Will the smart city of tomorrow be sustainable?

Anne Garans, KPMG Partner, within the Sustainability Services department, helps us demystify the complexity of the sustainable smart city movement. She shares an overview of this movement and discusses the best practices to put in place to contribute to its development.

With the advent of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, drones, self-driving cars, Internet of Things (IoT) enabled devices, cities are becoming more and more connected. They promise to be more efficient thanks to their ever more innovative infrastructure, transport or ecosystems. Furthermore, in the era of “make the planet great again”, cities are gradually moving towards a model where smart meets sustainable. They tend to change, beyond simple digital aspects and technological advances.

Sustainability in the smart city

Urban areas are home to more than half of the world's population. They emit more than 70% of greenhouse gases and govern the vast majority of the global economy. This trend is expected to continue to grow according to a recent UN report. This forecasts that two out of three people will live in cities in 2050. We thus find ourselves in an unprecedented situation where urban infrastructure has become one of the most pressing challenges facing the world. Governments and stakeholders involved in this evolution will need to prioritize sustainability.

The smart city movement, in other words “smart city”, is gaining momentum both in France and worldwide. The question of sustainability within the smart city is complex and multidimensional. What does sustainability really mean for infrastructure? How to measure it? What are the main contributors and drivers of sustainability in the urban context?

The “sustainable” smart city: a movement in line with the 17 SDGs

In 2015, the 193 member states of the UN adopted a bold agenda to eradicate poverty by 2030 and pursue a sustainable future. This program is based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These deal with major societal issues that are naturally in line with the pillars of the sustainable smart city. Among others: climate change, pollution, biodiversity, equality, poverty, resources, education… Achieving the SDG objectives will not be possible without the smart city. Conversely, the smart city will only really be so if it integrates sustainable development into its foundations.

As governments commit to meeting the SDGs, key roles are emerging for society and business. According to KPMG's latest SDG Reporting Maturity study of the world's 250 largest companies, each SDG enables companies to redesign a more sustainable and inclusive ecosystem towards economic growth, prosperity and well-being. In other words, the SDGs will promote the development of sustainable smart cities. They will make it possible to live better, coexist better, consume better and participate better.

People at the heart of the sustainable smart city

Cities are inherently complex ecosystems, mixing people, transport, commerce, and connectivity. To create a sustainable smart city, it is essential that environmental impacts but also social well-being, economic vitality and the feeling of community are at the heart of the initiatives put in place to guarantee the central role of humans in the city. . It is therefore necessary to respond to the new needs of the city's "actors-consumers". Without neglecting environmental criteria through the establishment of an intelligent and sustainable ecosystem.

In terms of construction, it is a matter of rethinking the architecture of buildings so that it is more connected and equipped with functionalities allowing optimized management of resources. For example, buildings can integrate management systems including smart meters. The latter measure the consumption of electricity, water or gas controlled remotely by the final consumer.

For better energy management, there are also positive energy buildings, integrating electricity networks. The latter adjust the electrical flows according to consumption (Smart Grids), integrating the whole into a globalized and optimized energy system (Smart Networks).

Buildings can also integrate a smart heating system, remotely connected roller shutters or even smart and less energy-consuming household appliances. This is Building as a Service. This concept consists for construction companies of no longer selling a work but its present and future uses.

A smart city movement for more biodiversity

Many cities, such as Dubai or Singapore, are now committed to developing solutions that encourage biodiversity. With the aim of improving air quality, thermal and acoustic comfort in neighborhoods or multiplying green spaces by greening buildings. These cities reconcile expectations and needs by informing and empowering their citizens. Tomorrow the management of resources will be simplified, controlled and controlled by the city and its citizens. It will meet their aspirations in terms of ecology and sustainable development.

However, the challenge remains daunting. The various players must take into account the risks of data and technology saturation. This is the sine qua non condition for enabling the related development of the smart city and the sustainable city.

Author: Anne Garans, KPMG Partner, Sustainability Services Department