THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation outlines six circular strategies to transform
Europe’s built environment that will boost economic activity, increase climate
resilience, and make cities more vibrant places to live and work.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
UNIDO and the GCCA have partnered to decarbonize the cement and concrete
industry, with a strong focus on the Global South; while Cambridge researchers
have developed a potentially game-changing cement-recycling process.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
In addition to generating 8% of global carbon emissions, recent studies have
highlighted another negative impact of the world’s most popular building
material — its weight, which is causing a host of coastal cities to sink faster
than sea levels are rising.
FROM PURPOSE TO ACTION: BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE TOGETHER -
Repairs and reconstruction are critical for improving the state of our country’s
infrastructure. Advancements in elastomers and PCR plastics in asphalt can
enhance road integrity, increase roads’ lifespan and pave the way for a circular
economy.
WALKING THE TALK -
Focusing on the material footprint of the upcoming summer Games, Paris 2024 is
leaning heavily into recycled materials and plans for reuse of all temporary
infrastructure, furniture and equipment.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Shaw’s Kellie Ballew spoke with Stacy Smedley, executive director of Building
Transparency, about the organization’s role in decarbonizing the construction
industry.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Cities and states are incentivizing retrofits because buildings are major emitters — and because retrofit investments offer significant long-term ROI through energy savings alone.
WALKING THE TALK -
The retailer argued that a new store would be 25% more energy efficient; but environmentalists say the Oxford Street demolish-rebuild plan would have sent 40K tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Constructing a sustainable built environment requires more than efficient design, equipment and materials — but processes and workflows that say exactly where and how these assets combine to streamline processes as much as
possible.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
In 2021, global construction projects consumed 30B tonnes of cement to make concrete — with every tonne emitting almost a tonne of CO2. The good news is, technologies already exist to reduce the impact of concrete production.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
HOK’s design focus is not only on reducing building emissions, but also the environmental impact of materials and the health of building occupants. The firm's regenerative design studio also explores how buildings can be net positive for the environment.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Shaw spoke with 'Metropolis' Editor-in-Chief Avinash Rajagopal about how to best tackle the complexity of sustainability, and how the design industry is adopting a more interconnected perspective on the subject.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Acknowledging that many textile manufacturers are vague about their products, with little to no proof of sustainability or misrepresenting their claims, can be disheartening. But there are a few key ways to identify a greenwashed product.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
THRIVE Collaborative designed Veridian from an honest look at what is actually required for a housing community to achieve net-zero goals.
WALKING THE TALK -
In this first post of a series on how businesses can move beyond sustainable to regenerative, B3.8 and Interface outline an accessible, 4-step framework that is flexible enough for any organization to follow but robust enough to generate the breakthrough innovations that our planet demands.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The concrete industry is responsible for 8% of all global carbon
emissions; and 30-40% of today’s solid waste is created through the construction and maintenance of the built environment.
CLEANTECH -
With the year in full swing, we expect to see further innovations to increase energy efficiency, reduce water consumption; and overall, advance sustainability in the energy industry.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
“Since extensive built infrastructure generally overlaps with high levels of economic activity and capital value, it is imperative that the physical risk of climate change is appropriately understood and priced."
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Industry leaders provide guidance for prioritizing changes to your
organization’s real estate and workplace strategy to maximize employee productivity, retention and wellbeing.