Building a Circular Economy for the Construction Industry

Construction is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions from the industrial sector. It accounts for around 6 percent of global CO2 emissions and almost half of all industrial emissions.

To tackle this issue, we need to create circular economies that reduce waste, optimise resource use and address the needs of future generations.

The Circular Construction Industry (CCI) initiative aims to do just this by engaging with players across the construction value chain to develop solutions and foster collaboration on circular initiatives.

If you are involved or would like to be involved in the Circular Construction Industry initiative, read on for answers to common questions about the framework, our partners, and how you can get involved.

 
What is the Circular Construction Industry (CCI) Initiative?

The Circular Construction Industry initiative is a multi-stakeholder project that aims to foster collaboration and accelerate the transition to a circular construction industry. It brings together construction companies, designers, contractors, raw material suppliers, academia, research organisations and other stakeholders to develop solutions that reduce waste and optimise resource use.

The initiative is initiated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and co-funded by the European Commission. The initiative brings together a network of construction companies, designers, contractors, raw material suppliers, academia, research organisations and other stakeholders for three years to develop solutions that reduce waste and optimise resource use. It aims to foster collaboration across the construction value chain, address the needs of future generations and create a more inclusive construction sector.

Why build a CCI?

The construction sector may be the largest source of industrial greenhouse gas emissions but it is also one of the most impactful sectors in terms of opportunities for decarbonisation. The sector is a leading user of natural resources, responsible for up to 40 per cent of all global raw materials demand. It also produces the most waste and recycles the least of all industrial sectors. These facts make the construction sector a critical part of the solution to climate change. A transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient construction industry is essential to meeting global climate targets, but it must be pursued in a way that increases productivity, reduces costs and promotes good working conditions for all.

Infrastructure as a Service and Building Materials Supply Chain

The building materials supply chain is the starting point for any efforts to decarbonise the construction industry. The materials are sourced, transported and processed; they are put to use in the buildings that are critical to the operation of the economy – offices, residential buildings, hospitals, schools, factories and more; and they are eventually demolished and recycled or disposed of as waste. This highly complex industrial system has many points at which opportunities exist to save money, reduce waste and improve the environmental footprint of construction activities.

To address those pain points, the CivilShare app has been developed to optimise the building materials supply chain by integrating digital technology, blockchain and service design. It combines “infrastructure as a service” with a “next-generation building materials platform” that acts as a one-stop shop, the FIRST marketplace in New Zealand for everything civil and construction related.

Materials Re-use and Re-manufacturing factory

Today, construction companies are facing a shortage of timber, metals, and aggregates, resulting from the growing demand for consumer goods and the increasing consumption of natural resources.

The growing consumption patterns and the scarcity of resources are affecting the construction industry. The materials reuse and remanufacturing factory initiative aims to drive circularity in the construction industry.

The CivilShare app is a multi-stakeholder project that aims to foster collaboration and accelerate the transition towards a circular construction industry. It brings together construction companies, designers, contractors, raw material suppliers, academia, research organisations and other stakeholders to develop solutions that reduce waste and optimises resource use.

Building Renovation and Refurbishment Factory

The renovation and refurbishment factory initiative are a multi-stakeholder project that aims to foster collaboration and accelerate the transition towards a more circular construction industry.

The initiative is focused on the renovation and refurbishment of existing buildings.

It aims to foster collaboration across the construction value chain, address the needs of future generations and create a more inclusive construction sector.

Would you like to know more about CivilShare? Read more here.