Eight Strategies for Implementing Zero Energy Cities for Zero Carbon Nations

A zero-carbon economy is an inevitable choice for achieving economic and ecological sustainable development. It is highly important to analyze zero-energy cities for the interest of zero-carbon nation development level scientifically and reasonably. Just over 50% of the world’s population currently lives in one. By 2050, this figure will have grown to almost 70%, and by 2080 almost 80% of the world’s then 9 billion people will be urbanized. In raw terms, that’s roughly 7.5 billion people. Over 80% of global GDP is already generated in cities. However, this magnetic appeal could hasten global disaster. Cities are the major consumers of fossil fuels, which have risen from 4% of global energy consumption in the early 1900s to over 86% at present time and contribute to 70% of the world’s greenhouse gas output.
 
Without a rethink of the city’s growth model and its relationship with carbon emissions, it will be challenging to stay under the 1.5°C of global warming target put forward by the 2015 Paris Agreement. Hence, it is necessary to reduce energy consumption in cities, and necessary steps have to be taken to make cities more environmentally sustainable.
 A zero-energy city uses renewable energy sources to meet the energy requirements. In this paper, we have carried out and created the eight strategies for implementing a zero-energy city for future sustainable cities including: green energy, green transportation, green real estate, green construction, green supply chain management, carbon sequestration, sustainable water use and human behavior. It focuses on developing a platform for a high quality of life where inhabitants can find the zero carbon footprints towards achieving zero-carbon nations.