WOW! A Zero carbon city!
Abu Dhabi has a project underway to create the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste city. And since the plan was announced, an initiative at the Penang Global City Centre in Malaysia was launched to challenge Abu Dhabi’s claim to be the first zero carbon city in the world.
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
The Masdar Initiative (”source” in Arabic) was launched in Abu Dhabi by the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to create a city that will be car-free and powered by renewable energy, with services digitally managed and a compact network of streets to encourage walking.
Surrounding land will contain wind, photovoltaic farms, research fields and plantations intended to make the city entirely self-sustaining.
This is really impressive because the UAE is the fourth largest OPEC oil producer and one of the highest per capita emitters of greenhouse gas emissions in the world.
They will be constructing buildings with environmentally sustainable materials and technologies, and having a high enough ratio of green spaces to neutralise the built-up area. Planners envisage a city that employs alternative energy and mass recycling programs, with residents driving electric cars.
Apparently the design for the Penang Global City Centre (PGCC) was launched this week by Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. So it is a competition.
Here is an example for us all!
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