Future Nordic collaboration, place-based architecture, skills to build with reused construction materials and recommendations for harmonising methods for limit values for buildings.

The Nordic countries take turn hosting the reference group meetings of Nordic Sustainable Construction. The visit to Torshavn offered the possibility to share results, insightful discussions of present and future collaborations, knowledge sharing, workshops and inspiration.

All work package leaders presented the progress of their work packages, and the following key programme accomplishments were highlighted:

The Work Package on Nordic Harmonisation of LCA

• The report “Harmonised Carbon Limit Values for Buildings in Nordic Countries” has been published
• A tender has been created for a new Acceleration Programme: Knowledge Sharing Clinics and Best Practice Catalogues

Upcoming activities:

• Report and webinar on process for gathering typical data, data for old buildings, biobased products and vegetation
• Report on monitoring decarbonisation of Nordic building stock

The Work Package on Circular Business Models and Procurement

Upcoming activities:

• The smart city project continues with Stavangar and Tampere as participants, Copenhagen and Stockholm as follower cities. Learnings from the cities will soon to be published in a report
• A Technical playbook on Marine biobased building materials is also to be published soon. Read about project here

Picture from workshop

The Work Package on Sustainable Building Materials and Architecture

• The article and roundtable recommendations on “Perspectives on Place-Based Architecture” have been published
• Preliminary recommendations for Nordic collaboration

Upcoming activities:

• Article and roundtable recommendations on “Legislation for sustainable construction and architecture”
• Article and roundtable recommendations on “Unheard voices in architecture and construction policy”

The Work Package on Emission-free Construction Sites

• Report published on “Knowledge Gaps and Research Needs”
• Development of a new calculator for electric machinery cost-effectiveness

Upcoming activities:

• Report on guidelines for circular planning, procuring, implementing and evaluating emission-free construction sites. The guidelines are aimed at project owners, public authorities, architects and contractors

The Work Package of the Programme Secretariat and Competences for Reuse in Construction

• Has developed and published newsletter to share results from the whole programme. Sign up here
• Has published new educational material Skills4Reuse on sustainability and reuse for Nordic vocational schools in six languages
• Contributed to two panel debates in the first Buildings and Climate Forum in Paris. See the sessions here
• Shared knowledge on whole life carbon policies in the Nordic at a webinar on ‘EU initiatives advancing circular economy and climate mitigation in construction’ hosted by DG GROW.

Highlights from the webinar will come in this link in the coming weeks

Upcoming activities:

• Dissemination of Skills4Reuse teaching materials at webinars and international events
• Continued sharing and communication about the results of Nordic Sustainable Construction programme

Workshops: What should the Nordic Countries Collaborate on toward 2030?

Throughout the day, the reference group gave input at two workshops focusing on a future Nordic collaboration from 2025-2030. The participants discussed potential goals, subsidiary goals and activities under the themes digitalisation, circularity and climate that could contribute to minimising the climate and environmental impact of the Nordic construction sector.