May 2023 /
During the online discussion on ‘Towards a circular built environment: What role for the EU?’ organised on 25 May by the European Policy Centre, Samy Kazemi, Lead Built Environment at Circle Economy presented the objectives and achievements of the EU Horizon funded project ‘BusGoCircular’.
Samy Kazemi, indicated the multi transition waves, i.e. renovation wave, energy transition wave, materials & circular economy wave, climate wave and finally digital wave and the importance of the people and the skills development in the Circular Economy transition and policies. She emphasised that providing circular construction skills will help to future-proof the construction sector and make it more competitive.
After introducing the BusGoCircular consortium (14 partners, 8 countries), she referred to the development of the framework for circular interventions in the construction value chain, circular skills qualification framework and the Train the Trainer programme for the Green/multifunctional roofs, Facades and the interior elements.
In response to a question from the moderator, Stefan Sipka, senior policy analyst from EPC and the moderator of the webinar, regarding the European policy landscape for circular economy, Samy Kazemi mentioned that she is hopeful that EU Taxonomy will directly support the upskilling and reskilling requirements in the manufacturing and products for the built environment sector. She added circular procurement as a lever for the transition which under implementation by some of the European national and local authorities can also be used to promote sustainable building practices and promote circular construction skills. Thanks to BusGoCircular project, a policy brief on public procurement has been developed, Samy Kazemi ended.
This dialogue looked at the state of play and prospects for transitioning to a circular built environment and considered the findings of the ‘BUS-GoCircular’ project on ways to address the circular skills gap. It assessed the role of the EU, including its policies, financial support, and convening power, in supporting the transition.
The discussion showed multiple environmental and socio-economic benefits of creating a circular built environment. However, there are important short-term challenges, such as costs and lack of skills, that need to be taken into account when making the transition to a circular built environment. While the EU is trying to develop the standards and invest in a circular built environment, there is a long road ahead. As the roles and responsibilities are divided between the EU and member states, they must work together with the industry and civil society to make the transition happen.
