Continued Work Towards Nordic Vision 2030
The construction sector is the third largest industrial ecosystem in the EU and accounts for 50% of resource extraction, 35% of the EU's waste production and contributes negatively to CO₂ emissions. The Nordic countries have been cooperating closely since 2021 to minimize the negative impacts on the climate and environment from construction. The Nordic Council of Ministers is now building on the results of this cooperation by launching the Nordic Sustainable Construction 2025–2027 programme, which will support the green transition of the construction industry.
The programme will strengthen cooperation and the exchange of knowledge between authorities, industry and experts throughout the Nordic region and beyond. The programme will thus contribute to realising the vision for the Nordic region as the world's most sustainable and integrated region by 2030.
Nordic Sustainable Construction focuses on:
- Climate: Harmonisation of Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), low-emission solutions and climate adaptation
- Circularity: Better utilisation of existing square metres, reuse of building materials, Eurocodes and skills development
- Digitalisation: Support for data-driven and digital solutions in construction
- EU focus: Analysis and contribution to future EU regulations within the built environment with Nordic input.
Iceland is leading the initiatives in the climate area, Sweden is coordinating the common EU focus, while Denmark is responsible for circularity and runs the joint secretariat, which will ensure cross-border coordination and communication.
All initiatives are implemented in close cooperation between the Nordic building and housing authorities, experts and the industry.
Goals
The goals are to provide concrete tools and knowledge that support sustainable solutions in construction, e.g.:
- Proposals for effective regulation of the climate impact of buildings
- Proposals for regulation that can increase the utilization of existing square meters
- Common Nordic methods for assessing recycled materials for construction
- Dissemination of the teaching material on the learning platform Skills4Reuse.com
- Increased Nordic contributions to EU construction policy