The construction and operation of buildings and infrastructure are responsible for about half of the raw material demand in Switzerland, as well as one third of the CO2 emissions and over 80 per cent of the waste produced. Twelve of the largest public and private builders have set out to make the industry more sustainable, according to a statement from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa).
Along with the signatories Allreal, AXA Investment Managers Schweiz AG, the Building Department of the Canton of Zurich, Post Real Estate Management and Services AG, Swiss Prime Site, Swiss Life Asset Management AG, UBS Fund Management (Switzerland) AG, Zug Estates and Zurich Invest AG, they have signed the Circular Building Charta. The goal of the charter is to advance the circular economy in the Swiss construction industry.
Against this backdrop, the signatories intend to reduce the use of non-renewable primary raw materials to half of the total mass and to record and greatly reduce embodied greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve these goals, the charter partners want to develop innovative solutions. The statement mentions the examples of renovating instead of building new; building for the long term; reducing material consumption; and reusing raw materials.
Together, the twelve initial signatories of the charter are responsible for around 4 billion Swiss francs of construction investments per year, according to Empa. Other builders are invited to join the charter and its goals. ce/hs
