World Architecture Day, instituted by the International Union of Architects (UIA), is celebrated each year on the first Monday in October and is increasingly dedicated to the issue of climate change and the production of associated CO2 emissions. The Sustainable Architecture and Construction Portal (PCS) has been working for more than a decade to inform and raise awareness among all agents in the construction sector towards more sustainable construction, since this sector is responsible for around 40% of emissions. carbon dioxide, for consuming 50% of natural resources and generating 40% of solid waste.
Of the polluting emissions, around 15% are the responsibility of the construction materials used, with a large ecological footprint. However, the European Commission (EC) is already drafting a regulation on Digital Product Passports (DPP), so that they share information throughout the product life cycle, according to sustainability indicators. Its final approval is scheduled for this year and its implementation from 2026/7. Soon it will even be necessary to opt for more ecological construction materials, since only one in five actors in this sector systematically calculates the carbon footprint of a project or takes into account the choice of more environmentally friendly materials, which is fundamental for a sustainable economy. building.
On the other hand, the Government has been promoting, under the umbrella of the Environmental Fund, support programs to make “More Sustainable Buildings”, which focus more on the energy efficiency of a building. But “Sustainable Construction” is much more than that. Sustainability in construction begins with the prior study and the materials prescribed in its construction; only in this way can the implicit carbon footprint of a building be combated and polluting emissions effectively reduced. For this reason, the PCS succinctly presents the comparison of some materials commonly used in the sector, according to sustainability indicators, which are also explained below:
Durability: The most durable materials that maintain their characteristics unchanged over the years are, without a doubt, much more sustainable, as they do not require greater consumption of resources to maintain them. Therefore, the more durable (depending on the purpose for which it is intended), the more sustainable.
Recyclability: Almost everything is recyclable. Therefore, stating that being recyclable means being sustainable is a fallacy, since a large part of the market does not accept recycling in downcycling (for a product worse than the original), and the final product ends up having to be thrown away. PCS maintains that only recycling for the same purpose is truly sustainable. With exceptions where the incorporation of recycled material is completely absorbed by the market.
Carbon footprint: It represents the total volume of greenhouse gases (GHG) generated by extraction, production and maintenance activities. This can be positive (polluting); neutral (non-polluting) and negative (non-polluting and beneficial for the environment). It means, respectively, that the material has polluting emissions, the polluting emissions are fully compensated by its absorption, the material absorbs more polluting emissions than it emits.
Ability to renew: a material that nature gives us in a completely renewable way, that is, it can be extracted without damaging the environment, since it is renewed naturally. This is the example of cork, since the cork oak regenerates every nine years, and wood, when it comes from sustainable forests (all the trees that are extracted are replanted).
Contains oil: Plastic production must be reduced as much as possible. According to a study published in Davos by the World Economic Forum, in 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the sea. Among other negative environmental impacts that we know so well, such as that of being derived from a fossil fuel (with all the impacts associated with its production) and the fact that it can take up to 400 years to decompose. In the environment, this material can harm the decomposition of other waste, reinforcing the overcrowding of landfills and even favoring the appearance of illegal landfills.
It is not difficult, therefore, to understand the importance of World Architecture Day. Remind architects that the transition towards sustainability depends largely on this sector, since although the concept of sustainable construction is widely known, there is still a general lack of knowledge of everything it entails.
Source: Observadora
