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A new transport plan in the Irish capital aims to cut car traffic by 40%. The move is part of a broader effort to make city living more pleasant by reallocating space to walking, cycling and public transport. Felijn Jose, a Green Party councillor in Dublin, joins The Urban Report to discuss the past, present and future of the city’s sustainable urban mobility

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Households across Europe are unable to pay their energy bills, leaving occupants afraid to cook warm meals or turn on the heating in cold weather. Louise Sunderland of the Regulatory Assistance Project joins The Urban Report to discuss the measures in place to tackle energy poverty

Millions of people across Europe are stuck in energy poverty and unable to afford or access adequate warmth, cooling, lighting, and energy to power appliances. As our weather becomes more extreme due to climate change, subjecting people to freezing or overly hot temperatures in buildings can have serious health consequences, particularly for the vulnerable or elderly.

The issue of energy poverty was exacerbated in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which saw the prices of gas and oil skyrocket. Many households suddenly found that they could no longer afford their energy bills.

However, energy poverty is a systemic issue, one that was ongoing before Russian troops crossed the Ukrainian border and one which persists today. The European Union has proposed several measures to address the issue, from greenlighting subsidies for energy bills in times of crisis to making homes more energy efficient through renovations to helping people choose cleaner energy sources.

Louise Sunderland of the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) joins the Urban Report to discuss energy poverty, steps lawmakers are taking to tackle the phenomenon and what more we could do.

Interested in learning more about the topic? Read Louise Sunderland’s report for RAP on EU measures around energy poverty and check out this FORESIGHT article from Sean Carroll.

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It’s predicted that artificial intelligence and machine learning will fundamentally alter our societies in the coming decades. Rahul Chillar from Siemens Smart Infrastructure joins The Urban Report to discuss how these digital technologies can be used to cut energy usage and reduce emissions in our built environment

The impact artificial intelligence (AI) is set to have on the world has been compared to the introduction of electricity.

Commentators, technologists and engineers of all stripes believe we’re at the cusp of a technological revolution in which computer systems will be able to make decisions using human-like intelligence. This evolution could fundamentally reshape how we live and work.

This technology is already being deployed in a variety of sectors, including the built environment.

Building managers need to manage a range of processes—from heating and cooling to water and energy usage to waste management—to ensure smooth building operation.

But what if we could use AI to make buildings run more smoothly? What if our buildings could largely manage themselves by making autonomous decisions based on data analysis? And what if doing this would not just cut the costs of running a building but also lower its carbon footprint?

Engineering firm Siemens has introduced a platform that uses AI-based algorithms to make intelligent adjustments to building operations. This, Siemens says, can reduce energy consumption across the built environment.

Rahul Chillar of Siemens Smart Infrastructure joins The Urban Report to discuss the digitalisation of our building stock, the benefits and potential pitfalls of AI, and how technology can make buildings more efficient.

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Currently, around 40% of energy consumed in the EU is used in buildings, producing over a third of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.

The recently updated European Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) aims to improve these figures by making buildings less energy-intensive and more comfortable places to live and work. Its goal is to set the EU on a path to a fully decarbonised building stock by 2050.

Politically, the law faced a difficult passage, becoming a lightning rod for local fears about Brussels's power. In Italy, rumours abounded that the country’s much-cherished cultural heritage would be subject to incredibly costly renovations.

Now that the dust has settled and the law is in place, the focus has shifted from policy wrangling to implementation. Making the law a reality will require sustained political will, an array of knowledgeable construction professionals and adequate funding.

Eva Brardinelli, Buildings Policy Coordinator with Climate Action Network Europe, joins The Urban Report to discuss the next steps for the EPBD.

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While buildings aren’t particularly associated with personal health, homes and offices can have a significant impact on our well-being.

Living in a damp building prone to mould, a home with poor indoor air quality, or spending sustained periods in an uncomfortably hot office building can greatly affect occupants’ quality of life over time.

A recent analysis by VELUX and the Buildings Performance Institute Europe looked at the issue of “healthy buildings” in Europe. It found that renovating the building stock can have remarkable health benefits: occupants concentrate better, healthcare costs are lowered and negative mental health issues are improved.

Renovation also lowers buildings' climate impact, reducing energy consumption and making them more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Julie Kjestrup, Head of Policy and Thought Leadership with VELUX and President of Efficient Buildings Europe, joins the Urban Report to discuss how to make our buildings healthier, roll out EU legislation to boost building renovations and what the threat of wavering political support for the greening of our building stock means for the energy transition.

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Across Europe, Green political parties are struggling to make electoral inroads, partially due to the perception that climate measures are financially burdensome for average people.

The notion that the environmental movement is championed by the well-off, those unbothered by electricity bills, carbon pricing or the cost of clean technology, has led to a political backlash. This was observed in the recent European Parliament elections, in which the Greens lost seats to the right of the political spectrum.

Ensuring a “just transition”, in which the costs of moving to a carbon-neutral world do not fall on the most vulnerable, is seen as a means to ensure greater societal buy-in for the climate movement.

The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) has examined the just transition in eight global cities.

For two years, the IHRB investigated the impacts of built environment decarbonisation policies, including renovation programmes, retrofit subsidies and new energy-efficient buildings, determining whether these measures were alleviating inequality.

Giulio Ferrini, Head of Built Environment with the Institute for Human Rights and Business, joins The Urban Report to discuss climate action and equity in cities.

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While much of the climate transition discussion is around legislation from national capitals and supranational bodies, the bulk of these laws will be enacted at the local level. It is estimated that more than 70% of the EU’s Green Deal legislation will be implemented in cities.

City advocates have argued for years that the actions of local governments will determine if we meet our climate goals. To help them be successful, local governments must be recognised as vital actors in the climate transition and should be supported with funding, expertise, and greater autonomy, it is asserted.

This push to give cities a more prominent role in climate politics is encapsulated by the concept of “multi-level governance”.

Giorgia Rambelli, director of the Urban Transitions Mission, joins The Urban Report to discuss multi-level governance and the role of local governments in meeting climate aims.

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If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach Sean at his X account: Sean Carroll

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