Fifty major Dutch construction companies, together with CSR Netherlands (MVO Nederland) and several ministries, have signed the Betonakkoord, a sustainability covenant for the concrete industry. Kiwa and consultancy NIBE were co-signatories to the covenant. The initiative is designed to create a sustainable concrete industry through the advanced recycling of raw materials and by significantly reducing carbon emissions. Representatives from across the entire supply chain, ranging from principals and manufacturers to builders and recyclers, have committed to this mission.
The commitments made in the sustainability covenant relate to cooperation and transparency. The covenant will also boost demand for ‘green’ concrete, as it provides that sustainability criteria must be included in tenders. The covenant also establishes some hard figures: 100% of concrete waste will be recycled and reused for high-quality purposes by 2030, while carbon emissions will be reduced by a minimum of 30% that same year relative to 1990. The concrete industry currently generates 3.7 megatons in carbon dioxide emissions annually – 4% of industrial emissions and more than 2% of total domestic emissions.
‘Good start’
Kiwa Division Director Wim van Vreeswijk: ‘Our expertise in sustainable construction and our assessment criteria for the certification of building products and processes can really make a difference. But we’re not quite yet where we want to be: for one, only four of the more than 200 manufacturers of prefab concrete in the Netherlands have signed the covenant. Having said that, we should be pleased with this development, as it’s without a doubt a good start. This covenant was in the works for more than two years, and the fact that it’s now in place and supported by so many stakeholders is really something to be proud of.’
Next steps
Supervised by former Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment Jacqueline Cramer, the supply chain will now start implementing and monitoring the measures. Mantijn van Leeuwen of NIBE – the consultancy specialising in sustainable construction with which Kiwa has been working closely since 2017 – is a signatory to the covenant and a member of the Progress Committee. ‘We are currently developing a roadmap for achieving the covenant’s targets and objectives. This includes researching the development and application of alternatives to traditional clinker and cement. Another one of our priorities is the recycling of concrete granulates – that would turn concrete into a circular-economy product. We certainly see great potential for the future.’
