Authors: Andrea Gabaldon-Moreno, David Bjelland, Giovanna Pallotta, Alberto Belda-González, Danijela Šijačić, Silvia Soutullo, Emanuela Giancola, Saeed Ranjbar, Beril Alpagut, Ursula Eicker
Journal: Sustainability 2026, 18, 2050
Status: published
Publication date: 17 February 2026
Abstract:
Decarbonisation of urban areas is essential to reaching climate neutrality, as cities house half the global population and account for over 70% of carbon emissions. However, applying innovative approaches, such as establishing positive energy districts (PEDs), remains challenging due to stakeholder engagement and funding constraints, largely driven by knowledge gaps and a lack of best practices. This study examines barriers, facilitators and lessons learnt from six case studies in Europe, Canada and Singapore through a mixed-methods approach, including stakeholder interviews, grey literature analysis and a semi-structured review. Findings highlight district heating networks, heat pumps and photovoltaics as key technologies, with regional variations. While Mediterranean regions prioritise solar energy, northern climates employ a diverse range of solutions, including geothermal and seasonal storage. Political commitment and funding enable progress, whereas regulatory gaps and stakeholder misalignment hinder it. The study underscores the need for sharing best practices to enable PED implementation.