Global launch: ‘Circular Infrastructure: the road towards a sustainable future’ at Expo 2020 Dubai

January 17, 2022

On January 17th, 2022, the international brochure on the Dutch circular infrastructure ‘Circular Infrastructure: the road towards a sustainable future’ was launched at the Dubai World Expo on the occasion of the Circular Europe Days. The brochure was virtually handed over to Mr. Roald Lapperre, the Dutch vice-minister of Environment and International Affairs and to a panel of EU and UAE officials representing public and private sector

The publication is the result of a collaboration between Rijkswaterstaat (RWS), Holland Circular Hotspot (HCH), The Transition Team Circular Construction Economy, Rebel Group, and The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO).  

Download the publication: Circular Infrastructure: the road towards a sustainable future

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Overview

The brochure explores how circular concepts can help tackle the challenges infrastructure faces, supporting the transition towards a more sustainable and futureproof infrastructure sector. It showcases best practices from the Netherlands and proposes an international action agenda to achieve the transition to circular infrastructure on both the EU and international levels.  

The Dutch Infrastructure sector offers plenty of inspiring and groundbreaking innovations like asphalt made of grass and a platform to trade used bridges, some of those featured in this report are: Moederbestek, Rijkswaterstaat, SmartCrusher BV, Kaumera, Project Chaplin, LE2AP, Arc2&Meerdink Bridges, NTP, De Circulaire Weg, EME, INSERT, Betonakkoord, Cirkelstad, CB’23 PLATFORM, Innovation strip A58, Bridgebank, Buyer Groups, and Arrosso. 

“The good news is: circular solutions already exist across the entire value chain, and we can start from existing knowledge and lessons learned about how to make infrastructure circular and climate neutral.” – says prof.dr.ir. Vincent Gruis, Professor of Housing Management – Delft University of Technology, Chair of the (Dutch) Circular Construction Economy Transition Team. 

Get ready for a new era

Infrastructure – road, rail, and waterways – makes up a significant part of the built environment and is the backbone of a healthy economy. Its availability and quality directly affect a country or region’s GDP, employment rates, and overall livelihood. The value of infrastructure in our lives is indisputable, but so is its environmental impact. Construction consumes around 60% of the world’s materials and is responsible for about 53% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, a big part of which is attributed to infrastructure. In a race to stabilize climate change, infrastructure plays a fundamental role.

Strengthening efforts to transition to a circular infrastructure internationally is needed to secure sustainable supply and diversify material sources. This publication aims to inspire stakeholders around the globe to take action and kick-start circular infrastructure development in other parts of the world. For the authors of this publication, Circular Infrastructure is the road towards a sustainable future; join this road and do not hesitate to contact them for further information.

Rijkswaterstaat: circulair@rws.nl

Holland Circular Hotspot: info@hollandcircularhotspot.nl