wsb14-session 111-0 introduction by chris hamans
DESCRIPTION
Presentation in session 111 during the World Sustainable Building Conference 2014 in Barcelona (28-30th .Oct. 2014) The theme of the WSB14 was: "Sustainability. Are we moving as quickly as we should? It is up to us!" Session 111 (out of 144 sessions) had to answer the question: "Are we moving in the same direction?" This presentation was the introduction to the session 111. This presentation was one out of the 5 from this session 111. After a questioning, answering and discussion with the audience the session concluded: "No, we are not moving in the same direction!" see WSB14-Sessions 111-0 to 111-4TRANSCRIPT
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Organized by: Promoted by: With the participation of:
We are moving forward!
But are the EU-Member States moving in the same direction?
European Sustainability Consulting, the Netherlands
Chris Hamans
Introduction
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are EU-Member States moving in the same direction?
Sustainability
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Frontrunnersin industry and member states
Industry
• Meanwhile thousands of Environmental Product Declarations; EPD’s
• In the construction sector:EPD applied in marketing, databases, building assessments
Policies and Regulations in EU-Member States
• Assigned methodologies and tools
• Demands for data use, data bases
• Pre-defined scenarios
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Many public and private initiativesrelated to sustainability
European Commission: Communications, White Papers, Directives, Regulations
• DG ENTERPRISE
• DG ENVIRONMENT
• DG ENERGY
• DG RESEARCH
• …………
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Many public and private initiativesrelated to sustainability
European Commission: Communications, White Papers, Directives, Regulations
EU Member States
• All very ambitious ……………
• Political pressure without realising the impact and burden?
• ……………………
• 4 speakers give us some indications !
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Many public and private initiativesrelated to sustainability
European Commission: Communications, White Papers, Directives, Regulations
EU Member States
• 4 speakers give us some indications !
Private tools and Rating Schemes
• Marketing and sales interest
• Different objectives
• Different preferences, priorities by rating
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Many public and private initiatives
European Commission
• Too many initiatives ?
• Too theoretical ?
• Overlapping and non-coordinated
• Desperate attempts to make “one size fits all”:
construction products are intermediate products
the works arethe end-use product
SUSTAIN-OBESE
TOO FAST? TOO MANY? TOO MUCH?
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Sustainability is NOT achieved by piling up “green products” to a building
EuroCodes
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ECO SOC ECON
Technical DesignFunctional Design
Sustainability
A prerequisite for sustainability are the first 6 Basic Requirements for
Construction Works
• without meeting the functional needs there is no sustainability
• without meeting the technical needs there is no sustainability
CPR
305/2011
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Standards
• Sustainability = methodology + communication
• Communication of performances into the building chain
• a harmonised approach:ISO - CEN
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SUSTAINABILITY: are we moving in the same direction?
from the introductions of the speakers, ask to your self:
• Are we moving in the same direction?
• Should it necessarily be the same direction?
• Will we move when receiving different instructions?
• Do we need more instructions?
• Do we need instructions anyway?
• Will we move when receiving too much instructions?
• Are we creating barriers when moving in different directions?
• Are we creating barriers when moving at different speed?
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Introductions to the discussionare we moving in the same direction?
1. Gonçalo AscensãoCEN-CENELEC , European Standards Institute
“Policies and Rules of the European Commission and the role of CEN-Standards”
2. Erling TrudsoeDanish Standardisation DS
“The Nordic region as a standard maker”
3. Tanja BrockmannGerman Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB)
“Role of Building Products within the German Assessment System for Sustainable
Construction”
4. Dieter de LathauwerBelgium; Federal Public Service Health; DG5; Environment and Product Policy. Brussels.
“Policies and Plans for implementing sustainability in the Belgian build environment”
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CONCLUSIONS of presenters and audience
Question: We are moving (towards more sustainability).
But are EU-Member States moving in the same direction?
Session 111 concluded with an answer to the question above:
NO, WE ARE NOT MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION!
• The intentions are there but there is no real common effort. We should
prioritise and focus on core information (not too scientific) and make it
user friendly to apply. Simplification but no limitation.
• There are barriers with the regulators that require a common roadmap
and need additional resource capacity. There is a willingness to
harmonise regulations but guidance, manpower and some financial
resources should be made available for this task.
• Common principles are widely accepted in all member states and by all
member states (LCA based approach and use of EN15804 and EN15978)
but specific elements (eg. background data, databases) need to be lined
up.