Sweden Green Building Council Launches Handbook for Reducing Construction Emissions
SGBC's new handbook provides Swedish politicians with strategies to reduce construction emissions through sustainable procurement.
Key Points
- • SGBC has launched a handbook for politicians focused on reducing construction sector emissions.
- • Public procurement in Sweden is worth 900 billion SEK and contributes significantly to CO2 emissions.
- • The handbook promotes integrating sustainability into public contracts to improve climate impact.
- • Lotta Werner Flyborg stresses the need for clearer sustainability guidelines in public procurement.
The Sweden Green Building Council (SGBC) has launched a new handbook aimed at guiding politicians in reducing emissions from the construction sector. This initiative highlights the crucial role of public procurement in achieving sustainability goals, addressing a significant gap in current practices.
Public procurement in Sweden, worth an estimated 900 billion SEK annually, contributes approximately 18 million tons of CO2 equivalents to the nation’s emissions. Currently, there are no required sustainability standards within these procurement processes. The SGBC's handbook outlines recommendations for integrating sustainability criteria into all public contracts, thereby improving both climate impact and competitiveness in the market.
Lotta Werner Flyborg, CEO of SGBC, noted that Sweden is falling behind other countries in sustainable public procurement, specifically mentioning the Netherlands, which has established mandatory circularity targets for public contracts by 2030. Flyborg emphasized the necessity of clear guidelines for politicians to follow, as businesses are seeking direction on sustainability practices.
The handbook also includes examples of successful sustainable initiatives from municipal housing companies, illustrating that reducing emissions through effective practices is achievable. A collaborative effort between the public and private sectors is deemed essential to tackle these sustainability challenges effectively.