The Circular Buildings Coalition works across Europe to bring together industry leaders, organisations, and policymakers to address the changes needed to scale circularity in the built environment. At the same time, Realdania’s Circular Construction 2.0 initiative helps the Danish construction sector develop and test practical solutions that can increase the recycling and recovery of building materials at scale.
Smith Innovation is involved in both initiatives and recognises the uniqueness of this deep level collaboration. “Realdania and Laudes Foundation are both significant agents in supporting systemic transformations of the built environment. They share common ground on ambitions and at the same time also work with different philanthropic tools. In combination, they can give circular construction in Europe much needed momentum,” says Simone Kongsbak, Partner at Smith Innovation.
The collaboration between Laudes Foundation and Realdania is built on a shared belief that some of the construction sector’s biggest challenges – from climate emissions to resource scarcity – cannot be solved by individual organisations, markets or countries acting alone.
"Laudes Foundation is proud to partner with Realdania on a shared ambition: transforming the built environment so it works for people, climate and nature. Mainstreaming circular construction is central to that. By connecting Denmark's Circular Construction 2.0 with the broader Circular Buildings Coalition, we can build the shared knowledge, deeper partnerships and market-ready solutions needed to transform an industry accounting for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions," says Leslie Johnston, Chief Executive Officer of Laudes Foundation.
More specifically, Laudes Foundation and Realdania will work together to strengthen:
The market infrastructure for secondary materials – pairing Circular Construction 2.0’s mapping of Danish material flows (where reusable materials are, in what quantities, and how they are sourced and processed) with the Circular Buildings Coalition’s work on financing and ownership models, so that documented supply can meet credible, scalable demand across Europe.
Take-back and recovery schemes with established manufacturers of construction products – using Danish pilots and documentation of material quality and origin to de-risk the schemes, and the Circular Buildings Coalition’s network and proven “Blueprint” solutions to help diffuse them across European markets.
The innovation gap between supply and demand for secondary materials – combining Circular Construction 2.0’s practical testing and a shared evidence base on material flows with the Circular Buildings Coalition’s alliances, data-flow work and local market demonstrators, so that promising solutions can move from single projects to mainstream practice
Unlocking the full potential
In recent years, the construction sector has taken important steps towards circularity, with much attention focused on the direct reuse of building components. But achieving the full potential of circular construction requires a broader approach.
Materials need to stay in use for longer. They need to be recovered, transformed, and reintroduced into new products and building systems. Creating the conditions requires new business models, stronger value chains, and closer collaboration across the sector.
“Together, we will generate new insights into market innovation, circular business models and take-back systems for construction materials – all of which are essential if circularity is to work in practice. We also hope to demonstrate how philanthropic foundations can work together across initiatives and geographies to create greater impact and help build the conditions for a more circular built environment across Europe,” says Stine Lea Jacobi, Chief Philanthropic Officer in Realdania.