Circular building offers opportunities to reduce material use

A circular economy in the Netherlands by 2050

The Dutch government wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 49% by 2030 and by as much as 95% by 2050 (compared to 1990).

In ‘A Circular Economy in the Netherlands by 2050’, the Cabinet has outlined how we can restructure our economy so that it becomes sustainably-driven and fully circular. To achieve this, we need to take action and set milestones at all levels of our society. The interim target is ambitious but not unattainable: 50% less consumption of primary raw materials (mineral, fossil and metals) by 2030. This objective is in line with the level of ambition in comparable countries.

Innovative, sustainable solutions

TNO contributes to the circular approach in various ways. In sustainable projects for public and private building and infrastructure, we assess innovations, provide insights into where opportunities lie and work out possibilities related to recycling, lifespans and circular design. We also devise innovative solutions for an ecosystem of sustainable materials and technologies with less environmental impact.

Sustainable projects

An example of our approach is the BOB database, which literally shows the building materials used within the built environment. Alongside C2C ExpoLAB, we are working on the Residual Value Calculator, a calculation model that provides insights into the residual financial value of building products. Meanwhile, with our Next Generation Impact Assessment knowledge, we provide insights into the impact of (circular) building materials, among other things.