Volume 48

Mitigating Building Carbon Emissions in High-density Cities: A Case Study of Hong Kong Xiaoyu Jin, Fu Xiao

Abstract

Countries worldwide are adopting carbon neutrality targets to address global warming challenges. High-density cities, viewed as a promising path toward a sustainable future, exhibit a unique emission pattern dominated by the building sector. Therefore, this study devised a lightweight and adaptable modeling framework to project long-term carbon emissions from building operations, outlining a decarbonization roadmap for the building sector in high-density cities, with Hong Kong as a case. Using multi-source data, the features of each district are considered, such as land planning, technology, and socioeconomic factors. The model was built and validated by data over ten years, with a mean percentage error of 5%. Results reveal that radical policies are necessary for carbon neutrality, necessitating simultaneous energy demand and supply decarbonization. Limited space for renewables in such cities makes demand-side technologies vital. Electrifying home appliances display significant carbon reduction potential. Among building types, public facilities, multi-functional commercial buildings, and private housing offer substantial reduction potential. The proposed carbon mitigation roadmap underscores the complex nature of achieving carbon neutrality in high-density cities, calling for comprehensive strategies from various sectors.

Keywords high-density cities, carbon neutrality road-mapping, mitigation technologies, multi-source data fusion