Three Ways Expo 2020 Is Set To Boost Innovation Around Sustainable Urban Development
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Three Ways Expo 2020 Is Set To Boost Innovation Around Sustainable Urban Development
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By Saniya Fatima, Research Analyst, Botho Emerging Markets Group
October 17, 2021
Urban development has been a crucial cornerstone for policymakers looking to achieve sustainability goals. Currently, 55 percent of the world's population lives in cities, with that percentage anticipated to rise to 68 percent by 2050. As Expo 2020 focuses on urban development and planning as one of its key thematic areas, it is critical to recognize the efforts made by country pavilions as well as private companies to boost the environmental efficiency and sustainability of urban planning and development solutions. Whilst Expo 2020 will showcase a multitude of innovations from across the world, here are three ways in which urban planning solutions will boost urban sustainability across the globe:
Sustainable And Digital Construction Offers Cost and Environment Efficiency Potential
The construction industry is the cornerstone of urban development, providing the necessary infrastructure to lay the foundation of urban cities. It is also responsible for 36 percent of global energy consumption and 40 percent of CO2 emissions, making it a critical player for achieving environmental sustainability. In light of this, policymakers have long rooted for sustainability-driven innovation in the field of construction. Sustainable construction focuses on using recyclable construction materials, deploying carbon-efficient energy systems, and reducing wastage, thus reducing costs and carbon footprints. The Expo 2020 itself has pushed this ethos, imbibing the long-term recyclability of its own construction site. Country pavilions including Spain, Luxembourg, and Austria have deployed a circular economy model in the construction of their pavilion, showcasing innovative ways to recycle their pavilion post Expo. Private sector companies, like the Estonian firm UKU Pure Earth, will also be exhibiting their organic construction materials.
This drive for sustainability has been further bolstered by the fourth industrial revolution, as the country pavilions and private sector firms showcase the innovative deployment of artificial intelligence, 3D scanning, data analytics, etc. for efficient infrastructural planning. Estonia’s digital construction cluster, for example, offers tailored solutions to reduce cost and carbon footprint across the construction lifecycle. Previously, Finland’s smart city forum, part of their pre-Expo build-up, has also drawn attention to smart elevator mechanisms using people flow analytics integrating data solutions for smarter infrastructure. These smart urban solutions operationalize sustainable mechanisms into one of the most laggard and carbon-intensive industries.
Technological Innovations To Drive Urban Mobility
Mobility solutions and the fossil-fuel-driven transport systems connecting urban communities play a major role in the climate change challenge. Reports suggest that the transportation sector contributes to 29 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, calling for continued public and private sector innovations. This Expo 2020, private firms are set to push the needle for mobility innovations. The event’s mobility partner, Nissan looks to showcase its vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology through its V2G mainstay Nissan Leaf, unlocking new opportunities for energy trading and smart energy management. V2G technology unlocks the energy stored in electric vehicle batteries so that households and fleets can support the grid when demand peaks. The technology promises to make the best possible use of the household’s supply of self-generated solar power, relieve the public power grid and at the same time reduce the operating costs of the electric vehicle. Beyond personal mobility, companies like Modern Mobility, part of Estonia’s ICT Cluster, also offer digital solutions that optimize mass transport systems and efficiently connect urban and rural households.
Innovative Water Solutions To Promote Resource Sustainability In Arid Regions
Water is a critical and increasingly scarce resource for sustainable urban development. In light of this, both emerging, as well as developed markets, have advocated for policies and practices that conserve water advocating for its efficient usage. Expo 2020 will showcase creative ways of repurposing traditional methods for water conservation alongside new innovations and emerging markets like Malaysia and Peru have led this charge. While Malaysia’s alternative water management system SPAH is set to showcase water conservation for urban countries using innovative rooftop rainwater harvesting systems. Peru will look back on ancestral techniques of preserving water in reservoirs or qochas – and show their effectiveness today.
Beyond conservation, innovative water harvesting techniques will play a crucial part in Expo 2020 too. Netherland’s pavilion, for instance, will exhibit its technology that absorbs moisture from air showcasing an illustration of how 800 liters can be generated every day out of desert air. Private firms like Desolenator too are set to leave their mark at this Expo. Desolenator, a company recognized by the Expo 2020’s Global Innovators Program, uses a patented system that combines "waste" thermal energy with the electrical energy produced by solar panels and uses it to boil the water. The water vapor produced is then condensed in an internal heat exchanger which results in clean drinking water. These innovations are vital for water sustainability as they not only provide effective conservation and water harvesting solutions but also look to utilize clean energies.
These innovations are only a tip of the sustainability initiatives and advancements that are taking the centre stage this Expo 2020. Expo 2020 has a massive potential to push the envelope in terms of urban development as it convenes 180+ countries and their leading policymakers under one roof.
By Saniya Fatima, Research Analyst, Botho Emerging Markets Group
For more information, contact Saniya here.