climate measures: list climate measures planned using climateMeasures codelist and object in environment

[odscjen]

Background

This issue relates to the following CoST IDS elements proposed in the CoST IDS/OC4IDS review:

Climate measures

Climate measures

Module: Environmental and climate
Indicator: climate risk

Disclosure format

Clarify whether the project design considered climate change mitigation and/or adaptation measures,. disclosing the design demonstrating how the measures were incorporated. This can comprise, without limitation the following:

• use of lower-emission sources of energy
• use of lower-emission materials
• use of recycled and reused materials
• regenerative design
• retrofitting design
• use of carbon capture technology
• assessment of extreme weather events
• assessment of precipitation patterns
• assessment of rising temperatures
• assessment of rising sea levels
• others (explain)

And [Document]).

OC4IDS mapping

Project level: For each measure add a ClimateMeasure object to the environment.climateMeasures array, setting it’s .type according to the matching code in the open climateMeasuresType codelist and mapping the further explanation to its .description. If there is an accompanying document publish in documents, with .documentType set to 'climateMeasures’ and include a short description and/or a link to a document providing details. If the details are part of a more general document indicate the relevant section of the document using .pageStart and .pageEnd.

Proposal

Create a climateMeasure object comprising a type and description. An array of these measures will be created as climateMeasures within the new environment object (see #393). climateMeasure.type will take from an open codelist, climateMeasures.

“climateMeasures” will be added to the documentType codelist to identify accompanying documentation the publisher may have.

Research is still required to fully define the climateMeasures codelist.

Add the following fields and objects:

Path	Title	Description	Type (format)	Codelist
environment.climateMeasures	Climate measures	The measures adopted by the project to adapt to or mitigate against climate change.	array of ClimateMeasures objects	-
ClimateMeasure	Climate measure	A measure adopted by the project to adapt to or mitigate against climate change.	object	-
ClimateMeasure.type	Type	The type of climate measure, using the open climateMeasures codelist.	string	climateMeasures
ClimateMeasure.description	Description	A short description of the climate measure.		-

Add the following codes:

Codelist	Code	Title	Description
climateMeasures	TBD	TBD	Use of lower-emission sources of energy
climateMeasures	TBD	TBD	Use of lower emission material
climateMeasures	TBD	TBD	Use of recycled and/or reused materials
climateMeasures	regenerativeDesign	Regenerative design	TBD
climateMeasures	TBD	TBD	Use of carbon capture technology
climateMeasures	TBD	TBD	Assessment of extreme weather events
climateMeasures	TBD	TBD	Assessment of precipitation patterns
climateMeasures	TBD	TBD	Assessment of rising temperatures
climateMeasures	TBD	TBD	Assessment of rising sea levels
documentType	climateMeasures	Climate measures	Documentation detailing measures to be taken by the project to adapt to or mitigate against climate change.

Example

{ 
 "environment": { 
   "climateMeasures": [ 
 	{ 
   	"type": "regenerativeDesign", 
   	"description": "Regenerative design measures for the project include..." 
 	} 
   ] 
 }, 
 "documents": [ 
   { 
 	"id": "1", 
 	"documentType": "climateMeasures", 
 	"url": "http://example.com/climateMeasures.pdf" 
   } 
 ] 
} 

Sources

• WWF infrastructure - State of the practice report
• WWF KPMG Measuring sustainability in infrastructure investment
• Testing industry attitudes toward a common reporting approach for ESG data use in infrastructure investment
• Key assessment indicators for teh sustainability of infrastructure projects

cc @EvelynDinora

[odscjen]

SuRe ST01 standard

Theme E1: Climate
Criterion E1.1. Climate Change Mitigation
Mentions the following measures a project may take to reduce project related GHG emissions:

• adoption of renewable energy sources
• energy effeciency improvements
• reduction of fugitive emissions
• reduction of embodied energy
• afforestation and reduction in deforestation
• changes in project siting that reduce GHG emissions required for service delivery

Criterion E1.2 Climate Change Adaptation
Doesn't mention measures that can be taken, instead is very high level "The project shall conduct an assessment based on the best practicable available information and ensure that the project is designed and build to withstand the future climate conditions as identified by the IPCC."

[odscjen]

ENVISION framework from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastsructure
Section CR: Climate and Resilience lists credits implementers of the framework can get. From this I've extracted the following measures:

• Reduce embodied carbon of primary materials used of the life of the project (CR1.1) - includes embodied carbon due to production, transportation and replacement/repair of materials
• "The project reduces emissions through the use of best available control systems or best management practices." - refers to Air pollutant emissions, CR1.3 Enhanced
• "The project eliminates air pollutant sources in the design, chooses a non-polluting alternative," - CR1.3 Conserving/Restorative
• "Systems are in place for the ongoing monitoring of any direct sources of air pollution." CR1.3 Enhanced +
• "The project team assesses whether volatile organic compounds harmful to human health are material to the project and, if so, implement strategies to reduce their use during construction and/or within occupied spaces of the completed project." - CR1.3 Superior +
• "The project includes the direct removal of previously existing air pollutant sources, or captures and safely stores/disposes of air pollutants for a net positive impact." CR1.3 Restorative
• The project is designed/sited so as to avoid or mitigate site-related risks. CR2.1
• A comprehensive climate change vulnerability assessment is carried out. CR2.2
• A comprehensive multihazard risk and resilience assessment is carried out. CR2.3
• Project incorporates elements to increase the durability and ability to withstand hazards of the asset. Mentions ongoing monitoring and maintenance. CR2.5

Section RA: Resource allocation

• "Reduce the use of virgin natural resources and avoid sending useful materials to landfills by specifying reused materials, including structures, and material with recycled content." RA 1.2 Use recycled materials

[odscjen]

Suggestion for codes following codelist research

Codelist	Code	Title	Description
climateMeasures	embodiedEnergyReduction	Reduction of embodied energy	Measures that reduce the sum of energy required to produce, transport and repair or replace the materials used by the project.
climateMeasures	embodiedEmissionReduction	Reduction of embodied emissions	Measures that reduce the sum of emissions generated by the production, transportation and replacements or repair of materials used by the project.
climateMeasures	fugitiveEmissionReduction	Reduction of fugitive emissions	Measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants from intentional or unintentional releases, such as methane during transport of natural gas or HFC emission from refrigeration equipment.
climateMeasures	renewableEnergySources	Use of renewable energy sources	The project adopts renewable energy sources and minimizes the use of fossil fuels as an energy source.
climateMeasures	carbonCapture	Use of carbon capture technology	The project incorporates carbon capture and storage technologies.
climateMeasures	recycledMaterials	Use of recycled and/or reused materials	Measures that “reduce the use of virgin natural resources and avoid sending useful materials to landfills by specifying reused materials, including structures, and material with recycled content."
climateMeasures	regenerativeDesign	Regenerative design	The project has used a regenerative design approach. “Regenerative design is a system of technologies and strategies, based on an understanding of the inner working of ecosystems that generates designs to regenerate rather than deplete underlying life support systems and resources within socio-ecological wholes”
climateMeasures	locationAnalysis	Location analysis	An assessment of the project location has been undertaken to avoid or mitigate against site specific future climate related risks.
climateMeasures	climateRiskAnalysis	Climate risk analysis	Assessments have been carried out based on the best practicable available information to ensure the project is designed and built to withstand future climate conditions, taking into account elements including rising sea levels, rising temperatures, extreme weather events and changing precipitation patterns.
documentType	climateMeasures	Climate measures	Documentation detailing measures to be taken by the project to adapt to or mitigate against climate change.

Sources

• Fugitive emissions GRESB Performance Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Embodied energy
• recycledMaterials ENVISION RA 1.2 pg 96
• regenerativeDesign {RIBA Built for the Environment report](https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/resources-landing-page/built-for-the-environment-report#available-resources) pg 66, endnote 21
• siteAnalysis based on ENVISION CR 2.1
• climateRiskAnalysis based on SuRe E1.2 and encompassing the specified elements from the initial CoST suggested list.

Changes

• Changed items which referred to “lower” to “reduction” to better match other reporting standards which refer to reduction.
• The assessment points have been combined into a single climateRiskAnalysis point as I found no evidence that these would be separate issues but that a climate risk assessment would consider all of these things as applicable to the project. Also added an additional site specific one as this was included in both the ENVISION and SuRe standards. These are slightly different as the siting one is about avoiding or mitigating against risks but the climateRiskAnalysis is about ensuring mitigating and adapting to the risks that can’t be avoided/mitigated by choosing a different site.

cc @EvelynDinora, @jpmckinney, @mgraca-prado

[jpmckinney]

Looks good to me!

[odscjen]

@EvelynDinora @mgraca-prado and comments, clarifications or objections to the codelist codes and descriptions suggested in #402 (comment)

[EvelynDinora]

@odscjen happy with the proposal.

[mgraca-prado]

@odscjen

Just to make this consistent with the conservation measures, should we replace the word 'siting' for location in the below?

climateMeasures | sitingAnalysis | Site analysis | An assessment of the project siting has been undertaken to avoid or mitigate against site specific future climate related risks.

[odscjen]

good point @mgraca-prado I've updated that in the table above

[odscjen]

Having made that change suggested by Maria I'm moving this to Agreed