The planet with a heart
logo is used to show that projects have an approved Sustainability
Action Plan and aim to meet tough One Planet Living targets. 
The world's first sustainable
city will begin construction in
Abu Dhabi later this year
© Foster & Associates
On
January 8th 2008 eco-community experts BioRegional, WWF, and the government
of Abu Dhabi launched a “Sustainability Action Plan” to
deliver the world’s greenest city – Masdar City.
Masdar City will be the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste,
car-free city. BioRegional has led the development of an ambitious
Sustainability Action Plan aiming to enable One Planet Living®
at Masdar, in association with developers Mubadala, their Foster &
Partners – led masterplanning team and WWF UAE.
Masdar has been benchmarked against the global network of One
Planet Living Communities being developed by BioRegional with
developer partners. “One Planet Living™”
is a global initiative launched by WWF and BioRegional based on 10
unique principles of sustainability.
Through the “One Planet Living Communities” programme,
BioRegional and WWF UAE will work with Masdar to ensure the city meets
the highest
standards of sustainability, including specific targets for the city’s
ecological footprint. Masdar City’s ambitious plans aim to exceed
baseline criteria of the programme, making it a global benchmark for
sustainable living.
Housed in six-square kilometres, Masdar City’s electricity and
cooling will be provided by renewable energy generated on site. Water
consumption will be reduced by over 50% compared to the Abu Dhabi
baseline. Landscaping within the site will be irrigated with grey
water and treated waste water produced by the city’s water treatment
plant. Ground breaks for the
construction of the city in 2008.
The
city is part of the Masdar Initiative, Abu Dhabi’s multi-faceted,
multi-billion dollar investment in the exploration, development
and commercialisation of future energy sources and clean technology
solutions. A model of the Masdar City will be unveiled on January
21, at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.
Pooran Desai OBE, co-founder of BioRegional and Technical Director
of the One
Planet Living Communities programme, said Masdar would be the largest
and one of the most advanced sustainable communities in the world.
“The vision of One Planet
Living is a world where people everywhere can lead happy, healthy
lives within their fair share of the Earth’s resources. Masdar
gives us a breathtaking insight into this positive, alternative
future.
BioRegional are working with
developers across the globe to deliver One Planet Living and we
have been extremely impressed by the commitment of Mubadala and
the Foster & Partners-led design team to deliver a true global
flagship project at Masdar.
“In realising the goal
of a sustainable future, Masdar will strive to achieve benchmarks
set by the One Planet Living Programme’s Ten Guiding Principles,
covering issues that range from how waste is dealt with to the energy
performance of the buildings.”
Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud, Director
of WWF International’s One Planet Living initiative, said,
”Today Abu Dhabi is embarking on a journey to become the
global capital of the renewable energy revolution. Abu Dhabi is
the first hydrobarbon-producing nation to have taken such a significant
step towards sustainable living.
Masdar is an example of the paradigm shift that is needed. The strategic
vision of the Abu Dhabi government is a case study in global leadership.
We hope that Masdar City will prove that sustainable living can
be affordable and attractive in all aspects of human living –
from businesses and manufacturing facilities to universities and
private homes.”
Dr. Sultan al Jaber, CEO of the
Masdar Initiative, said, “Masdar City will question conventional
patterns of urban development, and set new benchmarks for sustainability
and green design – the students, faculty and businesses located
in Masdar City will not only be able to witness innovation first-hand,
but they will actually be able to participate in its development.”
“We are pleased to be
able to work with One Planet Living to make our vision a reality,”
he said.
BioRegional are working with Stockholm
Environment Institute to develop a range of Ecological Footprint
scenarios for the Masdar City. WWF and the Global Footprint Network
are also working with the government of Abu Dhabi to improve ecological
footprint accounting and develop strategies for footprint reduction.
Last updated 23rd
April 2008
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