The 5 Degrees of Forced Climate Refugees: Negative carbon and positive energy eco-cycle housing solutions

Severe climate and weather events together with political conflicts linked to climate change are the most pressing driving forces for critical numbers of people to leave their homes seeking safe haven. Climate refugees are becoming the next captious challenge we will face. Temporary refugee settlements prove to have high environmental burdens given the short lifespan of the industrial materials produced with high embodied carbon that they are built with. Despite this finding, alternative natural-based low impact materials with a carbon neutral production and construction process do exist. This paper presents the outcomes of a one-year project in designing and constructing a negative carbon and positive energy eco-cycle home. The idea is to achieve a self-sufficient and low impact temporary shelter design with the lowest carbon emissions during construction and after demolition. The design complies with
premium passive house standards and was constructed in an experimental urban living lab for proof of concept. The house is now under monitoring to evaluate its performance. The project was carried out in Sweden, but the methodology could be applied in other climatic contexts.