Circular economy in built environment

The objective of this Networking Event is to share good working and replicable practices and to have a facilitated discussion around the global impact and opportunities for circular economy in the built environment. Aspects relating with the value chain and funding mechanisms will be introduced and debated by experts, and donors will be invited and connected to interesting initiatives. Demonstrated evidences of circular economy in built environment especially affordable housing will be showcased.

Experiences of circular approaches currently practiced in building and housing sectors are shared, e.g. utilization of industrial by-products in production of building materials in Asia and Africa. These evidences have a potential to be up-scaled and adapted even in LDCs and can make significant contributions to SDGs 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 and 17.

The Networking Event is organized by Sustainable Buildings and Construction Programme (SBC), lead by Finnish Ministry of the Environment. SBC is one of the UN 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP). It is strongly aligned with the NUA paragraph 71, and the SDG12 and SDG11.c aiming at strengthening the sustainable management of resources and supporting the least developed countries in sharing good practices, launching pilot projects, and developing sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials.

SBC has chosen circular economy and the housing sector as its thematic core areas where the concept is studied and developed globally, in emerging markets as well as in the Global North. In June 2017 the SBC organized together with the 10YFP Secretariat a Collective Impact session in the first World Circular Economy Conference (wcef2017.com) in Helsinki. The work in SBC aims at developing a common global framework and global report for circular economy in buildings and construction developed and validated in occasions like this.