Abstract

Low-carbon (LC) cities are the cities that people long for today. LC environmental protection plays a very important role in people’s health. The construction of a city in LC is a great cause that contributes to the present and benefits the future. In this study, we propose a development and sustainability evaluation system for building low-carbon cities based on the Internet of Things (IoT). The study is novel in that it considers key areas such as urban planning, environmental issues and solutions, and how the Internet of Things can optimize low-carbon logistics and smart grids, with the aim of promoting the formation of low-carbon city models. This comprehensive approach not only presents problems and solutions in low-carbon urban planning but also focuses on how the Internet of Things can be used as a key technology to promote low-carbon urban development. The urban development of LC was constructed with a sustainable evaluation system, so that people could experience the life of LC. Through the investigation of the degree of atmospheric pollution of LC cities using the Internet of Things, this article found that the highest degree of atmospheric pollution was 30. The highest degree of atmospheric pollution in cities in LC without IoT was 53. The severity of water pollution in cities in LC using IoT technology ranged from 10 to 25, while those without IoT ranged from 30 to 60. The degree of soil pollution in LC cities using IoT technology was concentrated in 10–۳۰, while those without using IoT were concentrated in 30–۵۰٫ Through these experimental data, it could be seen that IoT technology could reduce environmental pollution, thus achieving the effect of LC cities. This shows that the use of IoT technology in LC cities was highly feasible.

Introduction

LC cities are currently a prominent topic of discussion and delight the imaginations of people around the world. The concept of LC cities, short for “Low-Carbon” cities, has gradually gained traction among the populace. People harbor a deep yearning for the LC lifestyle, envisioning medium-sized cities that are environmentally friendly and pristine, capable of fostering both health and happiness. Consequently, there is an ongoing surge in scholarly endeavors aimed at comprehensively understanding LC cities.

As public interest in LC cities continues to increase, so does the volume of research dedicated to unraveling their intricacies. Liu C, for instance, espoused the view that LC policies are not merely geared towards fostering economic development, but also towards mitigating the impacts of climate change. He posited that LC policies foster a symbiotic relationship between economic industrial structures and foreign investments, thus achieving mutually beneficial growth. Despite the promotion of regional innovation by LC policies, Liu cautioned that innovation might not produce immediate results [1]. Similarly, Xin L stated that the promotion of green and LC development has become a global consensus, but lamented the dearth of studies exploring the scientific nuances and repercussions of LC development [2]. Chen L, on the other hand, emphasized that the primary environmental challenge lies in carbon emissions arising from urbanization. He advocated for stringent measures to curb the growth of urban carbon emissions as part of experimental policies aimed at achieving carbon neutrality [3]. Colenbrander S shed light on the prevalent misconception that LC development is inherently more expensive than high-carbon development, a belief that often hampers opportunities for sustainable growth, especially in resource-constrained environments [4]. It is posited that integrating LC city construction with the Internet of Things (IoT) could potentially catalyze more comprehensive LC development, thereby fostering cities’ transformation towards greater sustainability.

Conclusions

With the increasing severity of pollution, people gradually began to pay attention to the development of LC, which can reduce environmental pollution and bring health to people. As a new technology, the IoT can play a very good role in the construction of LC cities. Cities become intelligent and can reduce many unnecessary pollutants, thus achieving the effect of reducing pollution. This paper studied the development of LC cities based on IoT, in hopes of improving the construction of LC cities through IoT technology. This paper tested the air pollution level, water pollution level, and soil pollution level of LC cities using the IoT technology and without the IoT technology. From the experimental data, it could be seen that the level of air pollution level, water pollution level, and soil pollution level after using IoT technology were lower than those without using IoT technology, which proved that the IoT technology was suitable for the LC development of cities and could reduce pollution. Due to the length of this paper, the experiments and discussions on LC cities were still insufficient and would be improved in the future. Finally, it was hoped that the LC of the city could develop better and better and that people could lead a life that was environmentally friendly and LC.