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About Green Building Council Iceland. Past projects On-going projects Projects The Green Building Council Iceland (GBCI) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) established in 2010 to encourage sustainable construction by inspiring and empowering people to work for the common goal of creating a healthy, sustainable built environment that promotes well-being for all. Mynd: Ástrós Steingrímsdóttir We realise our mission on multiple fronts by: - promoting environmental awareness and green action planning for the building and infrastructure sector; - lobbying authorities to pass legislation that will direct the market in a more sustainable direction; - educating, connecting, and motivating stakeholders involved in the urban planning and building sector. As one of over 70 members of the World Green Building Council, we share the goal of catalysing the uptake of sustainable built environments with the Green Building Councils' network. The main areas of our focus are: - decarbonisation of the built environment; - supporting resources regeneration by promoting circular economy principles in the construction sector; - encouraging a built environment that delivers healthy, resilient, and sustainable constructions. Currently, our organisation has arouhnd 60 members working towards their goal of making the building sector an active player in creating a more sustainable future and a healthier society. Our members Summary of our activities in three main areas: INFORMING → We produce and publish diverse educational materials. → We participate in various research and development projects. → We organise and participate in educational events, panel discussions, and public meetings on sustainable construction. ENCOURAGING → We encourage market players to contribute and show social responsibility in action. → We encourage the public sector to reward projects that meet certain environmental requirements with economic incentives. → We promote the circular economy to be used as a guiding principle in the design, construction, and operation of buildings. CONNECTING → We bring together people from all over the community with the goal of sustainability in the local environment. → We actively cooperate with our sister organisations, especially in the Nordic countries, through projects and events. Vertu með

We work to create a healthy, sustainable built environment that promotes well-being for all. More about us can be fouhnd here. Grænni Byggð members Join us By becoming a member you: - get discounts at events; - you become a role model; - your company takes an active responsibility in environmental matters; - you can increase your knowledge about environmental issues; - you get opportunities for networking; - you support professional work and discussions on environmental issues in construction and planning; - your company can be an active participant in Green Building Council Iceland's projects, professional groups and events; - your company can influence the work and strategy of Green Building Council Iceland. Thank you for submitting! Senda Publications Emission-free construction sites C&D Waste Certification systems Other publications

Past projects On-going projects Here you can find our current and past projects that cover various topics, e.g., circular construction, BREEAM certification, and a net-zero building in Iceland. Projects Mynd: Ástrós Steingrímsdóttir On-going projects Bauhaus Goes North (BGN) 2024-2027 About Better data on carbon emissions from construction sites using real-world data 2025-2026 About Hringvangur – the Icelandic network for circular construction 2025-2026 About Carbon-neutral building in Icelandic conditions 2023-2025 About Guidelines to emission-free construction sites (BGF 2.9) 2023-2025 About Investigate the possibilities and opportunities for the increased implementation of a circular economy in the use of building materials 2025-2026 About Turf houses – can we learn from the past? 2025-2026 About Past projects Establishing clear requirements for reporting actual waste volumes (BGF 4.7 ) 2024-2025 About Establishing clear requirements for reporting actual waste volumes (BGF 4.7 ) 2024-2025 About Guidelines for the reuse of building materials and responsible demolition (BGF 4.9 , 4.10 ) 2024-2025 About CIRCON (The circular economy in construction: eco-design of circular buildings) 2022-2024 About Partners Newsletter CIRCON website Nordic Circularity Accelerator (NCA) 2023-2024 About Report Nordic Networks for Circular Construction (NNCC) 2021-2024 About Report Nordic Sustainable Construction - Emission-free Construction Sites 2022-2024 About Energy use - designed and measured 2022-2024 About BREEAM - An cost-benefit analysis of sustainable building certificates 2022-2023 About HringRás (Circularity) 2022-2023 About Mapping and guidance on the utilization potential of different construction waste 2022 About

Projects The following companies, organizations, institutions, and individuals are members of Green Building Council Iceland: Mynd: Ástrós Steingrímsdóttir 1st Category Húsnæðis- og mannvirkjastofnun BM Vallá Reitir fasteignafélag Eik fasteignafélag Verkís verkfræðistofa 2nd Category Búseti Efla Hafnarfjörður Isavia ohf. Heimar Reykjavíkurborg 3rd Category Alta ráðgjöf Alverk Arkís arkitektar ehf ASK arkitektar Basalt Arkitektar Byko COWI Eignaumsjón exa nordic Hornsteinar HJARK Hnit verkfræðistofa Húsasmiðjan Iðan fræðslusetur Íslandsbanki Íslenskir aðalverktakar Jáverk Klasi ehf. Landmótun sf Landslag ehf. Landsvirkjun Langeldur Lota ehf Maison Pago Samstæða Orkuveitu Reykjavíkur Staðlaráð Steinull hf. Steypustöðin Stika Solutions Teiknistofan Tark ehf. Teiknistofan Tröð ehf. THG arkitektar Umhverfis- og orkustofnun VA Arkitektar Vegagerðin Verkvist Vista verkfræðistofa VSB verkfræðistofa VSÓ Ráðgjöf Örugg Verkfræðistofa Alta ráðgjöf Alverk 4th Category Arnhildur Pálmadóttir architect and owner of sap arkitektar Anna María Bogadóttir , architect and owner of URBANISTAN Finnur Sveinsson , Visthús Hildur Ýr Ottósdóttir, Ydda arkitektar Sigríður Maack , architect, arctic space Anna Sigríður Jóhannsdóttir , architect Heimir Hermannsson , CEO, GigOver Bryndís Ósk Jökla Björnsdóttir , MPM Stefanía Sigfúsdóttir , architect at Atrium arkitektar

Green Building Council's (Grænni byggð) events in 2023. Past projects On-going projects Projects The Green Building Council Iceland (GBCI) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) established in 2010 to encourage sustainable construction by inspiring and empowering people to work for the common goal of creating a healthy, sustainable built environment that promotes well-being for all. Mynd: Ástrós Steingrímsdóttir Upcoming events GBCI Networking meetings Networking groups are for all members of GBCI. If you are a member and want to register for a networking group, send us an email at gb@graennibyggd.is The groups are: Certification, Sustainable infrastructure, LCA, Circular economy and public procurement (only for employees of public authorities). Upcoming meetings 11/02/2026 - Certification Past events Byggjum fyrir fólk BREEAM New Construction v.7 Midday meeting: Byggjum fyrir fólk (Build for people) 22/01/2026 Nearly all our time is spent inside or near buildings, making them an essential part of our lives. Lately, the impact of the built environment on our health has garnered increasing attention, and the inquiry into how we can enhance buildings to support our physical and mental well-being has been widely discussed among many in Iceland. At the same time, we also aim to improve the construction's environmental impact. Can these two elements work together? This and other questions will be answered at the event in the Nordic House on Thursday January 22nd at 15:00-16:30. The event will begin with introducing a European initiative aiming to integrate environmental sustainability with the well-being of built environment users - New European Bauhaus - and its potential to address certain challenges we encounter in Iceland. A panel discussion on the cultural, social, and environmental dimensions of the built environment and how we can combine them will follow. Agenda : 1. Opening of the event 2. Andri Snær Magnason holds a short introduction. 3. NEB presentation and other presentations 4. Panel. 5. Q&A 6. Meeting summary. Panelists: Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, s. ap arkitektar Elín Þórólfsdóttir, HMS Halla Helgadóttir, Hönnunarmiðstöð Páll Jakob Líndal, ENVALYS and HR Moderator is Anna María Bogadóttir, architect. Registration has been closed for attending in person. The event will be streamed (see the player above and the button below). Stream Midday meeting: BREEAM New Construction v. 7 20/01/2026 On September 30, 2025, BREEAM New Construction Version 7 was officially launched, and all new assignments registered from 27 January 2026 will fall under v.7. GB held a meeting to prepare for the use of the new version with representatives from BRE to introduce the changes and give parties the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers. The meeting was only for GB members. The meeting was well attended and Florence Owens and Alejandro Romero from BRE presented the new focuses of BREEAM v. 7 and many good questions were received from participants.

Past projects On-going projects Projects The Green Building Council Iceland (GBCI) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) established in 2010 to encourage sustainable construction by inspiring and empowering people to work for the common goal of creating a healthy, sustainable built environment that promotes well-being for all. Mynd: Ástrós Steingrímsdóttir Our team Katarzyna Jagodzińska CEO of GBCI kjag [at] graennibyggd.is PhD in energy and material recovery from waste Aðalsteinn Ólafsson Project manager adalsteinn [at] graennibyggd.is Electrical Engineer and MSc in environmental and natural resources Hjördís Sveinsdóttir Project manager hjordis [at] graennibyggd.is Business B.Sc. and a student in Environment and Natural Resources Ástrós Steingrímsdóttir Project manager astros [at] graennibyggd.is Civil Engineer B.Sc. Hanna Þráinsdóttir Communication and advocacy manager hanna [at] graennibyggd.is Media, Culture, and Communication M.A. Our board Elín Þórólfsdóttir Chair of the board elin.thorolfsdottir [at] hms.is Team leader of the civil engineering work - environment at Housing and Construction Authority Anna Kristín Hjartardóttir Secretary and vice-chairman anna.kristin.hjartardottir [at] efla.is Architect and project manager at EFLA Sunna Hrönn Sigmarsdóttir Treasurer sunnasigmarsdottir [at] gmail.com ÍAV Anna Sigríður Jóhannsdóttir annasj.ark [at] gmail.com Registered architect Alex Ingi Espersen alexe [at] cowi.com Manager of improved buildings, indoor quality and maintenance team at COWI Bergþóra Góa Kvaran bergthora.kvaran [at] uos.is Specialist at Umhverfis- og orkustofnun Sigríður Ósk Bjarnadóttir sirry [at] hornsteinn.is Director of the Environment and quality division at Hornsteinn

About World Green Building Council and Europe Regional Network. World Building Council The Green Building Council Iceland is a member of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) since November 2018. WorldGBC is an umbrella organisation of over 70 Green Building Councils around the world enabling its members to work closely on reducing emissions from the building and construction sector by 2050. If you want to know more about the WorldGBC and its activities, courses, and events, click here . From World Green Building Councils AGM, which GBCI's CEO, Áróra Árnadóttir, and GBCI´s project manager, Katarzyna Jagodzińska, attended. Europe Regional Network WorldGBC network is divided into five regional networks as different regions face different challenges. We are a part of the Europe Regional Network (ERN), gathering not only European Green Building Councils but also key regional partners from the construction and materials sector, and thousands of other members. The ERN's mission is to ensure that sustainability is embedded across the whole sector value chain by leveraging the power and knowledge of our network to transform the European buildings market. To know more about ERN activities, click here . From World Green Building Councils AGM, which GBCI's CEO, Áróra Árnadóttir, and GBCI´s project manager, Katarzyna Jagodzińska, attended.

Green Building Council's (Grænni byggð) annual reports and board meeting minutes. Documentation The bylaws of Green Building Council Iceland can be found here. Annual and financial reports, work plans (in Icelandic) 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 Annual report Annual report Annual report Annual report Annual report Annual report Annual report Annual report Annual report Annual report Annual report Annual report Financial report Financial report Financial report Financial report Financial report Financial report Financial report Financial report Financial report Financial report Financial report Financial report Annual meeting Annual meeting Annual meeting Annual meeting Annual meeting Annual meeting Annual meeting Annual meeting Annual meeting Annual meeting Annual meeting Annual meeting Founding meeting Work plan Work plan Board meeting minutes (in Icelandic) 2022 01/2022 02/2022 03/2022 04/2022 - 01 | 04/2022 - 02 05/2022 - 01 | 05/2022 - 02 06/2022 09/2022 10/2022 11/2022 12/2022 2023 01/2023 02/2023 03/2023 04/2023 05/2023 - 01 | 05/2023 - 02 08/2023 09/2023 10/2023 12/2023 2024 01/2024 02/2024 03/2024 04/2024 05/2024 06/2024 2025 02/2025 03/2025 05/2025 06/2025 08/2025 11/2025 08/2024 09/2024 10/2024 11/2024 2018 08/2018 09/2018 -01 | 09/2018 - 02 10/2018 11/2018 12/2018 2019 01/2019 02/2019 03/2019 05/2019 2020 01/2020 02/2020 03/2020 04/2020 05/2020 06/2020 08/2020 10/2020 11/2020 2021 01/2021 02/2021 03/2021 04/2021 05/2021 06/2021 - 01 | 06/2021 - 02 08/2021 10/2021 11/2021 12/2021 Other documents → Review of the updated action plan of the City of Reykjavík regarding climate matters (28/01/2021). Document in Icelandic. → Review of the updated climate action plan (01/10/2020). Document in Icelandic. → Comment on the climate-related action plan (01/10/2020). Document in Icelandic. → Comments to the housing matters group on social sustainability and environmental priorities (10/01/2019). Document in Icelandic. → Comment on a meeting with Minister of Transport and Local Government Sigurður Inga Jóhannsson (11/2018). Document in Icelandic. → Comment on incentives to increase the number of green buildings. Document in Icelandic. → Icelandic summary of the World GBC Report on Bringing Embodied Carbon Upfront (2020). Document in Icelandic. → The draft target plan of the Board . Document in Icelandic.

2025 2024 2023 2022 Græna Skóflan The Green Shovel is an award for buildings that have been built with outstanding environmental and sustainable values. Information about the award itself and the award winners can be found here. Græna Skóflan - The Green Shovel The Green Shovel Award The Green Shovel Award was awarded for the first time on Green Building Day 2022. It is a recognition of a structure that has been built with an excellent ecological and sustainable focus. The award has its roots in action 6.9. in the Roadmap to Green Building Construction 2030 (6.9. í Vegvísi að vistvænni mannvirkjagerð 2030 - in Icelandic): About the Award In winter 2021, a competition took place among the students of the Iceland University of the Arts (Listaháskóli Íslands) to design the trophy. Hekla Dís Pálsdóttir won that competition, and the trophy was based on her design. In 2022, the trophy was made of Icelandic graystone. Arngrímur Guðmundsson was in charge of preparing working drawings, Steinsmiðjan was in charge of cutting the graystone, and Stálnaust did the water-cutting. The Green Shovel for Renovations In fall 2025, a call for nominations for a new award called The Green Shovel for Renovations was sent out for the first time. The Green Shovel for Renovation is a recognition for buildings that have been renovated with an excellent ecological and sustainable focus, to promote the renovation of existing structures. Renovation projects that have truly demonstrated an environmentally friendly impact upon completion will receive higher weight. 2025 Nominations for The Green Shovel were open from early August to early September. This year, nominations were received for numerous outstanding projects that required careful and detailed review by the jury. The jury was composed of the board of GBCI, and the awards were presented on GBCI day on October 8th. One of the main focuses of the jury this year was that the project demonstrated clear innovation, how it is possible to step beyond traditional solutions and thus shed light on what is possible when creative thinking and implementation go hand in hand. The holders of both awards, The Green Shovel and The Green Shovel for Renovation, are strong examples that can serve as encouragement and inspiration for other future projects. The Green Shovel 2025 The jury's conclusion states about the building: The project demonstrated that even within the current regulatory and legal environment, it is easy to reduce the carbon footprint and reuse various building materials in parallel with universal design principles in a successful way. Compared to a comparable building, Háteigsvegur's carbon footprint is 50 percent lower. Háteigsvegur emphasizes accessibility for all, cost-effectiveness, the use of high-quality and healthy materials, as well as creating a homely environment. The building that received The Green Shovel for 2025 is Háteigsvegur 59. Háteigsvegur 59 is owned by Félagsbústaðir. The following parties were involved in design and execution: →Architect/Head designer: Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, s. ap arkitektar →Fire safety: Örugg verkfræðistofa →Structural design: HANNA verk verkfræðistofa →Utilities design: Varmboði →Electrical installation design: Verkhönnun →Project owner: Félagsbústaðir →Inspection: VSB verkfræðistofa →: Vinahús ehf. → LCA and LCC: VSÓ Ráðgjöf Project partners in material development and reuse are BM Vallá , Gluggagerðin , SSJ Steinsmiðja/ Grafa og grjót , Egill Árnason/Junckers parkett and Húsasmiðjan . More on H59 The Green Shovel for Renovations 2025 The jury's conclusion states about the building: Menningarleg og söguleg þýðing þessa mannvirkis sameinast framtíðarsýn, þegar horft er til umhverfislegra þátta sjálfbærnis og má þá nefna atriði eins og að endurnýta eins mörg byggingarefni og hluti og hægt er en núverandi burðavirki er frá 1957, hanna bygginguna þannig að auðvelt sé að taka hana niður, velja heilnæm og endurvinnanleg efni og einnig að hugsa um að draga úr orkufari í allri notkun byggingarinnar. Mannvirkið se m hlaut Grænu skófluna fyrir endurbætur árið 2025 er Stöng í Þjórsárdal. Stöng er í eigu Minjastofnunar Að hönnun og framkvæmd stóðu eftirtaldir aðilar: →Arkitekt/Aðalhönnuður: SP(R)INT STUDIO →Burðarþolshönnun: VSB Verkfræðistofa →Landslagshönnun: SP(R)INT STUDIO →Verkkaupi: Minjastofnun →Framkvæmd endurbóta : Langeldur →Umsjón framkvæmdar : FSRE Meira um Stöng 2024 Opið var fyrir tilnefningar mannvirkja til Grænu Skóflunnar frá maí og fram í miðjan ágúst. Í ár voru mörg afburðagóð verkefni tilnefnd og krafðist mikillar gaumgæfni dómnefndar. Það gefur góða tilfinningu að sjá natni hönnuða, framkvæmdaraðila og verkkaupa aukast með hverju árinu að þessu leyti. Dómnefnd var skipuð stjórn Grænni byggðar, og voru verðlaunin veitt á Degi Grænni byggðar þann 25. september. Vistvæn mannvirkjagerð er margbrotin og að mörgu að hyggja. Áhersla á lækkun kolefnisspors byggingar var í ákveðnum forgangi hjá dómnefnd, en einnig var tekið mikið tillit til samfélagslegra áhrifa mannvirkisins. Í niðurstöðu dómnefndar segir um mannvirkið: Mannvirkið ber með sér vandaða hönnun og samræmingu allra sem að verkinu koma. Hún gefur sterka tilfinningu fyrir mannlegum skala og næmni gagnvart notandanum. Vellíðan notandans er hér í fyrirrúmi auk þess sem efnisval og meðhöndlun þess er unnin á forsendum umhverfisins og arkitektónískrar fagurfræði. Byggingin er vottuð af Svaninum - Norræna umhverfismerkinu sem einnig er hvatning til annarra hönnuða að nýta sér, til aukinnar vistvæni. Niðurstaðan var einhlít þó svo að mjótt væri á munum Mannvirkið se m hlaut Grænu skófluna árið 2024 er Urriðaból - leikskóli í Garðabæ Urriðaból er í eigu Garðabæjar. Að hönnun og framkvæmd stóðu eftirtaldir aðilar: →Arkitekt/Aðalhönnuður: HJARK → Arkitekt: Sastudio →Burðarþolshönnun: Exa nordic →Lagnahönnun: Teknik →Raflagnahönnun: Lota →Hljóðvistarhönnun: Myrra →Landslagshönnun: Teiknistofa Norðurlands →Verkkaupi: Garðabær →Verktaki: Þarfaþing →Eftirlit: Strendingur → Aðalverktaki: Eykt ehf. Hönnunargögn og lýsing 2023 Opið var fyrir tilnefningar mannvirkja til Grænu Skóflunnar frá því í lok apríl til 15. ágúst. Mörg framúrskarandi verkefni voru tilnefnd í ár, og voru mannvirkin fjölbreytt, allt frá stórum stofnunum til tilraunakenndra smáhýsa. Dómnefnd var skipuð stjórn Grænni byggðar, og voru verðlaunin veitt á Degi Grænni byggðar í lok september. Í niðurstöðu dómnefndar segir um mannvirkið: Þessi bygging bar af. Allt frá upphafi markaðist hönnun mannvirkisins af sjálfbærni, hvort sem litið er til framkvæmda- eða rekstrartíma. Áhersla var lögð á efnisval, innivist, orkumál og góða umhverfisstjórnun. Lífsferilsgreiningar og líftímakostnaðargreiningar voru notaðar við ákvarðanatöku í hönnun. Dagsbirtugreiningar voru framkvæmdar ásamt hljóðvistagreiningum. Sem dæmi má nefna að hljóðverkfræðingur skoðaði sérstaklega kröfur um hljóðvist fyrir notendur með sérstakar heyrnar- og samskiptaþarfir. Segja má að einstakur metnaður hafi verið lagður í að tryggja vellíðan vistmanna samhliða því að draga úr neikvæðum umhverfisáhrifum byggingarinnar. Það var mikill samrómur innan dómnefndar og ég held að við séum sammála um að hér sé á ferðinni verkefni sem sýnir: • Framúrskarandi hönnun • Fer lengra en að uppfylla bara skilyrði • Setur ný viðmið fyrir aðbúnað hjúkrunarheimila með vistvænum áherslum • Tryggir samfélagslega sjálfbærni Mannvirkið se m hlaut Grænu skófluna árið 2023 er Móberg - hjúkrunarheimili í Árborg. Móberg er í eigu Sveitarfélagsins Árborg og Heilbrigðisráðu neytisins, og er rekið af HSU. Að hönnun og framkvæmd stóðu eftirtaldir aðilar: → Umsjón hönnunar og framkvæmda: FSRE → Arkitektar: Urban arkitektar ehf. og Loop Architects (DK) → Verkfræðihönnun: Verkfræðistofa Reykjavíkur ehf. → Rafkerfahönnun: Liska ehf. → Ljósvistarhönnun: Liska ehf. → Brunahönnun: Mannvit hf. → Landslag: Hornsteinar arkitektar ehf. → Hljóðhönnun: Brekke Strand (NO) → BREEAM: EFLA hf. → Algild hönnun og ráðgjöf: Harpa Cilia Ingólfsdóttir → Aðalverktaki: Eykt ehf. Hönnunargögn og lýsing 2022 Early this summer, the nominations for the award were opened. Numerous nominations were received from various sources across the country, and the nominations spanned a very wide range of civil engineering, from smaller bridge projects, single-family houses and extensions, to large-scale service facilities and apartment buildings. After a review by a jury, which, this time, was made up of the board of Green Building Council Iceland, one structure was chosen to receive the prize. The jury felt this project stood out quite a bit in many areas. What the jury's verdict said about the structure: During the preparation of the structure, care has been taken in setting goals for the project, both in terms of the social activities that the structure accommodates and the specifications that should be included in its design. When solving the design, a life cycle analysis (LCA) was used for the structure as a whole, which supports the credibility that the building is environmentally friendly and prevents greenwashing. A comparison of the environmental impact of building materials was also made, and the designers' choice of materials was based on its results, which shapes the building's overall and natural appearance. The construction instructions and the project's goals were reflected in the contractor's work and the owner's follow-up with BREEAM certification of design and construction will confirm how the project's sustainability goals will be achieved. The project was a renovation of an older building, where every effort was made to make the best use of the existing concrete structure. This ensured that the construction process was easier than otherwise and prevented the unnecessary production and transportation of new building materials. As such, the building is a worthy model for future reconstructions of older structures. The structure that received the Green Shovel in 2022 is the Brákarborg preschool in Reykjavík at Kleppsvegi 150-152. Brákarborg is owned by the City of Reykjavík . The following parties were responsible for the design and implementation: → Arkís arkitektar ehf. ; → Efla hf. supervised the life cycle analyses (LCA); → Arkamon ehf. was in charge of structural design; → Teknik verkfræðistofa ehf. designed the piping; → Liska ehf. designed the electrical system and lighting; → Kanon arkitektar ehf. were in charge of landscape design; → fire design was in the hand of Mannvit hf. ; → the contractor was Þarfaþing hf. ; → BREEAM certification was under the supervision of Verkís hf. Design data and description

Bauhaus Goes North (BGN) About the project The Bauhaus Goes North (BGN) project is realised by the Green Building Council Iceland together with 13 partners and associated partners from the Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) region. The project received funding from the Interreg NPA Programme , co-funded by the European Union. The project aims to increase stakeholders' knowledge and facilitate the implementation of best practices that align with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) in the NPA region. The project's main focus are practices linked to circularity and resource efficiency. The NEB initiative was launched to make the European Green Deal a 'tangible experience' - offering a new cultural approach for Europe, a systemic change that is innovative, attractive, and human-centred. It has three core values guiding it: Sustainability (circularity, zero pollution, biodiversity) Aesthetics (quality of experience, style beyond functionality) Inclusion (valuing diversity, securing accessibility and affordability) Deliverables The project will deliver: a Co-Design Playbook and a Replicability Index tool aiming to ensure the replicability of identified best NEB practices, considering local contexts, competencies, capacity building and policy for supporting the transition to circular and resource-efficient economies; three annual Calls for Best Practices in NEB in the NPA Region , which aim to accelerate take-up of replicable solutions; four jointly developed demonstrator projects (i.e., a district plan, a campus and a historic building, and a sustainable island development) to illustrate the practical implementation of NEB aspects in diverse settings and contexts. Project website Overview Green Building Council Iceland is responsible for Work Package 2 (WP2) in the project: NEB Best Practices Competition: Assembling and Disseminating Exemplary Cases in the NPA Region. The main objective of WP2 is to identify best practices aligning with NEB in the NPA region. This will be done through three annual calls. The chosen winning and front-running practices will be highlighted on the Project website and circulated among various Nordic and European networks to disseminate them effectively. Eventually, the identified best practices will be a part of one of the project outcomes – the so-called Co-Design Playbook. Project partners are as follows: University College Cork , Cork, Ireland; Green Building Council Iceland , Reykjavík, Iceland; OULU University of Applied Science , Oulu, Finland; UIT The Arctic University of Norway , Tromsø, Norway; City of Bodø , Bodø, Norway; Umeå University , Umeå, Sweden; Cork County Council , Cork, Ireland. In the project, we also have 7 associated partners from Denmark, Finland, Faroe Islands, Ireland, and Sweden. Partners The BGN project's total budget is €1,632,526.95, and it benefits from € 1,019,056.94 in Interreg NPA co-financing, including 7.59% of funding covered by the European Regional Development Fund for Icelandic partners (ERDF_IS). The ERDF_IS funding amounts to € 123,930.30.

Circular economy 1) Eliminate waste and pollution Waste is the result of decisions made at the design stage. Therefore, it is essential to change our mindset when it comes to design and consider waste generation a design flaw. The construction sector plays a crucial role in implementing a circular economy as it is responsible for considerable resource use and waste generation. To prevent our planet's resources from running dry, we need to change our consumption habits and production methods radically. The circular economy can be explained using three main principles from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation :  2) Circulate products and materials (at their highest value) It is important that the products and materials we produce remain within our economy. Therefore, ways of their reuse, repair, or recycle must be widely available. 3) Regenerate nature The circular economy plays in favour of nature in multiple ways by moving from extraction to regeneration, for instance, by reducing the amount of raw materials needed to be mined, thereby returning more land to nature. Currently, a few of the most significant barriers to implementing circular economy principles in the construction sector are: - lack of legal frameworks regulating the reusing of materials, - lack of data on material flows and the quality of materials, - lack of knowledge of circular design. There are several initiatives to solve the above issues. The first example is the criteria for circular buildings created by FutureBuild , stating that a circular building must consist of at least 50% of reused and reusable components. The criteria also cover other aspects, like, for example, design-for-adaptability. More information can be found here (FutureBuilt kriterier for sirkulære bygg ; in Norwegian ). The second example is the EU's set of guidelines for legal and technical stakeholders and policy-makers in the construction sector on how to implement circular economy principles, which can be found here . Hringvangur A network for circular construction in Icelandic building industry was created at the end of 2023. The network is called Hringvangur and Green Building Council Iceland is the host for now. The website is www.hringvangur.is Additional information Does it cost more to renovate than to build new? Answers to this and other questions can be found in GBC Norway's publications Tenk deg om før du river (Think before tearing down; in Norwegian ). Guidelines and business tools for companies in the construction sector on how to implement circular solutions in their activities can be found in Nordic Circular Economy Playbook 2.0 .

About the Nordic Networks for Circular Construction project. Nordic Circularity Accelerator (NCA) About the project The Nordic Circularity Accelerator (NCA) project aimed to increase cohesion and cooperation related to circular construction among Nordic stakeholders . It was a side-project of the Nordic Networks for Circular Construction (NNCC) project, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The NCA project set its eyes on life beyond the NNCC project scope, and it produced recommendations for enhancing circularity in construction at national, Nordic, and European levels . See the recommendations here Main objectives The research was structured to build upon existing knowledge and dig deeper into identified specifics. The original research questions are as follows: > What measures should the public sector take to accelerate circularity in the markets? > What was of Nordic-level interest, and what should be considered at a local level? > How could the Nordics influence EU decision-making processes? > How could contributions from the Nordic Council of Ministers to the development of circular construction at Nordic and local levels be facilitated, and what aspects should be prioritised? After formulating the specific research questions and identifying knowledge gaps, the latter were discussed at workshops with almost 150 market representatives from five Nordic countries. Project partners Green Building Council Iceland and the Finnish Green Building Council realised the NCA project in cooperation with the Danish Technological Institute , the Norwegian Green Building Council , Sirkulær Ressurssentral , CCBuild and IVL Sustainable Building AB .