Circular Economy in the Built Environment: talk write-up & recording

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, our built environment uses almost half the materials extracted globally every year and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. By applying the principles of the circular economy to the way that buildings, infrastructure and other elements of the built environment are designed, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while creating urban areas that are more liveable, productive and convenient. According to another recent report, two of the four key industries responsible for carbon overshoot are associated with the built environment. While we still have a long way to go, the decline in cost of resources in the last 100 years is shifting, as a result of reaching peak supply of materials, combined with growing demand in emerging economies. The tipping point in resource cost should propel us forward.

In May, we organised a session bringing together professionals from the built environment for a panel discussion reflecting back on progress made since the foundation’s guidance was shared. The event, hosted at Civic Engineers' Reeds Wharf London studio, welcomed engineers and architects working on projects that involve the salvaging and upcycling of materials, including those from the team at Civic Engineers, FORE Partnership, Webb Yates Enigneers, Heyne Tillett Steel and AHMM.

You can read Civic Engineers' write-up of the talk here and listen to a full recording of the talk below.