
How circularity can make the built environment more sustainable
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Original Coverage: How circularity can make the built environment more sustainable
The built environment is responsible for almost 40 percent of global energy-related CO 2 emissions. Only 1 percent of materials from building demolitions are reused. Circular principles could abate 13 percent of the built environment’s embodied carbon emissions in 2030 and nearly 75 percent in 2050. By prioritizing the recirculation of materials at their highest value, the built-environment sector can increase efficiency, reduce waste, and rethink the development of new assets, the authors say. The authors conclude: Circularity can be part of the answer and, at the same time, improve the built environments’ economics. The article explores the benefits and obstacles to circularity in building supply chains and the incentive to create more resilience in supply chains for building materials and products. It also looks at the challenges and opportunities to create a circular value chain in the real estate industry, and how this can be achieved. The author concludes: The built environment sector is experiencing substantial volume growth driven by rapid urbanization, setting global construction on a path to $22 trillion in total value by 2040.
Source: Mckinsey.com | Read full article
New guide supports circular procurement in the built environment
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has released a practical guide to circular procurement for new buildings and major refurbishments. The guide provides clear steps for embedding circular strategies into procurement practices across the property and construction industry. It offers strategies to minimise waste, reduce embodied carbon and extend the life of materials, while supporting Green Star Buildings and best practice outcomes. GBCA encourages governments, developers and the construction sector to use the guide to embed circular procurement into projects and accelerate Australia’s shift toward a more circular built environment.“Procurement decisions we make today shape the sustainability of buildings and cities of the future.”
Source: Insideconstruction.com.au | Read full article
How modular construction drives productivity and circularity | World Economic Forum
Modular construction is characterized by prefabrication, where components of buildings, usually with standardized designs, are manufactured off-site. McKinsey & Company predicts that there is potential for up to 20% of total cost savings to be realized through modular construction methods. The World Economic Forum’s Infrastructure 4.0 initiative is working to improve the adoption of emerging infrastructure technologies across asset and system lifecycles. The initiative aims to refocus the infrastructure development conversation around how infrastructure as a tool to provide better outcomes in people’s lives and technology’s role in enabling this people-first future. The future of construction depends on advancing built environments towards circularity and enabling the reuse and repurposing of building components, reducing waste and sustainable resource cycles. The ability to dismantle and reuse permanent structures instead of demolishing them presents an exciting opportunity to promote sustainability and social cohesion in the construction industry. It is also a less disruptive alternative for communities affected by construction, significantly reducing the negative impacts on residents and their surroundings. The reduction in vehicles helps alleviate negative consequences, such as traffic congestion and pollution, while improving air quality.
Source: Weforum.org | Read full article
Global Perspectives Summary
Our analysis reveals how this story is being framed differently across global media outlets.
Cultural contexts, editorial biases, and regional relevance all contribute to these variations.
This diversity in coverage underscores the importance of consuming news from multiple sources.
Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/real-estate/our-insights/how-circularity-can-make-the-built-environment-more-sustainable