Planned and summarized by We Build Denmark and Guldborgsund Municipality. The aim of the workshop was demonstrate that within EU there are mayor regulatory differences and similarities, and that by learning from each other, we may succeed the transformation to more bio based, better and faster.
Bio-based building materials, such as wood, hemp and other nature-based resources, offer a unique opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions, promote circular economy and improve health and safety in construction. However, to accelerate the transition to bio-based construction, there are both opportunities and challenges that require political action. Based on the workshop outcome this summary has been made with the following suggestions and wishes from the participants, who broadly represented a grow to build value chain:
- Simplify certification and harmonize standards:
- Create harmonized EU standards for bio-based materials, especially in the areas of fire safety and construction quality. This will make it easier for bio-based materials to gain approval in all EU countries.
- Establish free testing centers for bio-based building materials so that small and medium-sized companies can more easily test and certify their products.
- Financial support and incentives:
- Introduce subsidies or carbon bonus schemes for building projects using bio-based materials to reduce the price difference between bio-based and traditional building materials.
- Tax incentives for buildings using bio-based or recycled materials will create an incentive for developers and owners to choose more sustainable solutions.
- Create a harmonized market:
- Introduce a carbon footprint per square meter regulation for all new buildings, which will reward projects that use low-carbon materials, such as bio-based materials.
- Promote a regulatory sandbox for experimentation with bio-based building materials, where new innovations and methods can be tested in practice without the usual regulatory barriers.
- Education and knowledge dissemination:
- Expand EU education programs to include training for architects, engineers and construction companies on the use of bio-based building materials and communicate their sustainability, health and build quality benefits.
- Support regional economies and the circular economy:
- Increase support for rural areas and regions that can provide raw materials for bio-based construction, for example through agricultural support programs and NextGenerationEU funds. This will stimulate local economies and promote circular supply chains in the EU.