Buildings play a huge role in carbon emissions and resource use, presenting a significant obstacle to reaching Net Zero targets. The CircularB Project aims to address this, focusing on circular solutions for both new and existing buildings.
A paper published today in Nature delves into the challenges and opportunities in implementing circular economy concepts for existing buildings in Europe, which make up over 90% of building assets.
The study, based on extensive literature review and stakeholder interviews, identifies financial incentives and governmental enforcement as major obstacles across Europe. Harmonized actions and policies, led by the European Commission and national governments, are crucial to overcoming these barriers.
Existing buildings mostly focus on energy efficiency, but circular practices are less established. Circular economy needs to be seen as a business strategy, not just waste management. However, uncertainties around material reuse hinder progress, leading to downcycling and resource losses.
Efforts to minimize energy consumption in buildings are crucial, with EU directives targeting nearly zero-energy buildings. Yet, renovation rates remain low, posing a risk to net zero goals. The European Green Deal aims to accelerate the transition to circular practices, creating green jobs and boosting economic competitiveness.
Existing building stocks face challenges in adopting circular practices due to complex decision-making processes and varied service lives. Unlike new buildings, interventions in existing stocks require personalized approaches and careful stakeholder management.
Initiatives like COHERENO, REFURB, RENERGY, and LOCARBO have addressed barriers to renovation and energy efficiency, but challenges persist. Demand-driven renovation, reliable energy performance data, and stakeholder partnerships are crucial for success.
Achieving circularity and energy efficiency in building projects requires demonstrating success and aligning stakeholder efforts. However, the long design process and diverse actors involved pose challenges, calling for better collaboration and streamlined processes.
While implementing circular economy in existing buildings is complex, it’s essential for meeting sustainability goals. Coordinated efforts, innovative solutions, and stakeholder engagement are key to overcoming barriers and creating a more sustainable built environment in Europe.
Source
Comparisons of stakeholders’ influences, inter-relationships, and obstacles for circular economy implementation on existing building sectors, Nature, 2024-05-14
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