Built Environment and Climate City Contract
From the greenhouse gas emissions caused by activities in our city (electricity, fuels, waste), 50% are due to human actions in buildings (heating and electricity). Adding to this the roads (and other covered surfaces) that absorb solar radiation, contributing to local overheating and all the consequences this has on the economy, health, and our daily lives, it becomes obvious that the build environment is a central field of action for the decarbonization of Lemesos.
Significant actions for this are foreseen in the city’s transition plan to climate neutrality, recently certified by the European Commission, known as the “Climate City Contract”; these actions aim for three goals:
- Decrease the urban environment temperature by 3-4°C, particularly during periods and in areas where it is significantly increased (Urban Heat Islands), through interventions in open spaces (streets, sidewalks, squares, etc.). This will reduce the need for cooling and improve the quality of life in outdoor spaces.
- Enhance the energy and environmental improvement of buildings, i.e. the reduction of the energy consumed in buildings (need for cooling) through targeted innovative interventions (such as the use of so-called cool roof materials) to improve the energy efficiency of buildings beyond those centrally planned for buildings throughout Cyprus.
- The utilization of small and very small urban spaces for the production of renewable energy and its local consumption (e.g. storage, energy communities, to overcome the barrier of grid capacity).
The actions for the built environment foreseen in the Lemesos Climate City Contract, with a total budget of more than half a billion, will create a huge new market in our city. If the Municipality, in collaboration with industry professionals, involved organizations and companies, the banking sector, social partners, and citizens, handle the issue correctly—with scientific accuracy and social sensitivity—the local added value, new ‘green’ jobs, improvements in health and thermal comfort in our daily lives, cleaner atmosphere, and economic benefits will be enormous and long-lasting.
In combination with actions for the smart Lemesos of digital services, improvements in urban planning, the implementation of other Climate City Contract actions related to traffic and transportation, the port, waste reduction and sustainable management, the large intercity park of metropolitan Lemesos, and the Integrated Lemesos Development, this will lead to a modern human-friendly city where green development will have substantial meaning and benefits for everyone.
