Programme Implementation Group Meeting in Brussels

Nordic Sustainable Construction sharing latest updates in Brussels, site visits and New European Bauhaus Festival

Publiceret 22-06-2026

The work package leaders and the Secretariat met in Brussels for the second physical meeting of the programme from 2025-2027. The visit took place at the same time as the EU Green Week, the New European Bauhaus Festival and several other relevant activities, offering valuable opportunities for engagement and insights. The key outcomes from the meeting and the days are summarised below.

The programme implementation group met in Brussels for the second physical meeting of this phase to update each other on the process of the work packages. Representants from Iceland, (Climate Work Package), Sweden (EU Work Package) and Denmark (Circularity Work Package and Secretariat) attended. The programme days also included site visits in the city and participation in the third edition of the New European Bauhaus Festival.

Climate Work Package

The Icelandic team presented the progress within the Climate Work Package. A mapping of methodologies used for regulating the climate impact from construction in EU terms named life cycle Global Warming Potential (GWP) calculation across the Nordic region is underway. Work has also begun on a Nordic handbook showcasing identified cases of low-carbon and nature-based solutions. In addition, the work package is conducting a preliminary mapping of how climate adaptation is being addressed in Nordic building regulations.

Circularity Work Package

The Danish team presented the newly published inspiration catalogue to support better utilisation of the existing building stock, featuring more than 30 policy measurements and case examples. The work package is also mapping methods for assessing used construction products and contributing to increased knowledge sharing regarding the implementation of the second generation of Eurocodes, including the development of national annexes.

EU Work Package

The Swedish team, responsible for the EU Work Package, has prepared an overview of EU initiatives relevant to construction, housing and the built environment. They are now identifying priority initiatives for deeper analysis.

Additionally, an elaboration on the Affordable Housing Package was presented, highlighting the European Affordable Housing Plan, the European Strategy for Housing Construction and the New European Bauhaus, all of which are relevant for the Nordic countries.

Stay updated on the work of the EU Work Package here

RotorDC

Part of the meeting took place at RotorDC, a cooperative company dedicated to reusing construction materials. The company aims to reduce the quantity of demolition waste while supplying quality building components with a minimal environmental impact. The materials come from both deconstruction sites and private inquiries.

At their facility, materials are carefully sorted, restored and refurbished before being resold. RotorDC primarily handles design oriented elements rather than structural components, ensuring that the materials meet aesthetic and functional standards for reuse.

New European Bauhaus Festival

The programme implementation group also attended the third edition of the New European Bauhaus Festival, which took place from June 9^th to 11^th. At the opening ceremony, Ursula von der Leyen highlighted the purpose and importance of the New European Bauhaus initiative. She emphasised the need to rethink construction practices in response to a changing world, by building in ways that are more resilient, sustainable and connected, and embracing circular principles such as creating new value from old materials and buildings. Von der Leyen also underlined that sustainability and competitiveness are not opposing forces but can strengthen and drive each other forward.

Whole Life Carbon Network Workshop

As part of the Climate Work Package working on life cycle Global Warming Potential (GWP) calculation and some of the other focus areas, Nordic Sustainable Construction participated in a joint workshop with the INDICATE initiative to discuss and explore Whole Life Carbon (WLC) assessments. Nordic Sustainable Construction was there to share and contribute with knowledge and insights from across the Nordic region, including limit values, practical implementation challenges and data quality and availability. The discussion also highlighted what to prioritise when looking beyond carbon assessments, such as biodiversity, circularity and improving the use of the existing building stock.

Read the full summary, highlights and discussion points from the workshop here