Buildings account for 40 pct. of Denmark’s total energy consumption. Climate friendly construction and energy renovations are therefore important, and climate change solutions should be incorporated in new constructions.
For this to succeed workers must play a key role. If we look towards Norway that is what Glava Isolation has done by taken the green transition of the construction sector to their advantage by involving the workers.
Glava Isolation is part of “Glava” – a leading developer and producer of construction materials in Norway, producing isolation, mortars and plasterboards.
A sustainable day
A “sustainability day” is a way in which Glava has involved the workers in the green transition. The workers have been encouraged to share ideas and suggestions on measures that can improve Glava’s environmentally sustainable production.
An example of Glava’s climate change solution is the shift from the use of new glass to recycled isolating glass from cars, which is both more environmentally friendly and cost-saving. In addition to reducing the use of new resources, recycled glass enables the company to keep a lower melting temperature in their production, and reduces transports of glass for combustion to Germany and Finland.
Worker participation enables a circular economy
The case of Glava and the involvement of workers illustrate the importance of workers knowledge in the transition from linear production to a circular economy.
On 30 March 2022 the European Commission will present the first circular economy package with an initiative on sustainable products and the review of the construction product regulation.
An important step towards realizing the emission targets of the European climate law.
In FH’s Climate Plan, we propose a strategy for the circular economy and development of climate-friendly materials in Denmark. And we emphasize the importance of involvement of workers.
Workers often have specific knowledge on how to save materials, electricity and heat. This knowledge must be harvested. It can, among other things, contribute to the transition to a circular economy which requires new ways of thinking and business models, and in the development of green and socially sustainable procurement and tendering.
Literature
Glava. (n.d.). Glava stiller seg bak Grønnvaskingsplakaten. Retrieved from
https://www.glava.no/aktuelt/glava-stiller-seg-bak-gronnvaskingsplakaten
Glava. (n.d.). Våre bærekraftsmål i Glava. Retrieved from https://www.glava.no/om-glava/vare-
