The Nordic countries have joint ambition for creating a sustainable and competitive construction- and building sector. In sustainable construction, it is essential to look at solutions for the entire life cycle of a building, its materials and for all aspects of responsibility. It must include aspects ranging from the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency to considering water use, pollution, and waste reduction measures.
- Common Nordic framework for life cycle analysis for buildings and setting requirements for buildings' climate impact.
- Reduced climate impact from construction from a life cycle perspective, incl. circular principles; product stage, construction production stage, use stage and end reuse.
The challenge
The construction and real estate sector accounts for a significant part of society's environmental and climate impact. Reducing the climate impact of the construction and real estate sector and switching to sustainable construction is crucial to reaching the Paris Agreement.
Environmental measures in the construction and real estate sector have traditionally focused on energy efficiency measures to limit the climate impact during the operation and use of buildings, but an increasing part of a building's environmental and climate impact arises during the construction process, especially during material production.
Therefore, consideration of a life cycle perspectives and development of a more circular construction has become increasingly important for the sector in transition towards sustainability. To promote more circular construction, it is important to consider the whole value chain. At the same time, digitalization is an important prerequisite for being able to realize the sector's adjustment.
The objectives
The program is one of eight initiatives lunched by the five Nordic ministers of trade and industry. The initiatives represent a determined advance towards a stronger and more sustainable Nordic region and support the vision for the Nordic region to be the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030.
The target of the Nordic region taking a leading position in sustainable and competitive construction- and building sector comes with an ambition for reducing environment- and climate effect. Important aspects to reach the target is to work with procurement and requirements for the construction of a sustainable building. To support the targets, it is also important to engage the whole value chain and promote new and innovative solutions and business models as well as market opportunities for sustainable solutions.
The Nordic countries will not achieve transformative change by acting alone. A Nordic approach to a sustainable construction will support and contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the 2030 Agenda and work to strengthen the ambitions of EU Green Deal. It will also allow for ecosystem partners to take part in the Horizon Europe missions.
