Background

An important issue for us in northern Europe is energy use in combination with the cold climate. Residential and service sector accounts for nearly 40% of Sweden’s energy consumption. Sustainable construction and management are based on global changes with an increased focus on environmental initiatives, including energy efficiency, and the accommodation. In Umeå, Northern Sweden, a local initiative was taken to set up a network for sustainable construction.

Incentives

In addition to the vision of the network for Sustainable Construction is the Energy Directive adopted in Europe April 23, 2010 a great motivator. If all buildings should be so-called zero-energy, the key to success is to start interacting. The network consists of regional companies and organizations throughout the construction and management who together will build knowledge in the building industry for sustainable construction.

Create a market

It is also about creating a market for sustainable buildings, contributing to a faster transition to new technologies and create action in the construction and management chain all the links – from the planning of such municipality and the construction phase of the contractors to the market, ie, future homebuyers and tenants. This will be done by the network tools training, evaluation and communication.

More information of this initiative can be found on the website of the network.