Building blocks for a circular future: trends, policies and solutions
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Circularity provides multiple benefits for the built environment, but the construction sector is slow to change. What drivers and practices work best?
The global appetite for new building materials remains high, which results in a large footprint of the sector. How can we extend the life of buildings, ensure that we close the loop and allow new building materials and methods access to the market? This session explores global resource trends and developments in policy and solutions that will put us on the road towards a circular and nature-positive future.
Opportunities for a circular economy in the built environment: Trends, policies and solutions
Cindy Venho
Project Manager
Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Cindy works with business, academia and policymakers to manage the creation of content that helps propel companies further along in their circular economy transformation journey. She has experience in researching circular opportunities and their impacts across a breadth of industries such as food, fashion and the built environment, and has worked on projects looking at the effects of circularity on various topics like biodiversity, supply chains, Covid-recovery packages and biomaterials.
Minister for the Environment, the Netherlands
Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
Vivianne Heijnen was appointed Minister for the Environment on 10 January 2022. Between 2009 and 2018 she was head of the Maastricht University Campus in Brussels. In 2018, she became a member of the Maastricht municipal executive with responsibility for the economy, housing, regional policy and social innovation. Heijnen was born on 8 October 1982 in Spaubeek. When asked about what motivates her as a minister, she says: “I want the Netherlands to be a country that is liveable and accessible for everyone and where we reuse more. I’m committed to reducing travel time in a sustainable way, with a particular focus on border regions, cities and our neighbouring countries.”
Welcoming remarks from the Ministry of the Environment of Finland
Juhani Damski
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of the Environment, Finland
Prior to his current position, Juhani Damski was director general of the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and has 30 years’ experience in the public sector. From 2013 to 2015, he was director of the development unit at the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland. Among other national and international positions of trust he is chairman of Oulu University’s board of directors. He is also a member of the ClimateArena board of directors and Forest Academy for Decision Makers’ advisory board. Damski was the permanent representative of Finland with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and president of the Council of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). He was also chairman of the National IPCC committee and member of the Research Infrastructure Committee of Finland, the Space Committee of Finland as well as of the Arctic Advisory Board for the Government of Finland. Damski holds a PhD in meteorology from the University of Helsinki.
Keynote: State of the play of the circular built environment – challenges and good practices
Janez Potočnik
Co-Chair
International Resource Panel
Among other roles, Janez Potočnik is partner at Systemiq, chair of the Forum for the Future of Agriculture and advisor to thought-leading institutions such as the European Forest Institute. Previously, he was European commissioner for science and research (2004–2010) and commissioner for the environment (2010–2014). Before joining the European Commission, he was head of the negotiating team for aAccession of Slovenia to the EU (1998). He was also Slovenia’s director of the Government Office for European Affairs (2000), Minister Councillor at the Office of the Prime Minister (2001) and Minister responsible for European Affairs (2002).
Julia leads the programme for natural resources and urban solutions at Systemiq. She manages the partnership programme with the UN International Resource Panel, with co-publications including “IRP Global Resources Outlook 2019: Implications for Business Leaders”, “Resource Efficiency and Climate Change: Material efficiency strategies for business leaders in building and mobility” and “A System Change Compass: Implementing the European Green Deal in Times of Recovery”. Julia co-leads Systemiq’s new urban practice. Her work focuses on the topic of ”better space-use" for vibrant, productive neighbourhoods. She works with governments and public and private finance institutions.
Before joining Systemiq, Julia worked at the Institute for Climate and Society in Rio de Janeiro. She holds an MSc in global politics with a focus on international environmental and development institutions from the London School of Economics, and a BSc in cultural studies and business from the University of Mannheim.
The most promising drivers and best practices for the circular built environment
Cindy Venho
Project Manager
Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Cindy works with business, academia and policymakers to manage the creation of content that helps propel companies further along in their circular economy transformation journey. She has experience in researching circular opportunities and their impacts across a breadth of industries such as food, fashion and the built environment, and has worked on projects looking at the effects of circularity on various topics like biodiversity, supply chains, Covid-recovery packages and biomaterials.
Julia leads the programme for natural resources and urban solutions at Systemiq. She manages the partnership programme with the UN International Resource Panel, with co-publications including “IRP Global Resources Outlook 2019: Implications for Business Leaders”, “Resource Efficiency and Climate Change: Material efficiency strategies for business leaders in building and mobility” and “A System Change Compass: Implementing the European Green Deal in Times of Recovery”. Julia co-leads Systemiq’s new urban practice. Her work focuses on the topic of ”better space-use" for vibrant, productive neighbourhoods. She works with governments and public and private finance institutions.
Before joining Systemiq, Julia worked at the Institute for Climate and Society in Rio de Janeiro. She holds an MSc in global politics with a focus on international environmental and development institutions from the London School of Economics, and a BSc in cultural studies and business from the University of Mannheim.
Director Built Environment
World Business Council for Sustainable Development WBCSD
Roland leads the Built Environment Pathway, engaging and supporting companies to drive the market transformation to a net zero carbon, circular, nature positive and inclusive built environment, through a common vision, science-based target setting and collaboration along the value chain. He serves as co-chair of the Steering Committee of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), whose mission is to drive the transformation to a zero emissions, efficient and resilient built environment. Prior to working at the WBCSD, Roland was a delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross, coordinating humanitarian field activities in the armed conflicts of Colombia, Liberia and Ivory Coast. Roland started his career with the Zurich-based consultancy firm Ernst Basler & Partners Ltd. on a large change management project for the Swiss Federal Administration. A Swiss national, Roland holds an MBA from INSEAD, France, and an MA in history and political science from the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
Aishwarya Iyer is a PhD Candidate at the Center for Industrial Ecology at Yale School of the Environment. Her research focuses on identifying climate friendly development pathways for the Indian residential sector. Aishwarya is a member of the international team of authors led by the Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture and the UN Environment Programme for the global report titled “Building materials and the climate”. Her research focusses on the diverse building types in India and the Global South across low-income informal settlements. Her goal is to quantify the thermal comfort gap faced by homes across income classes and identify material and energy-efficient pathways to close this gap, while accounting for the whole lifecycle of the built environment process. Aishwarya has a background in energy science and engineering, with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in technology from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
Professor
Housing and Building National Research Center
Ashraf Kamal is professor of architecture, urban planning and economics at the Housing and Building National Research Center (HBRC) in Egypt. He has more than 34 years’ experience in fields related to architectural design and realisation in complex projects with green and sustainable buildings design and construction. His widely published academic research covers strategic planning, participatory urban development, housing and real estate and property business management. Kamal has taught at undergraduate and post graduate levels at university and participated in several international projects in his field. Currently, he leads local and international projects for the application of zero-emissions techniques in building and construction. He has a PhD in urban planning and economics from the University of Cairo.
Minister for the Environment, the Netherlands
Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
Vivianne Heijnen was appointed Minister for the Environment on 10 January 2022. Between 2009 and 2018 she was head of the Maastricht University Campus in Brussels. In 2018, she became a member of the Maastricht municipal executive with responsibility for the economy, housing, regional policy and social innovation. Heijnen was born on 8 October 1982 in Spaubeek. When asked about what motivates her as a minister, she says: “I want the Netherlands to be a country that is liveable and accessible for everyone and where we reuse more. I’m committed to reducing travel time in a sustainable way, with a particular focus on border regions, cities and our neighbouring countries.”
Towards net-zero buildings through circular design
Cindy Venho
Project Manager
Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Cindy works with business, academia and policymakers to manage the creation of content that helps propel companies further along in their circular economy transformation journey. She has experience in researching circular opportunities and their impacts across a breadth of industries such as food, fashion and the built environment, and has worked on projects looking at the effects of circularity on various topics like biodiversity, supply chains, Covid-recovery packages and biomaterials.
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of the Environment, Finland
Prior to his current position, Juhani Damski was director general of the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and has 30 years’ experience in the public sector. From 2013 to 2015, he was director of the development unit at the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland. Among other national and international positions of trust he is chairman of Oulu University’s board of directors. He is also a member of the ClimateArena board of directors and Forest Academy for Decision Makers’ advisory board. Damski was the permanent representative of Finland with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and president of the Council of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). He was also chairman of the National IPCC committee and member of the Research Infrastructure Committee of Finland, the Space Committee of Finland as well as of the Arctic Advisory Board for the Government of Finland. Damski holds a PhD in meteorology from the University of Helsinki.
Cindy works with business, academia and policymakers to manage the creation of content that helps propel companies further along in their circular economy transformation journey. She has experience in researching circular opportunities and their impacts across a breadth of industries such as food, fashion and the built environment, and has worked on projects looking at the effects of circularity on various topics like biodiversity, supply chains, Covid-recovery packages and biomaterials.
Professor
Housing and Building National Research Center
Ashraf Kamal is professor of architecture, urban planning and economics at the Housing and Building National Research Center (HBRC) in Egypt. He has more than 34 years’ experience in fields related to architectural design and realisation in complex projects with green and sustainable buildings design and construction. His widely published academic research covers strategic planning, participatory urban development, housing and real estate and property business management. Kamal has taught at undergraduate and post graduate levels at university and participated in several international projects in his field. Currently, he leads local and international projects for the application of zero-emissions techniques in building and construction. He has a PhD in urban planning and economics from the University of Cairo.
Julia leads the programme for natural resources and urban solutions at Systemiq. She manages the partnership programme with the UN International Resource Panel, with co-publications including “IRP Global Resources Outlook 2019: Implications for Business Leaders”, “Resource Efficiency and Climate Change: Material efficiency strategies for business leaders in building and mobility” and “A System Change Compass: Implementing the European Green Deal in Times of Recovery”. Julia co-leads Systemiq’s new urban practice. Her work focuses on the topic of ”better space-use" for vibrant, productive neighbourhoods. She works with governments and public and private finance institutions.
Before joining Systemiq, Julia worked at the Institute for Climate and Society in Rio de Janeiro. She holds an MSc in global politics with a focus on international environmental and development institutions from the London School of Economics, and a BSc in cultural studies and business from the University of Mannheim.
Minister for the Environment, the Netherlands
Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
Vivianne Heijnen was appointed Minister for the Environment on 10 January 2022. Between 2009 and 2018 she was head of the Maastricht University Campus in Brussels. In 2018, she became a member of the Maastricht municipal executive with responsibility for the economy, housing, regional policy and social innovation. Heijnen was born on 8 October 1982 in Spaubeek. When asked about what motivates her as a minister, she says: “I want the Netherlands to be a country that is liveable and accessible for everyone and where we reuse more. I’m committed to reducing travel time in a sustainable way, with a particular focus on border regions, cities and our neighbouring countries.”
Director Built Environment
World Business Council for Sustainable Development WBCSD
Roland leads the Built Environment Pathway, engaging and supporting companies to drive the market transformation to a net zero carbon, circular, nature positive and inclusive built environment, through a common vision, science-based target setting and collaboration along the value chain. He serves as co-chair of the Steering Committee of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), whose mission is to drive the transformation to a zero emissions, efficient and resilient built environment. Prior to working at the WBCSD, Roland was a delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross, coordinating humanitarian field activities in the armed conflicts of Colombia, Liberia and Ivory Coast. Roland started his career with the Zurich-based consultancy firm Ernst Basler & Partners Ltd. on a large change management project for the Swiss Federal Administration. A Swiss national, Roland holds an MBA from INSEAD, France, and an MA in history and political science from the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
Aishwarya Iyer is a PhD Candidate at the Center for Industrial Ecology at Yale School of the Environment. Her research focuses on identifying climate friendly development pathways for the Indian residential sector. Aishwarya is a member of the international team of authors led by the Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture and the UN Environment Programme for the global report titled “Building materials and the climate”. Her research focusses on the diverse building types in India and the Global South across low-income informal settlements. Her goal is to quantify the thermal comfort gap faced by homes across income classes and identify material and energy-efficient pathways to close this gap, while accounting for the whole lifecycle of the built environment process. Aishwarya has a background in energy science and engineering, with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in technology from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
Among other roles, Janez Potočnik is partner at Systemiq, chair of the Forum for the Future of Agriculture and advisor to thought-leading institutions such as the European Forest Institute. Previously, he was European commissioner for science and research (2004–2010) and commissioner for the environment (2010–2014). Before joining the European Commission, he was head of the negotiating team for aAccession of Slovenia to the EU (1998). He was also Slovenia’s director of the Government Office for European Affairs (2000), Minister Councillor at the Office of the Prime Minister (2001) and Minister responsible for European Affairs (2002).
