How to reduce the construction sector’s climate - and environmental impact is a topic that many discuss and look for solutions to. This year’s Climate Forum emphasized this fact, as more than 300 stakeholders signed up for the yearly Nordic Climate Forum for Construction with discussions between policymakers and stakeholders from industry and academia.
Working towards increased alignment
The Nordic ministers decided in 2018 that harmonization of the building regulation in the Nordics should be strengthened. This led to the first Nordic Climate forum for Construction in 2019 in Malmö, which became the starting point of an effort towards Nordic harmonization for low carbon emissions from construction.
Since then, the Nordic countries have come much further on their journey towards carbon neutrality, introducing regulation for low carbon construction and towards setting limit values. All subjects that, together with digitalisation, were discussed and compared at this year’s Climate Forum.
EU policies for low-carbon construction
Representatives from DG Energy, DG Environment and DG GROW presented the progress towards a whole life carbon neutral building stock, but also the path towards a green, digital and resilient and circular transition of construction. A path which they invited stakeholders to join and give input to.
Nordic experience with implementing low carbon regulation
Several Nordic countries are in the process of introducing climate declarations and some also limit values into their regulation. Approaches, experiences and challenges were discussed and elaborated on. All countries see opportunities and challenges, but there is an openness to share knowledge, discuss, and evaluate jointly and the industry is also pushing for change.
How to get the data we need?
Furthermore, digitalisation and BIM-modelling was a focal point of discussion where the new standard on Data Templates for the use of EPD’s for construction products in BIM (ISO 22057) was presented followed by the practical examples of the Norwegian Boligprodusentene on how to implement the standard.
Nordic collaborations to strength sustainable and circular construction
The Forum finished with presentations of Nordic Sustainable Construction and Nordic Network for Circular Construction, which are two Nordic programmes working in depth with some of the identified barriers, which we need to overcome to minimise the environmental and climate impact from the housing and construction sector.
Please find all presentations and the recording from the Forum here