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About Green Building Council Iceland. Green Building Council Iceland 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. 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

Online Event and Report An online event was held to promote the publication of a new report on the status and prospects of emission-free construction. There, we also introduced the Nordic network of collaboration and displayed the video from the site visit to the Green Construction Site of the Future. Volvo CE and SiteHub talked about their way towards emission-free construction sites. Recording of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNRE0HAhaSw Read the report: https://www.norden.org/da/node/79878 Testing of a battery-electric excavator in Oslo Emission-free excavators have been tested in three different construction sites in Oslo in the last year. In a new report from SINTEF, the results are summarised. The electric excavators from Nasta ran for a total of 6817 hours and saved NOK 372 000 in energy, and emission reductions were in excess of 91 tons CO2. Read the report here. Emissions from a construction site in Oslo n a SINTEF report calculations and results are presented for CO2 emissions on a construction site in Oslo.

About the project The programme Nordic Sustainable Construction is part of Nordic Vision 2030 initiated by the Nordic Ministers for Construction and Housing. The Ministry of Infrastructure of Iceland is responsible for the fourth work package, Emission-free construction sites . Green Building Council Iceland and the Housing- and Construction Authority of Iceland support the Ministry in solving the assignment. The program is financed by Nordic Innovation, an organization under the Nordic Council of Ministers . Overview The Nordic countries are among the first in the world pursuing to set normative limits for the emission footprints of buildings. With the work package on Emission-Free Construction Sites, we are going into depth with one of the modules in a building's life cycle, the construction phase. Until now, the main focus has been on greenhouse gas emissions from the production of building materials and the operational phase of buildings. This is changing as recent studies show that construction phase emissions are a substantial part of the whole life cycle emissions. In buildings where emissions from the operational phase have been minimised, construction process emissions may be up to 15% of the entire life cycle emissions. The main contributors to emissions are transportation, construction machinery, and energy use for heating and drying. Waste and lost material also contribute to increased greenhouse gas emissions and must be considered in the construction process. Construction machinery, heating, and transportation rely largely on the combustion of fossil fuels. This has a negative effect on both global climate and local air quality, especially in urban areas. Combustion of fuels produces nitrous oxides, particulate matter, and other airborne substances that negatively affect public health. The intent of the work package is to diminish carbon and other direct emissions at construction sites, e.g., by supporting the transition towards emission-free construction sites. Including the use of emission-free power sources and planning the seasonal use of heat and light at construction sites, but also through the development of logistical solutions to conserve transportation and handling resources in a way that diminishes emissions and resource usage. Currently, none of the Nordic countries has set normative criteria for emission-free construction sites, and the Nordics thus have a unique opportunity to harmonise regulations and guidelines. To create support, visibility, and a solid foundation for an increased focus on low-carbon construction, including emission-free construction sites, a common Nordic declaration will be formulated. Steps will be taken to ensure its endorsement and acceptance by the Nordic construction industry. Progress Report - published 16th of March 2023 Throughout the first phase of this work package, the focus has been on gathering Nordic and European input to publish a report that analyses and determines the general definitions, boundaries, and terminology of the emission-free construction site area. This describes the status of the field today and is a good preparation for the next steps in the area. A standard definition of construction site boundaries and what emissions are included is a foundation for cooperative Nordic development in this field. Read the report: https://www.norden.org/da/node/79878 Network of stakeholders The work package has also established a network for cooperation which gathers the industry's stakeholders to share and gather information on innovations, gains, and prospects. There is a great interest in emission reduction in the construction process among actors in the value chain. Housing authorities and large public procurers are the main driving actors, but industry associations, building contractors, and equipment manufacturers have already started the journey. The network will facilitate brokering events on construction issues. Sign up for the network: http://eepurl.com/imRdFM Excursion to construction sites Last February, we visited the ambitious construction site in Aarhus, Denmark, The Green Construction Site of the Future. A sensory net around the site measures emissions. Biodiesel machinery is mainly used, but a 23-ton electric Volvo excavator has been tested together with a fast charger from DTI (Danish Technological Institute). The visit aimed to show real working solutions. Here you can find an interview where Lars Overgaard, the Senior project manager at DTI, talks about the project: https://youtu.be/GqktRe3k7KA The way towards emission-free construction sites - Online event An online event was held to promote the publication of the report. There, we also introduced the Nordic network of cooperation and displayed the video from the site visit to the Green Construction Site of the Future. The event's moderator was Hólmfríður Bjarnadóttir, and specialists from Volvo CE and SiteHub talked about their way towards emission-free construction sites. Recording of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNRE0HAhaSw Next up During the project's next phase, the work package will focus on future research needs, collect information about Nordic funding organisations and encourage more emphasis on this topic. A report on future research needs for emission-free construction sites will be published. Emphasis will be placed on strengthening the cooperation network and encouraging debate on important topics regarding incentives, funding, barriers, and more. Upcoming activities → Nordic Declaration on emission-free construction site endorsed by the Nordic Ministers of housing and construction and by the Nordic actors in the construction industry. → Encourage and facilitate Nordic research and innovation to support emission-free construction sites. → Encourage and facilitate the development of guidelines for procurers and construction companies on emission-free construction sites and produce an online guide. Skoðið útgáfur verkefnisins hér

Green Building Council's (Grænni byggð) events in 2023. Upcoming events Morgunfundur - Bílakjallarar eða bílastæðahús: áhrif, áskoranir og framtíðarsýn 25/02/2025 Grænni byggð hélt morgunfund þann 25. febrúar klukkan 9:00 um bílakjallara og bílastæðahús. Fundurinn samanstóð af tveimur erindum og pallborðsumræðum. Yfir 90 manns sóttu fundinn sem var í streymi. Upptökur frá erindunum og pallborðsumræðum má finna hér að neðan. Takk fyrir komuna! Kolefnishlutlaus Reykjavík 2030: uppbygging og loftslagsáhrif - Hrönn Hrafnsdóttir og Herdís Sigurgrímsdóttir , Reykjavíkurborg Hrönn og Herdís kynntu verkefni sem hófst hjá Reykjavíkurborg nýlega og snýr að því að umbylta vali íbúa á ferðamáta og hvernig mismunandi lausnir þegar kemur að bílastæðum hindra eða liðka fyrir breytingum á samgönguvenjum í borginni. Ein af spurningunum sem verkefnið miðar að því að svara er: munu bílakjallarar breyta venjum okkar þegar kemur að samgöngum eða festa bílinn í sessi sem okkar helsta ferðamáta? Bílastæðahús og Borgarlína á Keldnalandi - Þorsteinn R. Hermannsson , Betri Samgöngur ohf. Þorsteinn kynnti tillögu að uppbyggingu nýs hverfis að Keldum og Keldnaholti með þremur Borgarlínustöðvum sem gerir ráð fyrir að byggð verði nokkur bílastæðahús á svæðinu. Bílastæðahúsin, sem hvert og eitt samnýtist fjölda íbúða og atvinnuhúsnæðis á nálægum lóðum, komi að mestu í stað einkabílakjallara og einkabílastæða inni á lóðum. Horfa á til þess að húsin geti hýst miðlæga þjónustu fyrir aðliggjandi svæði á jarðhæð og að hægt verði að breyta þeim í atvinnu- eða íbúðarhúsnæði ef bílastæðaþörf minnkar í framtíðinni. Pallborðsumræður Í pallborði sátu: Elín Þórólfsdóttir, teymisstjóri starfsumhverfis mannvirkjagerðar, Húsnæðis og mannvirkjastofnun. Borghildur Sölvey Sturludóttir , arkitekt og deildarstjóri deiliskipulagsáætlana, Reykjavikurborg. Ólafur Árnason , forstjóri, Skipulagsstofnun. Íris Þórarinsdóttir, stjórnarformaður Grænni byggðar var fundarstjóri og stjórnaði pallborðsumræðum. Upptaka Upptaka Upptaka Upcoming events Morgunfundur: Ávinningurinn af viðhaldi innbyggðs kolefnis í fasteignum 24/01/2025 Grænni byggð hélt á dögunum morgunfund í samstarfi við Iðuna fræðslusetur og Verkís , um ávinninginn af viðhaldi innbyggðs kolefnis í fasteignum. Viðhald fasteigna er sjaldan rætt í samhengi við samdrátt í kolefnislosun. Miklu frekar er rætt um efnahagslega hagkvæmni viðhaldsaðgerða. Ólafur Ástgeirsson , leiðtogi bygginga- og mannvirkjagreina hjá Iðunni setti fundinn og bauð áheyrendur velkomin. Ragnar Ómarsson, byggingafræðingur og viðskiptastjóri sjálfbærni hjá Verkís, hélt síðan fyrirlestur um málefnið og ræddi meðal annars hvernig samdráttur kolefnislosunar og kostnaðarhagkvæmni geta haldist í hendur, hvað felst í því að viðhalda innbyggðu kolefni, hvað björgunarverðmæti bygginga er og hvernig það er reiknað út. Góð mæting var á fundinn sem var í streymi. Upptaka af fundinum verður aðgengileg hér innan skamms tíma. Heimsókn í Landsbankabygginguna 23/01/2025 Meðlimum Grænni byggðar bauðst þann 23. janúar að fara í heimsókn í nýtt húsnæði Landsbankans við Reykjastræti 6. Húsnæði Landsbankans var tilnefnt til Grænu skóflunar árið 2024 og var til dæmis BREEAM vottað. Þátttakendur fengu kynningu á byggingarsögu húsins, hönnun, notkun, vottanaferli og fleiru. Þar á eftir fengu þátttakendur að skoða húsið með leiðsögn. Við þökkum Landsbankanum kærlega fyrir góðar móttökur!

About the CIRCON project. About the project The CIRCON project (full name: The circular economy in construction: eco-design of circular buildings) was realised by Green Building Council Iceland (GBCI) in cooperation with two Polish partners – a mirror to GBCI organisation Polish Green Building Council and the Silesian University of Technology. The project lasted 2 years (01/04/2022-31/03/2024). Overview The urban population is growing globally, and so does the demand for housing and accommodation. This means the growing intensity of construction-related activities and, consequently, increasing construction and demolition waste (C&DW) generation. This calls for action as, currently, C&DW already comprises one of the largest waste streams in the EU and Iceland. Even though C&DW recovery rates are high, their recovery leaves room for improvement as it is predominantly low-grade (for instance, backfilling). To preserve the value of construction materials and thus keep them on the market as long as possible, the implementation of circular economy principles in the construction sector is necessary. This would result in reducing the amount of not only C&DW produced but also the raw materials used. Building materials are responsible for around half of the carbon footprint of an Icelandic building during its lifetime. Doing so requires developing solid and systematised knowledge of circular economy principles regarding construction processes. This is why, in the CIRCON project, we aimed to create practical guidelines, emphasising circular building design as everything starts with the plan and design. These guidelines included the specificity of Icelandic and Polish construction sectors and were disseminated among the key stakeholders in the sectors. This was done to familiarise the key actors with optimal building design regarding not only buildings' longevity and durability but also their sustainability and material circulation through possible reusing of building components after its deconstruction. Main objectives The project aimed to strengthen the implementation of circular economy principles in the Icelandic and Polish construction sectors through: 1. Creation of practical guidelines on circular economy implementation in building design, including Icelandic and Polish market characteristics, needs, and specific Icelandic geographical and resource conditions. 2. Dissemination of the above guidelines among key stakeholders in the construction sector. The CIRCON project benefits from a € 361,422 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants and co-funding by the national funding of Poland. Co-funding from the Polish state amounts to € 54,213. More about the project Project partners Newsletter CIRCON vefsíðu Information on EEA and Norway Grants The EEA and Norway Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway towards a green, competitive and inclusive Europe. There are two overall objectives: reduction of economic and social disparities in Europe, and to strengthen bilateral relations between the donor countries and 15 EU countries in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltics. The three donor countries cooperate closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). The donors have provided €3.3 billion through consecutive grant schemes between 1994 and 2014. For the period 2014-2021, the EEA and Norway Grants amount to €2.8 billion. The priorities for this period are: #1 Innovation, Research, Education and Competitiveness #2 Social Inclusion, Youth Employment and Poverty Reduction #3 Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Low Carbon Economy #4 Culture, Civil Society, Good Governance and Fundamental Rights #5 Justice and Home Affairs Eligibility for the Grants mirror the criteria set for the EU Cohesion Fund aimed at member countries where the Gross National Income (GNI) per inhabitant is less than 90% of the EU average. The EEA and Norway Grants scheme consists of two financial mechanisms. The EEA Grants are jointly financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, whose contributions are based on their GDP. Norway Grants are financed solely by Norway. More information can be found on: https://eeagrants.org/ Information on co-funding by the national funding of Poland The co-funding from the Polish state was granted to the project within the program: Environment, Energy and Climate Change , program area: Climate .

Green Building Council Iceland's materials on other topics than construction and demolition waste or certification systems. Other published materials 2025 Grænni byggð, Innviðaráðuneytið og Húsnæði- og mannvirkjastofnun, og Háskóli Íslands vinna að verkefninu Losunarlausir verkstaðir. Verkefnið er styrkt af Norrænu ráðherranefndinni. Lokaskýrslu verkefnisins má lesa með þvi að smella á bæklinginn hér að neðan. The first report from the Nordic Sustainable Construction project on Emission-free Construction sites. It provides an overview of the emerging concept of emission-free construction sites - the background, definitions, technology and methods. 2024 Grænni byggð, Innviðaráðuneytið og Húsnæði- og mannvirkjastofnun, og Háskóli Íslands vinna að verkefninu Losunarlausir verkstaðir. Verkefnið er styrkt af Norrænu ráðherranefndinni. Aðra skýrslu verkefnisins má lesa með þvi að smella á bæklinginn hér að neðan. The first report from the Nordic Sustainable Construction project on Emission-free Construction sites. It provides an overview of the emerging concept of emission-free construction sites - the background, definitions, technology and methods. 2023 Grænni byggð, Innviðaráðuneytið og Húsnæði- og mannvirkjastofnun, og Háskóli Íslands vinna að verkefninu Losunarlausir verkstaðir. Verkefnið er styrkt af Norrænu ráðherranefndinni. Fyrstu skýrslu verkefnisins má lesa með þvi að smella á bæklinginn hér að neðan. The first report from the Nordic Sustainable Construction project on Emission-free Construction sites. It provides an overview of the emerging concept of emission-free construction sites - the background, definitions, technology and methods.

Some EPDs on pipes in Iceland. Environmental product declarations (EPDs) - Wall coverings in Iceland Pre-insulated single steel pipes and fittings Set ehf./GmbH

Rannsaka möguleikana og tækifærin á innleiðingu hringrásarhagkerfis í auknum mæli tengt notkun byggingarefna About the project Grænni byggð works with Lendager Island , Minjastofnun , SORPA , and Verkís hf on this project. There is a noticeable interest in the Icelandic construction sector in material and product reuse; however, the reuse is in its infancy due to: a lack of knowledge among stakeholders on how to reuse construction materials and products the common belief that the reuse of materials and products is blocked by current legal regulations (e.g., building code, need for CE marking, lack of standards for reused materials/products) in Iceland. The project aims to address these aspects. The project outcome will provide an overview of opportunities and identify risks for reusing various construction materials and products. The information on the legal requirements the secondary material and products need to meet to be approved for use will also be included, followed by suggested possible directions to change these legal requirements to facilitate reuse. Mynd: Ástrós Steingrímsdóttir Collaborators The project received a grant from Askur - mannvirkjarannsóknasjóður which is funded by Húsnæðis- og mannvirkjastofnun, Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing and the Ministry of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education.

Some EPDs on paints in Iceland. Environmental product declarations (EPDs) - Paints in Iceland JOTUN Jotun Heftgrunning Universal JOTUN Jotun Lady Pure Color JOTUN Jotun Sparkel Fin Gipsplate JOTUN Jotun Jotaproff Akryl 10% JOTUN Jotun Pilot WF Primer JOTUN Jotun Sparkel Vegg & Tak medium JOTUN Jotun Jotaproff Primadekk JOTUN Jotun Prosjektsparkel JOTUN Jotun Trebitt Oljebeis

BREEAM - An cost-benefit analysis of sustainable building certificates About the project Many stakeholders in the construction market do not fully understand the overall benefits of sustainable building certificates in Iceland and have requested data and information in this regard. The project aimed to meet that need by mapping the success, benefits and costs of certification systems and increasing knowledge of the systems' advantages and disadvantages . It is hoped that in this way, it will be possible to further contribute to the increase in the number of certified construction projects. Overview The project is twofold: 1. A stakeholder analysis focusing on their experiences with sustainability building certificates – BREEAM and Nordic Swan 2. Analysis of greenhouse gas emissions through LCA – BREEAM certified and non-certified. It is also planned to add LCC analyses, where the lifetime costs of certified buildings are compared to the lifetime costs of non-certified buildings, and that part will be done in collaboration with Verkís . The project received a grant from the Icelandic Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate. Skoðið útgáfur verkefnisins hér

Demonstrating Real and Affordable Sustainable Building Solutions with Top-level whole life cycle performance and Improved Circularity (Drastic) About the project Drastic is a four-year Horizon European project that aims to showcase innovative solutions to reduce whole-life carbon and the climate impact of construction across the entire construction value chain in Europe. There are 23 partners in the project from 8 European countries. Green Building Council Iceland worked on the project in 2024 as a part of World Green Building. We were responsible for: gathering profiles of businesses and organisations involved in or influencing circular and sustainable practices within Iceland's construction sector. These actors are listed in the Stakeholder Map ; communication and dissemination activities. Drastic Website Stakeholder map The Drastic project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101123330.

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.