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Environmental product declaration (EPDs) - Building blocks in Iceland Steypustöðin Bakki aggregate Jarðefnaiðnaður ehf. Steypustöðin Hólabrú aggregate Björgun Steypustöðin Vatnsskarðs aggregate Björgun Pumice and scoria (hekluvikur) Natural and Crushed Aggregates from Lambafell Natural and Crushed Sea-dredged Aggregates from Álfsnesvík

Our team Áróra Árnadóttir CEO (on leave) arora [at] graennibyggd.is PhD in environmental science and adjunct professor at the University of Iceland Aðalsteinn Ólafsson Project manager - Emission-free construction sites adalsteinn [at] graennibyggd.is Electrical Engineer and MSc in environmental and natural resources Ástrós Steingrímsdóttir Project manager - Emission-free construction sites astros [at] graennibyggd.is Civil Engineer B.Sc. Hanna Þráinsdóttir Communication and advocacy manager hanna [at] graennibyggd.is Media, Culture, and Communication M.A. Katarzyna Jagodzińska Project manager - Circular construction Acting CEO kjag [at] graennibyggd.is PhD in energy and material recovery from waste Our board Íris Þórarinsdóttir Chairman of the board iris [at] reitir.is Environmental manager at Reitir Anna Kristín Hjartardóttir Secretary and vice-chairman of GBCI anna.kristin.hjartardottir [hjá] efla.is Architect and project manager at EFLA Sunna Hrönn Sigmarsdóttir Treasurer sunnasigmarsdottir [at] gmail.com Industrial technologist and MBA Elín Þórólfsdóttir elin.thorolfsdottir [hjá] hms.is Team leader of the civil engineering work - environment at Housing and Construction Authority Anna Sigríður Jóhannsdóttir annasj.ark [at] gmail.com Registered architect Alexander Helgason alexander [hjá] buseti.is Project manager at Búseti Sigríður Ósk Bjarnadóttir sirry [at] hornsteinn.is Director of the Environment and quality division at Hornsteinn

Other published materials 2024 Grænni byggð, Innviðaráðuneytið og Húsnæði- og mannvirkjastofnun, og Háskóli Íslands vinna að verkefninu Losunarlausir verkstaðir. Verkefnið er styrkt af Norrænu ráðherranefndinni. Aðra skyrslu verkefnisins má lesa með þvi að smella á bæklinginn hér að neðan. The first report from the Nordic Sustainable Construction project on Emission-free Construction sites. It provides an overview of the emerging concept of emission-free construction sites - the background, definitions, technology and methods. 2023 Grænni byggð, Innviðaráðuneytið og Húsnæði- og mannvirkjastofnun, og Háskóli Íslands vinna að verkefninu Losunarlausir verkstaðir. Verkefnið er styrkt af Norrænu ráðherranefndinni. Fyrstu skýrslu verkefnisins má lesa með þvi að smella á bæklinginn hér að neðan. The first report from the Nordic Sustainable Construction project on Emission-free Construction sites. It provides an overview of the emerging concept of emission-free construction sites - the background, definitions, technology and methods. 2021 Parents and children's travel habits to kindergarten (in Icelandic) 2020 Let's build a greener future (Byggjum grænni framtíð) - Summary of the state of environmental issues in the construction industry in the Nordic countries (in Icelandic) 2019 The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (Umhverfis- og auðlindaráðuneytið )granted GBCI a grant to prepare guidelines for apartment buildings that want to promote more environmentally friendly priorities in their operations. The guidelines were drawn up in collaboration with Sorpa and Eignaumsjón . The guidelines can be read below (in Icelandic). A greener apartment building (in Icelandic) Overview of energy consumption, energy prices and energy requirements for heating in Icelandic buildings (in Icelandic) LCA - Environmental impact of buildings and building materials from cradle to grave (in Icelandic) Environmental description of building materials (in Icelandic) Environmentally friendly building in the Icelandic context (in Icelandic) 2013-2017 Material quality - an overview of common building materials, their properties and main environmental aspects (in Icelandic) Housing and health - the health effects of buildings and the benefits of green buildings (in Icelandic) Ecological urban planning (in Icelandic)

Carbon-neutral building in Icelandic conditions About the project The main goal of the project is to define a carbon-neutral building under Icelandic conditions . Project partners The partners of the project are: - Green Building Council Iceland; - Elín Þórólfsdóttir (EFLA, University of Iceland, HMS); - Þórhildur Fjóla Kristjánsdóttir (EFLA, Reykjavík University). The project received a grant from Askur – Housing and Construction Research Fund. View the project's first report here

Newsletter 16.06.2023 Helsinki Central Library Oodi The CIRCON compendium includes over 25 case descriptions representing circular construction aspects in practice. One is the Helsinki Central Library Oodi, an example of the design-for-adaptability principle combined with high sharing potential. The building’s structure has a form of an asymmetrical bridge consisting of steel trusses and beams supported by two massive steel arches. This solution resulted in a column-free interior space with high spatial flexibility and adaptability. As a result, the space has a unique, inclusive vibe attracting hundreds of visitors every day. Currently, it is used as, among others, a library, a conference and exhibition venue, a co-working space, a photo and recording studio, an office space, or a café and restaurant. More information about the building can be found here . The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 23.05.2023 Lecture on the circular economy in the construction sector We had the pleasure of giving a lecture to the students from Aalto University in Finland on circular construction. Besides discussing the general overview of the aspects of circular economy in the construction sector (e.g., design-for-adaptability or design-for-disassembly), we also tried to debunk some myths about circular construction – is it always more expensive than conventional construction or are all aspects of the circular economy always related to lower carbon footprint? We’ll discuss these issues further also in our meetings organised in the future. The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 10-11.05.2023 Partners' meeting in Poland Last year, in August, our Polish partners in the CIRCON project visited us in Iceland. Now it was our turn, and we went to Poland for our partners’ meeting last week. As we’re in the second part of the project already, we not only discussed our further steps but also celebrated our progress so far. We also had an opportunity to take a closer look at many old industrial buildings preserved as a part of the cultural heritage of the Silesian region in Poland. In the photo, you have an example of a multi-family house initially designed for industrial workers, typical for the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century in the industrial towns of Silesia. The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 28.04.2023 Second work package is completed By the end of April, the second work package in the CIRCON project will be completed. Recently, we had two working group meetings at which we predominantly discussed barriers (with their possible solutions) in implementing circular construction in Iceland. The outcome of these discussions will be published in the upcoming months. But maybe you have some ideas on how to facilitate circular construction and want to share them? The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 27.04.2023 Green Leap in Iceland’s construction sector Around 300 people took part in the Grænt stökk í mannvirkjagerð (Green Leap in Iceland’s construction sector) event discussing the transition to more sustainable and circular construction. The main message that can be taken from all of the speeches is: we can do it, but we have to work together to make the transition happen . The key lecture was given by Anders Lendager, the CEO at Lendager , who proved that circular construction is possible and dispelled the myth that circular building is always much more expensive than conventional one. His partner in Iceland, Arnhildur Palmadottir , showed her projects proving that circular construction is possible also in Iceland by playing with locally available materials. In the same subject, we presented a brief overview of new challenges and changes in the roles of stakeholders when switching to more circular construction, one of the outcomes of the CIRCON project. We also discussed other ongoing and recently completed projects, with an emphasis on those related to the Byggjum grænni framtíð - Roadmap towards sustainable construction . The recording of the meeting can be found here . The event was organised by Húsnæðis- og mannvirkjastofnun with Samtök iðnaðarins and Green Building Council Iceland. The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 08.12.2022 Last CIRCON meeting in 2022 At the last meeting within CIRCON this year, we discussed the first draft of the compendium of knowledge with our partners - Polish Green Building Council and Silesian University of Technology . But now, as Christmas is closer and closer, we want to wish you all the best over the holidays. See you in 2023! The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 01.12.2022 Nordic Circular Summit Despite the break in our meetings in the CIRCON project, we are not sleeping. Last week we participated in #NordicCircularSummit – the biggest conference on circular economy in the Nordics organised in beautiful Stockholm. There were so many insightful presentations regarding circular construction that it is hard to mention them here. For those who could not attend, keep an eye on the event’s website – presentations should be uploaded in the nearest weeks. But two blunt end messages need to stay with us: 👉🏻As Kari Herlevi from Sitra said: “It is not just about maximising value; it is about reducing the negative impacts and then moving on to being nature positive ”, and, following Nancy Bocken from Maastricht University: “There is no business to be done on a dead planet, so focus on regeneration! ”.👈🏻 Last but not least, the next #NordicCircularSummit 2023 will be in Reykjavik! The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 31.10.2022 First work package is completed With the end of October, the first work package in the CIRCON project is completed. As the last part of the first work package, we had two working group meetings at which we discussed the created circularity indicators, which will be a part of the primary project outcome - guidelines on the circular design. The proposed circular indicators 🏠 take into account the following: - the amount of secondary materials used in the construction or renovation process; - the amount of waste reduced during the demolition or renovation process; - building's adaptability and disassembly potential; - the potential for sharing space; - building's energy efficiency. The guidelines with the circularity indicators should be published at the latest in summer 2023. The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 05.08.2022 Our visit in Drangar As a part of our partners' meeting in Iceland, we visited one of the rare European examples of rural buildings redefined and reconstructed in the spirit of the circular economy - Drangar. Drangar, located in Skógarströnd, is a complex of former farm buildings (a tractor shed, a cowshed, a farmhouse, and a barn) built in the 1980s and operating as such until 2001. After 12 years of falling into disrepair, the new owners brought it back to a new life by cooperating with architects from Studio Granda. Now, the buildings serve as guesthouses (former tractor shed and cowshed) and private accommodation (former barn and farmhouse). * Myndin að neðan: Dawid Franke. Preserving the character of the buildings' was the idea standing behind the renovation. That is why the primary structure, the shape, and arrangement of windows and doors, were kept. Furthermore, even though some of the roofs had to be replaced, they were not wasted. Their elements were used - the corrugated tin was used as shuttering for new concrete walls, and the timber structure was transformed into solid dining tables. The floor in the cowshed, crossed by concrete slats and steel grills, was replaced by a terrazzo floor, while the concrete slats and the steel grills were used as terrace paving and headboards in the guestrooms, respectively. Last but not least, most of the existing concrete walls remained. The materials preservation involved not only the construction materials themselves. For landscaping, earth from the site was used. Also, the manure from the cowshed was used as a fertiliser around the property in the owners' ambitious forestry project, currently scoring at around 50,000 trees and seedlings planted. The last stage of the project was renovating the old farmhouse, which was designed solely by the Drangar owners, naturally using the remaining materials left from the previous renovations. So now, only one non-restored element in Drangar – is a hay tower from the 1950s. When asked about it, one of the owners said, 'every respected guesthouse or hotel needs to have an old ruin, so we also have one'. This, however, does not mean the end of the Drangar project, as the owners are full of energy and motivation to continue developing their premises. ​ More information about Drangar: Home The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 04.08.2022 Partners' meeting in Iceland After a short summer break, CIRCON started again. We started with a partners' meeting in Iceland. At the meeting, we discussed data on the Polish and Icelandic construction sectors collected so far. We also discussed real-life examples of implementing circular economy principles in construction and the main project outcome - the compendium of knowledge. Eventually, we planned our further steps. The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 15.07.2022 July's partners' meeting Even during summer CIRCON team does not rest. Today we had a partners’ meeting with PLGBC Polish Green Building Council and the Silesian University of Technology. We discussed a draft version of the circularity indicators, which will be part of the main project’s outcome – guidelines on the circular design of buildings. The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 15.06.2022 Time for a summer break – three working group meetings already behind us On 15th June 2022, we met for the third time and intensively discussed existing circularity indicators found in the open literature (and there are many of them - around 30!). We also tried to formulate the main criteria that should be considered when assessing circularity in the Icelandic context. And now it’s time for the summer holidays! The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 15.06.2022 Can the circular economy help solve the Icelandic construction sector’s challenges? The construction sector is facing increasing pressure due to the urgent need for more housing available in the capital area and the inevitability of the transition to circular and sustainable solutions. Can CIRCON contribute to easing this burden? A small piece of information was published regarding that in Frettabladid under the link: Link The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 07.06.2022 Our second working group meeting On 7th June 2022, we met for the second time. This time we discussed the role of different stakeholders in implementing circular economy principles in the construction and at which stage of building life implementing them has the highest potential. Eventually, as there is no universal definition of a circular building, we debated what it really means that a building is circular. The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 25.05.2022 The first working group meeting is behind us On 25st May 2022, our working group of experts representing the cross-section of the Icelandic construction sector met for the first time. We discussed the importance of implementing a circular economy in the construction sector, the main obstacles/challenges related to that and how we can accelerate the transformation of the sector into a more circular one. In the photo, you can see our views on the primary motivations for circular economy implementation in the construction sector. Can you think of any other one? The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. 04.05.2022 A new project on circular economy started in GBCI On 1st April 2022, GBC Iceland launched a new project on circular economy CIRCON - The circular economy in construction: eco-design of circular buildings. The project will be realised for 2 years with two Polish partners - the Polish Green Building Council and the Silesian University of Technology. The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213.

About the project Nordic Networks for Circular Construction (NNCC) was a two-year project aiming at accelerating the implementation of circular economy principles in the Nordic construction sector. It is financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers . The project consisted of six work packages of which GBCI and the Housing and Construction Authority of Iceland (HMS ) work towards realising Work package 6: National Fora . Other work packages dealed with, among others, analysing the barriers and possibilities in implementing a circular economy in Nordics and metrics for circularity. Work package 6: National Fora One of the crucial parts of sustainable and circular construction development is sharing know-how and hands-on experiences along the entire chain of construction stakeholders. This is often realised by the so-called national fora (networks) consisting of the cross-section of the construction sector. Therefore, one of the goals of Work package 6: National fora was creating such a network in Iceland to facilitate spreading the knowledge on circular construction, especially focusing on the Icelandic and Nordic context, but not excluding European and global state-of-the-art solutions. ​ Additionally, workshops with various stakeholders were organised to strengthen the implementation of a circular economy in Nordic construction. At these workshops, the findings on the barriers to adopting circular construction (Work Package 2: Analysis of Barriers and Possibilities ) were presented, and possible solutions were discussed to define further steps necessary to accelerate the implementation of circular construction. Main objectives > Creating the network on circular construction in Iceland to facilitate sharing of know-how and hands-on experiences among Icelandic and foreign construction sector stakeholders; > Defining further steps necessary to accelerate the adaptation of circular economy in Nordic countries.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to evaluate a product or service's local and global environmental impact over its lifetime or "from cradle to grave". More precisely, the overall environmental impact is analysed, so the one occurring at all stages of the ecosystem or across the entire value chain, i.e. due to the acquisition of raw materials, production, use and disposal. The framework and methodology of performing LCA for buildings are presented in the EN 15978 standard (Sustainability of construction works - Assessment of environmental performance of buildings - Calculation method). According to the standard, the LCA results are presented for five main phases, and each phase is identified with a letter and serial number: The following software can, for example, be used to create an LCA for buildings: One Click LCA - Simple LCA calculations in the design phase of buildings Danish LCAbyg - From Denmark: Statens Byggeforskningsinstitut, Aalborg Universitet Copenhagen Green Delta’s OpenLCA – From GreenDelta in Berlin, Germany Life cycle costing (LCC) Often, Life-cycle costing (LCC) is performed together with LCA. LCC is used to analyseall the costs incurred during the asset's lifetime (e.g., product, service, building). The considered costs are, among others, purchase costs and costs associated with that (e.g., delivery or installation costs), operation costs (e.g., energy or fuel costs, maintenance costs), and end-of-life costs (e.g., disposal or recycling costs). LCC can also include the asset's residual value, so potential revenue from its reuse or sale.

Certification systems 2023 Grænni byggð gaf út skýrslunar 1) Áhrif byggingarefna og orkunýtingar á kolefnisspor bygginga - Samanburður á kolefnisspori byggingarefna og orkunotkunar í BREEAM vottaðri og óvottaðri byggingu, og 2) Reynsla hagaðila að vistvottunarkerfum - Viðtöl við byggingariðnaðinn. Skýrslurnar voru unnar í samstarfi við Húsnæðis- og mannvirkjastofnun, með styrk frá umhverfis-, orku- og loftslagsráðuneytinu, og eru hluti af aðgerð 5.2.1 í Vegvísi að vistvænni mannvirkjagerð 2030: Greina ávinning og kostnað umhverfisvottana. Hægt er að lesa skýrslurnar með því að smella á þær hér að neðan. 2019-2020 GBCI worked together with the Icelandic Civil Engineering Agency (Mannvirkjastofnun) on a research project on the certification system of buildings. Two certification systems were chosen for research - BREEAM and Swan. The project goal was to carry out tests and instructions on the systems and to study how they adapt to the conditions in the Icelandic construction market. The reports can be read below. BREEAM certification scheme for buildings - Brochure (in Icelandic) BREEAM 2016 Energy requirements and the experience of meeting them in Icelandic projects (in Icelandic) BREEAM - Visual comfort (in Icelandic) BREEAM quality and environmental management - The requirements and how they have been met in Iceland (in Icelandic) The experience of the environmental certification Swan for buildings - Part I General review (in Icelandic) BREEAM In-Use (in Icelandic) BREEAM Construction materials and waste - The requirements and how they have been fulfilled in Iceland (in Icelandic) Transport and land use requirements in BREEAM international 2016 (in Icelandic) BREEAM Building materials - Introductory brochure on the requirements (in Icelandic) The experience of the environmental certification The Swan for buildings - Part II The rating system (in Icelandic) The annexe can be found here (in Icelandic). Environmental certification system for buildings - analysis of the feasibility and adaptability of foreign certification systems for the Icelandic construction market (in Icelandic)

Upcoming events Past events - 2023 Launching event of the Icelandic network on circular construction - Hringvangur 13/12/2023 It has been decided to create an independent platform for communication about the circular economy in the construction industry. This network will be called Hringvangur. Its establishment is within the Nordic Networks for Circular Construction project, in which the Housing and Infrastructure Agency and Green Building Council Iceland participate. Greenery will manage the venue. ​ Hringvangur's founding meeting was held on the 13th of December from 15:00-16:30 at the Grand Hotel. The event began with a presentation of Hringvangur's goals, scope and budget. Afterwards, we listened to four inspiring talks about ambitious Icelandic circular construction projects, chaired by Halla Helgadóttir (Iceland Design and Architecture ). Agenda (in Icelandic ) : → Áróra Árnadóttir, Grænni byggð - Hringvangur → Björk Úlfarsdóttir, Colas – Endurunnið í malbik → Elín Þórólfsdóttir, EFLA and Perla Dís Kristinsdóttir, Basalt Architects - Hringrásarveggur → Ragnar Ómarsson, Verkís – Um meðferð á bundnu kolefni → Arnhildur Pálmadóttir and Hrefna Sigurðardóttir, Lendager Ísland – Wasteland sýningin ​ Here, you can find Facebook event. Energy efficiency of buildings in Iceland - are we ready to add 35,000 apartments in the next 6 years? 30/11/2023 Agenda and presentations : → Alma Dagbjört Ívarsdóttir, Mannvit Orkunýtni bygginga og bætt innivist - notkun á hermihugbúnaði (in Ice landic) → Ásgeir Valur Einarsson, Iðan Þéttleiki húsa - stórt skref í átt að orkunýtni (in Icelandic) → Egill M Þorbergsson, Veitur Forðamál fyrir höfuðborgarsvæðið - 100 ára sýn Veitna (i n Icelandic) → Katarzyna Jagodzinska, Grænni Byggð Mikilvægi orkunýtingar þegar horft er til sjálfbærni og hringrásarhagkerfið (i n Icelandic) → Matthías Ásgeirsson, VSÓ Ávinningur á bættri orkunotkun eldri bygginga (i n Icelandic) → Þórunn Nanna Ragnarsdóttir, EFLA Framtíð orkuútreikninga bygginga og hlutverk vélrænna loftræsikerfa (i n Icelandic) Panellists: → Ágúst Pálsson, HMS ; → Hilmar Hildar Magnsúsarson, Reykjavíkurborg; → Íris Þórarinsdóttir, Reitir. Moderator: Rósbjörg Jónsdóttir, Icelandic Renewable Energy Cluster . Energy efficiency of buildings in Iceland - are we ready to add 35,000 apartments in the next 6 years? 31/10/2023 Increased energy efficiency in buildings in Iceland → How are we doing? → Is energy saving in buildings in Iceland necessary? → Can we use energy better in buildings? → How can we improve utilization? → Do we have access to sufficient energy to build 35,000 apartments by 2030 as planned? These questions and others were answered at the event organised by Green Building Council Iceland, HMS, and Icelandic Renewable Energy Cluster . ​ The recording of the event can be found here . Agenda and presentations : → Alma Dagbjört Ívarsdóttir, Mannvit Orkunýtni bygginga og bætt innivist - notkun á hermihugbúnaði (in Icelandic) → Ásgeir Valur Einarsson, Iðan Þéttleiki húsa - stórt skref í átt að orkunýtni (in Icelandic) → Egill M Þorbergsson, Veitur Forðamál fyrir höfuðborgarsvæðið - 100 ára sýn Veitna (i n Icelandic) → Katarzyna Jagodzinska, Grænni Byggð Mikilvægi orkunýtingar þegar horft er til sjálfbærni og hringrásarhagkerfið (i n Icelandic) → Matthías Ásgeirsson, VSÓ Ávinningur á bættri orkunotkun eldri bygginga (i n Icelandic) → Þórunn Nanna Ragnarsdóttir, EFLA Framtíð orkuútreikninga bygginga og hlutverk vélrænna loftræsikerfa (i n Icelandic) Panellists: → Ágúst Pálsson, HMS ; → Hilmar Hildar Magnsúsarson, Reykjavíkurborg; → Íris Þórarinsdóttir, Reitir. Moderator: Rósbjörg Jónsdóttir, Icelandic Renewable Energy Cluster . Nordic Circular Summit Partner Session: Nordic Circular Construction ꜰᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴄɪʀᴄᴜʟᴀʀ ᴇᴄᴏɴᴏᴍʏ ɪɴ ᴄᴏɴꜱᴛʀᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ: ᴇxᴘʟᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ɪɴɴᴏᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ 18/10/2023 How can we, stakeholders in the construction sector, facilitate the circularity of our work? What could the Nordic Council of Ministers do to push forward circular construction? We explored together the need for innovation in the construction sector, focusing on how stakeholders can promote circularity in their work and the Nordic Council of Ministers' role in advancing circular construction at our event on the 18th of October as part of the Nordic Circular Summit conference. ​ Here you can find the recording of the event. Agenda and presentations: ​ Part I: Circular economy in construction – Is it doable in practice? → Katarzyna Jagodzińska, Project manager, Grænni byggð 𝘊𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘴 – 𝘐𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸? → Stefan Eriksson, Project manager, Vasakronan 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴-𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘒𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘒𝘈𝘑16 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 Part II: Group discussion Topic: New methods and new systems that support the reuse of building materials. Moderator: Otto-Wille Koste, Demos Helsinki . Green Building Council Day 2023 27/09/2023 The Green Building Council Day 2023 was held on the 27th of September from 13:00 to 17:00 in Gróska. The event kicked off with 11 interesting talks delivered by sustainability professionals in the construction industry. After the presentations, the Green Shovel was delivered. The prize was awarded to the FSRE and partners for the nursing home Móberg in Selfoss. ​ At the event, we also had exhibitions of sustainable building solutions from Neuza Valadas , Stúdíó Flétta, Stúdíó Lúdika , and PAGO . ​ See the Facebook event here . Agenda and presentations: Moderator : Þórhildur Fjóla Kristjánsdóttir, EFLA ​→ Opnun stjórnarformanns (Íris Þórarinsdóttir, Reitir ); ​→ Ávarp (Andrés Ingi Jónsson, Member of the Parlament); → Dagsbirta í byggð (in Ic elan dic) (Anna Sigríður Jóhannsdóttir, Architect); → Er græn byggð græn án grænna samgangna? (in Icelandic) (Daði Baldur Ottósson, EFLA ); → Mannlíf, byggð og bæjarrými (in Icelandic) (Magnea Guðmundsdóttir, Stika , og Jón Kjartan Ágústsson, SSH ); → Sjálfbær stýring jarðefnaflutninga (in Ic elan dic) (Davíð Thor Guðmundsson og Hallgrímur Örn Arngrímsson, Verkís ); → Heildrænar áherslur Svansins (in Ic elan dic) (Guðrún Lilja Kristinsdóttir, UST ); → Breytingar á byggingarreglugerð (in Ic elan dic) (Þórunn Lilja Vilbergsdóttir, HMS ); → Áhrif flokkunarreglugerðar ESB á byggingarstarfsemi (in Ic elan dic) (Margrét Helga Guðmundsdóttir, Deloitte ); → Hringrásarsmíði og Hringvangur (Katarzyna Jagodzińska, Grænni byggð); Nordic Sustainable Infrastructure Webinar 13/09/2023 Have you thought about the state of ecological infrastructure in the Nordic countries? ​ On the 13th of September, we, with our sister organizations in Sweden, Finland, and Norway, held a seminar from 10:00 - 11:30. The state of sustainability in infrastructure in each country will be reviewed, and then we will receive two presentations on outstanding examples. It will also be possible to participate in discussions. ​ Agenda : Current state of sustainability in infrastructure from each country: - from Finland Riina Känkänen, Chair of FIGBC Infrastructure Committee and Head of Sustainability, Ramboll Finland; - from Sweden Sofie Absér, Senior Green Transformation Strategist, Sweco; - from Iceland Alexandra Kjeld, Vice-chair of Green Building Council Iceland, EFLA; - from Norway Ketil Søyland, Project director sustainability, Norconsult. Interesting project presentations: - "Crown Bridges - How to make Sustainability part of the project" - Minna Tukiainen, City of Helsinki, Finland; - "Minimizing life cycle emissions from power stations" - Kristinn Jasonarson, Landsvirkjun, Iceland; - "Hammarängen" - David Nordberg and Martin Lundholm, Skanska, Sweden. NordicSustainaleInfrastrucureWebnar Joint Nordic event: Nordic Circular Construction and New Nordic Bauhaus 13/09/2023 What should public bodies do to push for a cycle in construction? How can we, as a society, accelerate the transition to climate neutrality with the circular economy paradigm? ​ On September 13th, we held a seminar in collaboration with Demos Helsinki , Green Building Council Finland , and URBAN AGENDA to answer these questions. Agenda and presentations: ​ Part I: What should the public authorities do to push forward circularity in construction? → Policies Enabling the Reuse of Construction Products in the Nordics (Sidse Zimmermann, Nordic Sustainable Construction project, Denmark) → Material passports and a data dictionary for reused building materials (Katrine Hauge Smith, Senior Consultant - Danish Technological Institute, Denmark) ​ Group discussion on chosen topics: → Secondary materials quality (How could public authorities ensure the quality of secondary materials?) → Cost responsibility (If additional assessment/work is necessary to enable reuse, where does the cost burden sit?) → Data availability (How can public authorities ensure the availability of secondary materials?) → Preparing for the future (What data could be gathered and what infrastructure could be built to avoid issues we're facing now in the future?) Part II: New Nordic Bauhaus – How will we live in a Carbon Neutral world in 2050? How do we want to live and build in the future when we do not strain the earth's balance and resources? What is "the good Nordic life" in the CO2-neutral society of the future? With support from the New Nordic Bauhaus initiative, we focus on the lifestyle of the future and, together with the audience, will formulate how we can develop a joint focus on the climate-neutral society of the future and everyday life where we continue to thrive and feel good - preferably with approaches such as art and culture. The society of the future must be climate neutral, and we must radically reduce our CO2 emissions. But how are we going to build and live, and how do we move forward when we basically know what the problem is, we have legislation, a framework and finances, but still the necessary change is going far too slowly. What can we do in the Nordics, what does the New Nordic Bauhaus look like, and what do we dream of in 2050? ​ Panellists Antti Lehto, Assistant Professor – Housing Design, Aalto University , Finland Charlotte Nyholm, Architect and sustainable construction specialist, Vapaa Collective and Granlund , Finland Gitte Grønfeld Wille, Director, Nordic Culture Point , Finland Matti Kuittinen, Professor, Aalto University , Finland Moderator Nikolaj Sveistrup, Founder and Director, URBAN AGENDA, Denmark Key listener Mads Wolff, Director, Sustainability 2030, Danmörk CIRCON Conference. Circular construction: Are we ready for the leap? 01/09/2023 Green Building Council Iceland held a conference in Laugardalshöll on September 1 from 09:30 to 16:00. The conference was part of the Industrial Exhibition, and we worked together with the Housing and Civil Engineering Agency to combine the conference with their exhibition, where grantees from the Aski - Civil Engineering Research Fund were prioritized. At the conference, practical experience was shared about the circular economy in the construction industry, and the main obstacles were discussed.​ Agenda and presentations: Moderator : Freyr Eyjólfsson, Project manager - Circular economy, SORPA ​ Session 1: Proof-of-concept - Design: → CIRCON project (Katarzyna Jagodzińska, Project manager - Circular construction, Grænni byggð) → Er verið að steypa nýju fötin keisarans? Þegar gagnsæi og rannsóknir gegna lykilhlutverki í vistvænni mannvirkjagerð (in Ic elandic) (Sigríður Ósk Bjarnadóttir, Director of sustainability and quality, Hornsteinn /BM Vallá ) → Form fylgir framboði (in Ic elan dic) (Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, Architect and co-owner, Lendager Island) → Jarðsetning: tímans rás (in Ic elandic) (Anna María Bogadóttir, Founder, URBANISTAN ) ​ First panel discussion : → Bjarma Magnúsdóttir, Environment director, ÍAV → Halla Helgadóttir, Executive director, Iceland Design and Architecture → Íris Þórarinsdóttir, Environment manager, Reitir → Perla Dís Kristinsdóttir, Architect, Basalt Architects → Sigríður Maack, Chairman, Architects Association of Iceland ​ Session 2: Proof-of-concept - Materials: → Kortlagning – en hvað meira? (in Icelandic) (Guðný Káradóttir, Team leader - The green way, VSÓ ) → Rúststeinar (in Ic elandic) (Narfi Þorsteinsson, Graphic designer, Narfi ) → Biobuilding: start small, think big (Jan Dobrowolski, Founder, Studio Ludíka ) → PAGO BYLTINGIN (Byggingarefni framtíðar) (in Ic elandic) (Ólöf Salmon Guðmundsdóttir, CEO, PAGO ) → CIRCULA PackWall Byggingaplötur (in Ic elandic) (Sighvatur Lárusson, Founder, CIRCULA) ​ Second panel discussion : → Aðalheiður Atladóttir, Project manager, FSRE → Ásgeir B. Torfason, Financial expert → Björg Ásta Þórðardóttir, Director - Construction, the Federation of Icelandic Industries → Hulda Hallgrímsdóttir, Project Manager - Economic and Urban Development, Reykjavíkurborg → Þórunn Sigurðardóttir, Team leader, HMS ​ → Boltinn byrjar að rúlla (in Icelandic) (Hrafnhildur Sif Hrafnsdóttir, Project manager, HMS ) (in Ic elandic) ​ Watch the recording of the event here . 35,000 apartments in 10 years: What is the best way to do this? 22/08/2023 During Design March 2023, the Icelandic Association of Architects , in collaboration with Green Building Council Iceland and the Housing and Construction Authority , held a seminar in Gróska where quality, the environment and society were prioritized. The seminar arose from a new housing plan, where the state and local authorities plan to ensure the construction of 35,000 new apartments in the country over the next 10 years. The seminar began with presentations from architects and writers, which fed into panel discussions. The meeting was chaired by Brynja Þorgeirsdóttir. 35,000 apartments in 10 years: What is the best way to do this? 05/05/2023 During Design March 2023, the Icelandic Association of Architects , in collaboration with Green Building Council Iceland and the Housing and Construction Authority , held a seminar in Gróska where quality, the environment and society were prioritized. The seminar arose from a new housing plan, where the state and local authorities plan to ensure the construction of 35,000 new apartments in the country over the next 10 years. The seminar began with presentations from architects and writers, which fed into panel discussions. The meeting was chaired by Brynja Þorgeirsdóttir. Presentations: Anna María Bogadóttir, Architect and writer Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, Architect Friðgeir Einarsson, Writ er Kristján Örn Kjartansson, Architect ​ Double discussion panel: Andri Snær Magnason, Writer Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, Architect Ásdís Hlökk Theodórsdóttir, Planner Borghildur Sturludóttir, Architect Dagur B. Eggertsson, Mayor of Reykjavík Gylfi Gíslason, Manager of J áverk Hermann Jónsson, CEO of the Housing and Construction Authority Jóhannes Þórðarson, Architect Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir, Mayor of Hafnarfjarðarbær Sigurður Hannesson, Executive Director of the Icel andic Industry Association (SI) Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, Minister of Infrastructure Thráinn Hauksson, Landscape architect Green Leap in Iceland’s construction sector 27/04/2023 Around 300 people took part in the Grænt stökk í mannvirkjagerð (Green Leap in Iceland’s construction sector) event discussing the transition to more sustainable and circular construction. The main message that can be taken from all of the speeches is: we can do it, but we have to work together to make the transition happen. The key lecture was given by Anders Lendager, the CEO at Lendager, who proved that circular construction is possible and dispelled the myth that circular building is always much more expensive than conventional one. His partner in Iceland, Arnhildur Palmadottir, showed her projects proving that circular construction is possible also in Iceland by playing with locally available materials. In the same subject, we presented a brief overview of new challenges and changes in the roles of stakeholders when switching to more circular construction, one of the outcomes of the CIRCON project. We also discussed other ongoing and recently completed projects, with an emphasis on those related to the Byggjum grænni framtíð - Roadmap towards sustainable construction . Agenda and the recordings of the presentations: ​ Moderator: Björg Ásta Þórðardóttir, Director - Constructio n, the Federation of Icelandic Industries → Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, Minister of Infrastructure, Opening speech (in Ice landic) → The invention of the (un)natural system (Anders Lendager, Architect, founder and CEO, Lendager Group ) → Nordic Sustainable Construction: The Nordic journey in ecological construction (Helle Redder Momsen, Project manager Nordic Sustainable Construction ) → Byggjum grænni framtíð: Íslenska vegferðin í vistvænni mannvirkjagerð (in Icelandic) (Þóra Margrét Þorgeirsdóttir, Director of Infrastructure and Sustainability, HMS ) → Hvernig byggir Grænni byggð grænni framtíð? (in Icelandic) (Áróra Árnadóttir, CEO, Green Building Council Iceland ) → Urban society and urban agglomeration. The circular economy (Jukka Heinonen, Professor, University of Iceland ) → Arkitektúr og mannvirkjagerð með sjálfbærni og hringrásarhagkerfið að leiðarljósi (in Icelandic) (Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, Architect and co-owner, Lendager á Íslandi) → Circular construction: Can we continue with business as usual? ( Katarzyna Jagodzińska, Project manager, Green Building Council Iceland) → Loftslagsmarkmið, vistvæn steypa og byggingariðnaður (in Icelandic) (Sigríður Ósk Bjarnadóttir, Environmental affairs director, Hornsteinn ) → Askur styður við stökkið (in Icelandic) ( Hrafnhildur Sif Hrafnsdóttir, Project manager of Askur , HMS ) → Panel discussion Anders Lendager (Arkitekt, Architect, founder and CEO, Lendager Group ) and Sigurður Hannesson (Director, the Federation of Icelandic Industries ) The event was organised by Húsnæðis- og mannvirkjastofnunar (HMS) with the Federation of Icelandic Industries and Green Building Council Iceland. The way towards emission-free construction sites - Online event 16/03/2023 Throughout the first phase of this work package, the focus has been on gathering Nordic and European input to publish a report that analyses and determines the general definitions, boundaries, and terminology of the emission-free construction site area. This describes the status of the field today and is a good preparation for the next steps in the area. A standard definition of construction site boundaries and what emissions are included is a foundation for cooperative Nordic development in this field. Read the report: https://www.norden.org/da/node/79878 An online event was held to promote the publication of the report. There, we also introduced the Nordic network of cooperation and displayed the video from the site visit to the Green Construction Site of the Future. The event's moderator was Hólmfríður Bjarnadóttir, and specialists from Volvo CE and SiteHub talked about their way towards emission-free construction sites. Recording of the event:​ An urgent need for change 19/01/2023 On 19th January stakeholders in the building industry came together for the workshop Round Table for Circularity and had a meaningful conversation on how to implement a circular system in the industry. This is a pressing matter as there is an urgent need for change. The workshop was organized by Iceland Design and Architecture (Miðstöð hönnunar og arkitektúrs ), Architectures Association of Iceland (Arkitektafélagi Íslands) , EFLA, and Green Building Council Iceland in collaboration with the Federation of Icelandic Industries (Samtök iðnaðarins) , Reykjavik City (Reykjavíkurborg), and The Government Property Agency (FSRE) . Around forty important people from all of the value chain of the building industry took part in the workshop. There were representatives from real estate companies, contracting firms, engineering firms, institutions, architect firms and the government. The conclusion from the workshop was very clear: Compared to the neighboring countries, Iceland is behind when it comes to implementing circularity within the building industry and there is urgent need for change. What needs to be done? > New regulations for circularity. > A market square for used construction products. > A dynamic research center for the building industry. > Design new buildings with an emphasis on recycling and flexibility. > Redesign and reutilise older buildings. > A green incentive system for the building industry. > A strong collaboration between all stakeholders. It is clear that there is a great need for a focused conversation and collaboration across all invested parties. All participants at the workshop agreed on how important it is that the whole building industry unites in actions needed to implement a circular system across all fields of the industry. These issues are already being worked on in many parts of the field, but the entire chain must work together in order to ensure success. At the beginning of the meeting, participants got inspiring talks by Helle Redder Momsen, Head of Secretariat for the Nordic collaboration on Sustainable Construction in Denmark and Alexander van Leersum, director of Build to Impact in Rotterdam, Netherlands, who shared their experience of implementing circular systems in the building industry. Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, architect, and Áróra Árnadóttir, from Green Building Council Iceland, went over recent examples of sustainable projects in Iceland and what the current status is of the implementation of a circular system in the building industry in Iceland. After the workshop there was an open meeting in Gróska where guests got insight into this important conversation. A lively panel discussion was a part of the meeting. Participants in the panel were Borghildur Sturludóttir, head of department at Reykjavík’s planning office (Reykjavíkurborg ), Friðjón Sigurðsson, director of development at Reitir real estate, Halldór Eiríksson, director of Samark , Hermann Jónsson, director of HMS and Kristrún Tinna Gunnarsdóttir, director of strategy and sustainability at Íslandsbanki . The project Round Table for Circulation (Hringborg hringrásarinnar) is realised with support from the Askur research fund for construction .

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Environmental product declarations (EPDs) - Concrete in Iceland BM VALLÁ Berglind C25/30 BM VALLÁ Berglind Svan C25/30 BM VALLÁ Berglind C30/37 BM VALLÁ Berglind Svan C30/37 BM VALLÁ Aflsteypa C35/45 FRAUÐSTEYPA EHF Hebel Aereated Concrete Steypustöðin Ready-mix concrete C35/45 XC4 XF3 XD3 D22 S4 Ae Steypustöðin Ready-mix concrete C30/37 XC4 XF2 D22 S4 Ae Steypustöðin Ready-mix concrete C30/37 XC3 D16 S4 Steypustöðin Ready-mix concrete C25/30 XC3 XF1 D22 S4 Ae

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