Lunchtime Debate: How do we Measure Sustainability in the Construction Sector?

The growing number of certification and labeling schemes in the industry is vital for ensuring consistent and qualified choices of sustainable solutions. However, challenges remain in providing buyers with a comprehensive understanding of the sustainability footprint of products. It can be difficult to navigate the choices between plastic and other materials or different types of plastics. It's like mixing up pears and bananas.

Indi de Graaf, Sustainability Senior Consultant at Deloitte, will start the session off with a talk following a panel discussion, where we will explore how we can establish consistent and comprehensive methods for comparing sustainability and touch on the questions:

How do we make it easier to spread awareness of the environmental values of each manufacturer's material so that the most sustainable companies are not dragged down by lower average values for the entire industry?

How to ensure that the choice of materials is based on calculations of overall performance and not just a direct comparison of quantities?

How can we create certainty around the use of new and sustainable solutions without incurring exorbitant testing and documentation costs?

How do we increase the willingness to invest in sustainable solutions and price them initially to generate demand without negatively impacting businesses?

The panel includes

• Indi de Graaf, Sustainability Senior Consultant, Deloitte
• Martin Bendix, Project Advisor, BEWI
• Steffen Petersen, Professor, Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Aarhus University