Sustainability… A fashionable word that has become part of everyday language, inherent both in construction and in many other areas.
One of the most important economic sectors in Europe is the construction industry, namely buildings. However, this importance does not correspond in the same proportion when it comes to excessive consumption of raw materials, non-renewable energy resources and excessive waste production, and this sector continues to rely mostly on traditional construction methods and unskilled labor. According to 2015 data, it is responsible for 30% of carbon emissions, and the current rate of consumption of energy resources in this sector is above the replacement capacity of natural systems.
According to Paulo Martins, CEO of Ponto Urbano, “it is urgent to improve common practices in all sectors that contribute to the increase of climate change. The construction sector, which consumes almost half the energy produced, is the main responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. It is then the good practices in our sector that will have the greatest impact on the prevention and mitigation of climate change. The search for sustainability in our housing is no longer a mere “fad” but an imperative. We really must move on to make better homes and better cities.”
“At Ponto Urbano we aim to reinterpret building systems by highlighting the contribution that building techniques make to sustainable development in the field of construction. The challenge is firstly to understand what sustainability in construction actually is, what it depends on and who are the players to achieve sustainable construction. And, secondly, is to understand which construction techniques should fall into disuse and which should become part of everyday construction”, says Paulo Martins.
“We hope that, in the short term, in all Europe we manage to demystify the concept of “sustainability”, implement it in order to make the whole construction sector truly more sustainable”, concludes Paulo Martins.