The mayors of four major global cities - three of them capitals - have signed up to the C40 Clean Construction Declaration, which aims for a 50% cut in construction emissions by 2030.
Clean Construction Works at Olav V’s gate. Credit: Frederik Varfjell, C40
Clean Construction Works at Olav V’s gate. Credit: Frederik Varfjell, C40
The mayors of Budapest, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Oslo have become the first signatories of the Declaration, which commits them to work alongside the construction industry to halve emissions by the end of the decade.
The Declaration aims to "revolutionise" global construction, shifting it to a more sustainable position, to achieve “a thriving, resilient and healthy life for everyone in our cities, especially our most vulnerable communities.”
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The construction industry is responsible for 23% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) worldwide and 30% of resource consumption, C40 Cities said in a statement.
"If the construction industry continues to take a business as usual approach, the world is on track for a global temperature increase of 3°C," the statement added.
The Clean Construction Declaration outlines three main goals to work towards achieving net-zero emissions buildings and infrastructure of the future.
- Reduce embodied emissions by at least 50% for all new buildings and renovations by 2030,
- Reduce embodied emissions in at least 50% of all infrastructure projects by 2030,
- Acquisition and, if possible, use of exclusively emission-free construction machinery from 2025.
By signing up to the pledge, the mayors have committed to using the purchasing powers of the respective offices to push for change in the construction sector, through the normalisation of the use of zero-emission equipment on the projects covered by their remits.
The Declaration also asks them to insist on accountability and transparency throughout project supply chains, and to giving their official approval to at least one net-zero emission flagship construction project by 2025.
Another aspect of the Clean Cities Declaration is that of repurposing existing building and infrastructure in the cities, with the aim of reducing the need for new raw materials, thus cutting transportation emissions, and creating green construction jobs.
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The production of raw materials used in construction has been problematic for the sector, with steel, cement and concrete accounting for a high amount of emissions.
The reuse of a steel girder or concrete elements cuts greenhouse emissions by 95%, according to Stein Stoknes, cofounder of FutureBuilt, a company working with high-profile sustainable projects in Norway.
“In our management of energy use, materials are left as a considerable expense on the climate account. It´s critical that we maintain what we’ve got and stop the ongoing trend of demolishing buildings,” Stoknes added.
Through the C40 project, mayors will also work with governments at all levels, through advocation for action in areas beyond their remits.
Raymond Johansen, Mayor of Oslo, said: “We are confident that the C40 Clean Construction Declaration will contribute in shifting the construction market globally. Together, we can remove fossil fuels and reduce emissions from construction sites altogether.
"This will make them safer, quieter, cleaner places to work, and will ensure that the air in our cities is cleaner and healthier to breathe. We challenge the Minister of the Environment to take action and ask cities worldwide to join us”.
Cristina Gamboa, CEO of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), said, “WorldGBC celebrates C40’s Clean Construction Declaration, an extension of our joint Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment / Declaration. Promoting leadership from cities that embrace a whole life-cycle approach is crucial to achieving our unified vision of total decarbonisation of the built environment.”
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