27. Impacts of circular economy on climate targets: M-level in construction and renovation

In this exploratory study, the effect of the introduction of a so-called M-level on the environmental impact of new construction and renovation of residential buildings in Flanders was investigated. The M-level is the maximum total environmental impact of a building and is based on the building materials used: it can therefore serve as an incentive to use building materials with a lower impact. New construction and renovation require a lot of building materials, especially in light of achieving the climate objectives. These building materials also have an impact that must be taken into account. The study models the introduction of an M-level through the use of lower impact building materials and illustrates that the carbon emissions and total environmental impact of new construction and extensive renovation of residential homes can be lower than current practices.

This study calculates the effect of the impact of the introduction of an M-level, both territorially (impact in Flanders) and globally (consumption perspective). The starting point is on the one hand a business-as-usual scenario and on the other hand a scenario with a greatly increased focus on renovation to meet the climate objectives. A third and fourth scenario build further on this and introduce an M-level respectively for new construction only and for both new construction and renovations. The effect of the introduction of the M-level is simulated in this study by looking for alternative building elements (for example a roof, exterior wall or window) with the lowest environmental impact.

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