Case Study
Laying the Foundations of a Circular Construction Industry
This case study shows how one Finnish city reduced building and construction emissions with innovative circular economy strategies using local materials.
Buildings and construction consume half of the world’s natural resources and about 40% of it's energy. The sector also accounts for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions.
This case study showcases the CircVol project in Turku, Finland, and its innovative circular solution to decrease carbon emissions and other lifecycle impacts of buildings and infrastructure. The clay-based material developed by the project can be used as an alternative for part of the estimated 100 million tons of rock needed for construction across Finland, limiting the extraction of virgin material as well as increasing the use of local materials in place of carbon-intensive imports. This case study was produced by ICLEI.
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Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future
Published by UNEP, this report highlights the need to develop new models for decarbonizing building materials, if the world is to reach its goals for net zero emissions from the built environment sector by the mid-century.
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Lessons from the Global South's public-private climate collaborations
Spanning 30 cities in the Global South, UrbanShift's new guide to public-private collaboration highlights partnership models and best practices.
UrbanShift Global Peer Exchange on Sustainable Energy Solutions
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