The Doughnut for Urban Development:Manual, Appendix and Database

With the Doughnut for Urban Development we are using doughnut economics as a model for urban development and construction for the first time. Doughnut Economics has previously been used with great success globally and for urban strategies ranging from Amsterdam to Copenhagen.We have developed the Manual to provide the entire industry with a practical tool to evaluate the sustainability of their projects and what they can do to make them even more sustainable. The manual embraces both social and planetary sustainability and incorporates both local and global dimensions.The Doughnut for Urban Development is an open-source project and all the following resources can be downloaded for free:- The Manual- A scientific Appendix providing background for the Manual- A Database of impact areas used in the manual- A tool to assess a project's biodiversity impacts throughout its life cycl

Absolute sustainable CO2-limits for buildings should reflect their function. A case study of four building typologies

Absolute sustainability gains increasing attention in the building industry. Absolute climate limits is often expressed in kg CO2-eq/m2/yr. This type of threshold has one main problem; it is specified per area, which rewards larger buildings regardless of the need that they fulfill. This way of setting climate limits may thus lead to increased future impacts from buildings. The purpose of this study is developing principles for differentiated CO2-limits for buildings, that reflect the importance of the function that the building delivers to its users. We use the Fulfillment of Human Needs sharing principle building on a sufficientarian ethical norm. The method was demonstrated on four buildings; residential, university, hospital and kindergarten, and guidance is given on how to apply the method for any building typology. This study should be seen as demonstration of a concept for determining different CO2-limits for different building typologies

Framework for selecting and setting boundaries for social sustainability indicators in a life cycle perspective

The historical consumption of natural resources to fulfil the demands of the growing population have resulted in severe environmental degradation. Therefore, understanding the role of fulfilment of human needs and the social aspect of sustainability is crucial in the transition towards more sustainable societies. We present a methodological framework for a social sustainability assessment that includes a full life cycle perspective and is based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The framework comprehends operationalisation of the social aspects of the SDGs and includes means/tools to achieve the environmental targets through a six-step guide. A demonstration of the method’s application is given by applying the six-step framework to a case study: the Danish building sector focusing on SDGs 3 Good health and well-being, 7 Affordable and clean energy, 8 Decent work and economic growth, 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure, 10 Reduced inequalities and 11 Sustainable cities and communities, 12 Responsible consumption and production, 13 Climate action and 15 Life on land. The final social indicators and the associated targets indicate in which areas a building is absolute social sustainable and in which areas the social performance falls short. The developed framework supports an informed and transparent selection of relevant social indicators across the life cycle while setting objective absolute targets