World Cities Day marks the conclusion of Urban October.
This year the discussion is centered around the theme «Financing a sustainable urban future for all», exploring how cities can partner with industries to advance circularity and zero waste in construction.
This highlights the need for new approaches in city planning, starting from the design phase, in alignment with the SDGs, especially the Sustainable Development Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
On a global scale, we face an important challenge, the growth of the population that will live in cities in the coming years.
Today, more than half of the global population lives in cities. By 2050, this number is projected to rise to 70%, resulting in 2.4 billion new urban residents worldwide. Our present and future are undoubtedly urban.
Cities need groundbreaking construction methods using innovative sustainable building materials to meet the SDGs.
To achieve the SDGs, cities need new policies, innovative urban planning, the access of circular and sustainable materials, the adoption of renewable energy, and innovative construction methods.
In this context, we know that in Europe, buildings are responsible for approximately 50% of resource extraction and consumption and over 30% of the EU’s annual total waste.
Additionally, they account for 40% of the EU’s energy consumption and 36% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, making the Built Environment a crucial sector in achieving Net Zero Emissions. *UN report «The weight of cities»
Cities require the adoption of new policies, innovative urban planning strategies, circular and sustainable building materials, promote renewable energy adoption, and implement innovative construction methods to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
We need to readdress the way we build our future. Circular design principles, starting from the design phase, become crucial.
This involves designing for disassembly, creating efficient and adaptable structures with enduring durability.
Only in this framework, the construction sector will adopt the basic principles of the circular economy: «reuse, reduce and recycle».
Prioritizing circular, non-toxic, and sustainable building materials that are safe for both people and the planet can reduce the environmental impact, material extraction, and waste generation in the construction industry.
At the heart of our vision lies the commitment to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in the built environment.
The HONEXT® Process is certified as Circular by design and carbon-negative. With HONEXT® Boards, we aim to make circular materials accessible for the construction of a more sustainable future.
Watch the live stream event by clicking on the following link.
