Reducing transport distances, volume and weight being transported, and using more locally and regionally sourced materials, have all been proposed as possible solutions. Knowing the amount of high-rise construction planned in Amsterdam for the next 10 years, this study modelled six different logistic scenarios, individually and in combination, to determine their effect on emissions: location of local construction hubs; transportation type; fuel type; use of bio-based building materials; modular construction; and circularity.
The resulting view was mixed and complex. For example: water transport lowers CO2 but increases N2O and PM10; circularity lowers emissions but has a higher impact locally; the use of bio-based materials increased emissions unless they were both sourced locally and were part of a circular system; using zero-emission transportation made no improvement to the overall picture unless operating locally in all situations.
In the next modelling stage, urban effects will be studied, including safety, damage to roads, and the development of local hubs. More private stakeholders will be involved, and more Living Labs will be set up.
The solution? “If you could get to a money value for the CO2 saved, you could put a costing across the entire project....it would give a sense of the [monetary] impact of the different types of scenarios.”