Danish universities team up to accelerate the green transition of the built environment

Four Danish universities, Aalborg University (pictured), Aarhus University, Technical University of Denmark and University of Southern Denmark, have joined forces on a project to accelerate the green transformation of the construction sector and built environment.

Backed by a DKK 1 billion grant from the Villum Foundation, the Civil Engineering and the Green Transition in the Built Environment (CEBE) research programme will promote the development of sustainable practices in the built environment, with recent research finding that the construction sector is currently responsible for 37% of global CO2 emissions.

‘An important step forward’

“There is no doubt that, with the establishment of CEBE, we are taking an important step toward developing knowledge and solutions that can help reduce the climate and environmental impact of construction,” commented Per Heiselberg, Professor at Aalborg University and programme director of CEBE.

“This is an international challenge, and therefore both the research and the solutions must extend far beyond Denmark’s borders.”

Denmark was the first country in the world to regulate emissions from new constructions, with its building sector amongst the ‘leaders in Europe’ when it comes to improving the sustainability footprint of the construction sector.

As a result, the CEBE programme will seek to develop new knowledge, methods and materials that can reduce construction’s climate impact and resource consumption.

The programme is structured around seven interconnected research fields that cover the entire life cycle of the built environment – from design, construction and operation to lifespan extension and recycling.

“Denmark already has a strong track record in researching and developing sustainable solutions, but with CEBE we are making a giant leap forward by both building on existing global knowledge and contributing distinctive Danish areas of strength,” Heiselberg added. “I am extremely excited about the collaboration and about the results we will be able to present, for which I have very high expectations.”

Villum Foundation investment

The Villum Foundation will invest DKK 1 billion in CEBE over a ten-year period, with is the largest research grant in its history. Around DKK 100 million has been allocated to international collaboration, including a strategic partnership with ETH Zurich.

“With CEBE, we are bringing together some of the country’s strongest research environments in a joint effort to develop solutions that reduce the climate footprint of construction and thereby strengthen society’s resilience,” added Jens Kann-Rasmussen, chairman of the Villum Foundation. “It is an investment in knowledge and innovation that can benefit the entire society.” Read more here.