The construction products of tomorrow
The construction ecosystem represents almost 10% of EU value added, and employs around 25 million people in over 5 million firms. The construction products industry counts 430,000 companies in the EU, with a turnover of €800 billion. These are mainly small and medium-size enterprises. They are a key economic and social asset for local communities in European regions and cities.
Buildings are responsible for around 50% of resource extraction and consumption and more than 30% of the EU's total waste generated per year. In addition, buildings are responsible for 40% of EU's energy consumption and 36% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.
The revision of the Construction Products Regulation will strengthen and modernise the rules in place since 2011. It will create a harmonised framework to assess and communicate the environmental and climate performance of construction products.
New product requirements will ensure that the design and manufacture of construction products is based on state of the art to make these more durable, repairable, recyclable, easier to re-manufacture.
It will also make it easier for standardisation bodies to do their work of creating common European standards. Together with enhanced market surveillance capacities and clearer rules for economic operators along the supply chain, this will help to remove obstacles to the free movement of the internal market.
Finally, the revised Regulation will offer digital solutions to reduce administrative burdens, particularly on SMEs, including a construction products database and a Digital Products Passport.
The declarations:
The Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans said: “It's time to end the modelof ‘take, make, break, and throw away'that is so harmful to our planet, our health and our economy. Today's proposals will ensure that only the most sustainable products are sold in Europe. They allow consumers to save energy, repair and not replace broken products, and make smart environmental choices when they are shopping for new ones. This is how we bring balance back in our relationship with nature and reduce our vulnerability to disruptions in global supply chains.”
The Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton said: “European consumers rightly expect more environment-friendly and longer-lasting products. More sustainability and resource efficiency also means more resilience when a crisis disrupts our industrial supply chains. By harnessing the potential of the Single Market, making the most of digital tools and improving market surveillance, we will maximise opportunities for businesses and consumers alike. Greater resource and energy efficiency in the construction and textile sectors in particular will generate highly skilled jobs across Europe.”
The Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičiussaid: “Our circular economy proposals kick off an era where products will be designed in a way that brings benefits to all, respects the boundaries of our planet and protects the environment. Giving a longer lifespan to the phones we use, to the clothes we wear and to many other products will save money for European consumers. And at the end of their life products will not be a source of pollution, but of new materials for the economy, decreasing the dependency of European businesses on imports.”
These important European initiatives to promote the sustainability of the products that we consume and use every day in our lives, working and not, make us reflect on the urgency of applying to every single reality measures aimed at achieving a balance between society and the environment.
LCA Ambiente can provide you with the right tools to start being part of this transition plan towards a better future: contact us for advice at info@lca-ambiente.com or info@scfinternational.it
We will be happy to answer all your questions!
For more information:
Proposal for a Regulation on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products