CO2NSTRUCT
Modelling the role of circular economy construction value chains for a carbon-neutral Europe
The construction sector is one of the world’s largest consumers of energy and raw materials. To reduce its footprint, circular construction in which materials, components, or whole building parts are recycled plays a key role in the transition to more sustainable use of natural resources.
Current tools (e.g., climate mitigation models) to evaluate the environmental impact of construction materials are most suitable for assessing linear patterns of economic activity. These tools do not account for material circularity and assess the circular economy impacts in terms of potential emission savings.
In other words, climate mitigation models are linear and/or do not have sufficient technical detail to adequately capture value chains, and feedback loops inherent to circular economy options. Embodied energy, water, and emissions are not considered while modelling climate mitigation pathways.
From linear to circular construction
The CO2NSTRUCT project aims to augment such models with circular economy measures, boosting their capability to generate and assess circular options. This will contribute to achieving the emission reduction targets set by policymakers and evaluate the circular economy’s impact on greenhouse gas abatement.
The CO2NSTRUCT project focuses on six pervasive carbon-intensive materials: cement, steel, brick, glass, wood, and insulation materials. We need extensive data on the impacts of the extraction of raw materials, logistic, transformation, and consumer industries covering the whole life cycle of these materials.
