Determining a plantation plan for optimum co2 sequestration in multi-storied multi-tenement buildings

The increasing concentration of GHG gases in the atmosphere is accelerating climate change and global warming.Urban residential buildings, which are one of the major emitters of Carbon Dioxide(CO2) gases amongst other GHGs must do something to bring about a change in emission scenario. This paper examines scope of sequestration of total operation phase CO2 emission from urban multi-tenement multi-storied residential buildings by plantation grown inside the plot.Quantitative analysis of CO2 emitted by residential buildings and CO2 sequestered by plantation grown withing the premises show that plantation in only 4% of the plot area, as per stipulation by local municipal authority, can sequester only close to 3.49% of the CO2 emitted by the building. However, detailed study ofsite plans of different existing building in Newtown with respect to use groups like driveways, paved areas, services and mandatory open green space, show that there is scope of increasing this mandatory green open space by a considerable amount. Benefits in term of CO2 sequestration from this added green open space is also quite fair.This paper also finds that assuming a scenario with increased plantation, in added green open spaces, potted plants in areas designated for other uses like paving and services, plantation in terraces, vertical gardens at select places, plants in balconies, window ledges, more indoor plants, this proportion of CO2 sequestration can be increased to as high as 40% of what is emitted by the building itself.