Integrating Circularity
in Buildings and
Construction Value Chain
The
buildings and construction sector consumes a large quantum of
non-renewable resources and generates a huge amount of waste and
emissions across its value chain, starting right from the extraction of
virgin resources for production of building materials to the
construction activity itself, during the operational life of the
building and finally its end-of-life treatment. Considering that
globally in 2019, the building and construction sector was estimated to
account for up to 28 percent of total energy consumption and 38 percent
of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions (United Nations Environment
Programme, 2021), the environmental burden of the sector is evident and
demands urgent attention from decision-makers.
Playing host to the highest concentration of human activity, cities have
become the hubs of unsustainable production and consumption patterns.
Cities cover only 2% of the world’s surface but consume over 75% of the
planet’s resources (IRP, 2018). Moreover, demand for resources in urban
areas is ever growing, especially in developing countries where a high
proportion of the projected construction activity is expected to happen
over the coming decades. Almost 37% of the estimated urban population
growth by 2050 is expected to come from India, China and Nigeria (UN-DESA,
2014), further increasing demand for housing and infrastructure. In
India, it is estimated that 70% of the buildings that will be standing
in 2030 are yet to be constructed (IRP, 2018). Combined impacts of this
rapid urbanisation and the accompanying surge in the building and
construction activity raise urgent alarm bells with respect to the
resource-hungriness of the sector while also presenting a vital
opportunity to address the ever-increasing concerns arising from
extractive and unsustainable building practices.
Among
the many contemporary schools of thought addressing sustainability
issues, the Circular Economy model is gaining prominence with a new
systemic approach towards shifting from a linear production and
consumption model of take-make-dispose to a more holistic approach that
treats waste from one process as food for another and encourages closed
loop systems that design out the waste and try to keep materials in
active circulation for as long as possible. Another explanation of the
concept comes from the United Nations Environment Programme (2018) which
“acknowledges that a more circular economy, one of the current
sustainable economic models, in which products and materials are
designed in such a way that they can be reused, re-manufactured,
recycled or recovered and thus maintained in the economy for as long as
possible, along with the resources of which they are made, and the
generation of waste, especially hazardous waste, is avoided or minimised,
and greenhouse gas emissions are prevented or reduced, can contribute
significantly to sustainable consumption and production." The model is
well-represented by the ‘Butterfly Diagram’ (see Figure 1) by the Ellen
MacArthur Foundation (2019) which presents a framework for understanding
the interplay of loops in both biological and technological cycles of
any product.
![](Image/lead.jpg)
Figure 1: Butterfly Diagram for Circular Economy Systems (Ellen
Macarthur Foundation. 2019)
Applying this approach to the buildings and construction sector requires
a thorough evaluation of the processes adopted at all stages of the
value chain to understand the underlying complexities of the challenge.
A breakdown of the steps (see Figure 2) shows that gaps in strategies
towards resource efficiency often arise as decisions around resource
usage are made in different stages while the actual consumption happens
in other stages with a markedly different set of involved stakeholders.
This results in ineffective communication and poor implementation of any
planned initiatives.
![](Image/lead-1.jpg)
Figure 2: The construction value chain (United Nations Environmental
Programme, 2021)
Reanalysing this value chain requires a more all-encompassing approach
and considerable deliberation of the varied impacts at each step. For
instance, the demand for land for new construction activities as well as
for extraction and manufacture of building materials often encroaches on
fertile land and forest areas, thereby reducing the land available for
agriculture and also leading to biodiversity loss, deforestation and
reduced carbon sequestration (United Nations Environment Programme,
2021). Material-related emissions from the production of bulk materials
used in construction such as iron and steel, cement, lime and plaster as
well as plastics and rubber represent over 23% of overall global
emissions (IRP, 2020). About 30% of materials, such as gravel, limestone
and crushed rock, extracted from the earth are used in construction
(United Nations Environment Programme, 2021). The operational life of
the built environment adds further pressure with high usage of resources
across long life spans, often over 50 years. For example 25% of all
water and 12% of potable water used globally are associated with
buildings (IRP, 2017). In most cases, little to no planning is done
towards management of waste at the end of its life with most demolition
waste being disposed of in landfills except materials such as metal,
timber and glass getting recycled.
The
multifarious socio-environmental impacts of the sector and the extensive
network of processes and stakeholders involved in the construction
sector, along with the long life-span of the buildings, indicate an
urgent need to address issues along the complete value chain to avoid
long-term lock in of carbon intensive building practices, especially in
developing countries who are now charting pathways for low-carbon,
resilient and responsible growth trajectories. There is tremendous
potential to consider wastes from current production systems that may be
utilised in construction processes. For instance, industrial wastes like
blast furnace slag and sludge from steel-making industries are being
used to produce substitutes for aggregates and sand to be used in
concrete. Captured fly ash from thermal power plants is being used in
cement production as well as for making bricks and paver blocks.
Construction and demolition waste itself may be utilised for production
of building materials.
The
circularity mandate provides key solutions to many pressing resource
challenges but requires a systemic shift in thinking to drive tangible
and transformational change. In the current scenario, integrating
circularity in the construction sector requires strong focus on:
-
Developing strong and coherent policy frameworks to mainstream
circularity thinking in planning regimes using the full range of
possible measures including regulatory instruments, fiscal measures,
public investment and information policies as well as advisory and
awareness-raising campaigns. It is imperative that such policies target
both upstream and downstream activities in the sector while addressing
the design and production stage, the waste and disposal stage, and also
the consumption stage.
-
A
robust ecosystem encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship to improve
the range of available technical solutions and delivery mechanisms.
Local innovation not only helps in the development of highly
contextualised and precise solutions, but also helps in community wealth
building by boosting local economic development.
-
Fostering a favourable environment for businesses and industries to
adopt circularity principles through training and capacity building of
various stakeholders and also providing support through the right
enabling conditions and the removal of existing barriers.
Such
an approach may also help align local development plans with the vision
and trajectories of Agenda 2030. Circularity principles in the
construction sector directly address SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and
Production), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 6 (Clean
Water and Sanitation), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Additionally, they
also have the potential to contribute to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic
Growth), SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean
Energy), and SDG 5 (Gender Equality). This alignment allows for the
opportunity to garner support and also attracting attention and
investment from global policy stakeholders and funders.
It is
evident that the massive environmental impacts of the building and
construction sector need urgent attention in light of the rapid growth
in our cities. Mainstreaming circularity principles into the sector
requires a significant change in mindsets and the questioning of
existing paradigms through adoption of a systems thinking approach based
on a deep understanding of cycles and feedback loops. A deliberate focus
needs to be constantly maintained on retaining the value of resources
through the different lifecycle stages while also diversifying options
and eliminating waste from current practices. It is here that a
collaborative approach becomes ever-necessary to encourage
knowledge-sharing and partnerships across the public and private sectors
as well as civil society and consumers to fundamentally rethink our
collective relationship with the products and services we use.
■
Bibliography:
Ellen MacArthur
Foundation, 2019. Circular Economy Systems Diagram. Available at:
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/
IRP, 2017. Resource
Efficiency: Potential and Economic Implications. A report of the
International Resource Panel
IRP, 2018. The Weight of
Cities: Resource Requirements of Future Urbanization. Swilling, M.,
Hajer, M., Baynes, T., Bergesen, J., Labbé, F., Musango, J.K.,
Ramaswami, A., Robinson, B., Salat, S., Suh, S., Currie, P., Fang, A.,
Hanson, A. Kruit, K., Reiner, M., Smit, S., Tabory, S. A Report by the
International Resource Panel
IRP, 2020. Resource
Efficiency and Climate Change: Material Efficiency Strategies for a
Low-Carbon Future. Hertwich, E., Lifset, R., Pauliuk, S., Heeren, N. A
report of the International Resource Panel. United Nations Environment
Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
UN-DESA, 2014. World
urbanization prospects: the 2014 revision. Available at
http://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/
United Nations
Environment Programme, 2018. Building circularity into our economies
through sustainable procurement. Unep.org, (2021). Available at:
https://www.unep.org/resources/report/building-circularity-our-economies-through-
sustainable-procurement [Accessed 11/7/2021]
United Nations
Environment Programme, 2021. Catalysing Science-based Policy action on
Sustainable Consumption and Production – The value-chain approach & its
application to food, construction and textiles. Nairobi. Available at:
https://www.unep.org/resources/publication/catalysing-science-based-policy-action-
sustainable-consumption-and-production [Accessed 25/9/2021]
Mohak Gupta
mgupta@devalt.org
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