Sustainable Built Environment Features Towards Climate Change Mitigation: Systematic Review
Abstract
Climate change represents one of the most urgent global challenges, threatening environmental stability and human well-being worldwide. The built environment, which encompasses infrastructure such as buildings, transportation systems, drainage networks, power grids, and communication facilities, plays a pivotal role in contributing to this crisis through its significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and resource consumption. This paper presented a comprehensive qualitative systematic literature review (SLR) which studied recent research on how built environment features and sustainable practices such as the use of green building materials, biophilic design principles, integration of renewable energy technologies, efficient waste management systems, and the deployment of smart and intelligent technologies can effectively mitigate climate change impacts. Drawing from authoritative peer-reviewed journals indexed in major academic databases, including Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Springer, and Web of Science, the study highlighted potentials of these strategies to reduce GHG emissions, promote low-carbon development, and foster resilient, climate-adaptive communities. Moreover, the study underscored the critical importance of transition toward a sustainable built environment to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). To realize this transformative shift, this paper advocated for targeted investments in material science and construction innovation, the integration of climate-responsive design principles in planning and development processes, the provision of incentives or tax benefits to stakeholders, adopting renewable energy systems and recycled or low-carbon building materials, the implementation of robust awareness programs, promotion of energy efficiency and sustainable resource utilization. Collectively, these measures are vital for fostering a built environment capable of supporting global climate action and sustainable development goals.
Keywords: Built Environment, Green Building Materials, Biophilic Design, Renewable Energy Integration, Smart and Intelligent Technology, Waste Management System, Climate Change Mitigation
