology, construction, transportation, and waste management. These initiatives offer significant benefits, including fostering a more sustainable and environmentally friendly construction industry through enhanced traceability and efficiency, and simultaneously promoting social sustainability by improving community engagement, providing social benefits through sharing economy initiatives, and creating new green job opportunities.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Business (Including Economics)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0959-6526
Funders:	EPSRC (Grant No. EP/V042521/1), CARBS Public Value Engagement Project
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	31 July 2024
Date of Acceptance:	9 July 2024
Last Modified:	31 Jul 2024 09:48
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/170572

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