-Aug-16-2023-12-30-41-3641-PM.png?width=75&name=MicrosoftTeams-image%20(3)-Aug-16-2023-12-30-41-3641-PM.png)
.jpg?width=75&name=sigvardsson_220628_0008_small_webb%20(1).jpg)
.jpg?width=75&name=magnus%20andersson_550x550%20(1).jpg)
-4.png?width=75&name=MicrosoftTeams-image%20(3)-4.png)
In the northern parts of the world, the summer has faded and pretty soon the rowing boats must be taken out of the water and stored on land for the winter. But back in our daily routines, are we still rowing – at least metaphorically? We have returned to work, and efforts are in full swing to move businesses forward and achieve new goals. But in the transition towards a more sustainable construction industry, are we all rowing in the same direction?
Caroline Jacobsson, Circular Business Director, highlights four key factors for creating more sustainable buildings while maintaining, or even strengthening, competitiveness and profitability of many stakeholders in the industry.
In the western world, buildings account for around 40% of carbon emissions — far more than the entire transport sector. Of this, about 70% is linked to heating, ventilation and air conditioning, meaning the HVAC solutions. With this in mind, it is clear that the property sector faces a critical challenge in creating sustainable buildings. Or, perhaps more accurately, a significant opportunity.
Whatever perspective we take, it is evident that the property sector, including the indoor climate industry, is part of today’s problem. Yet the many companies and organisations within the industry are also key players in the climate transition. Sustainability is no longer something that is “nice to have” — it is both a necessity and a business opportunity.
We are seeing a wave of new regulations, both nationally and internationally. The EU taxonomy, climate targets, energy and reporting requirements, all are creating strong incentives for change, as are investors’ demands for green strategies. Banks are rewarding energy-efficient projects and ESG is no passing trend, it represents a new way of assessing risk and value. In short, the boat is rocking.
The industrial scale needed is not yet in place
The role of a key industry player is to develop, expand, implement and regulate products, services and solutions that keep the boat moving forward and help reach agreed goals. Today, HVAC solutions that can significantly reduce a building’s climate footprint is already on the market, but the industrial scale required is not yet in place.
Take reused ventilation units as an example, demand is far greater than supply. Why? Because the value chain, with its many actors, is not rowing together. It is as if the coxswain’s call is not reaching the crew, or as if a language barrier runs through the “boat”, from investors to suppliers. Without alignment, the boat does not progress — it risks running aground. Perhaps such a grounding could be the turning point that makes us reconsider the course.
How we can row together
It is neither new nor radical to say that courage, collaboration and long-term thinking are essential to success. But when applied to our industry and our specific challenge of creating sustainable buildings, we would emphasise the following:
- Collaborate early in the project process
Dialogue must start earlier in the process. Property owners, consultants, installers and suppliers need to set a common course rather than navigate from separate maps. To simply buy a solution is not enough, it is essential to understand what it will be used for, why it is needed, and how it supports progress towards shared goals. - There is more than the purchasing price
Life cycle costs, climate impact and future regulations must be considered in the decision-making. What appears costly today may prove profitable tomorrow. From this perspective, it becomes clear that sustainability is not necessarily more expensive than business as usual. - Strengthen governance from start to finish
Clear governance and follow-up are required to ensure that we reach the harbour rather than run aground. As an example, the industry needs to define how project teams can be supported in choosing disassembly over demolition, and how innovation can be carried through and prioritised in decision-making. - Make use of available financial measures
Funding is available through green bonds, climate funds and other incentive models, both nationally and internationally. To access this, however, projects must demonstrate clear climate benefits and long-term resilience. Again, rowing alone is not enough — there must be a shared course to follow.
Solutions are already available on the market
At Swegon, we work actively to enable sustainable alternatives, rowing in a direction we hope the market is willing to join. Developments in circularity, digitalisation and life cycle perspectives set the rhythm of the oars, and we already offer a range of solutions:
- Circularity: through our RE:3 concept, based on the circular principles of reduce, reuse and revitalise, we offer products made from recycled materials, solutions for upgrading and refurbishing installed products and even reused products such as ventilation units. In a refurbished state, the latter deliver up to 95% lower CO₂ emissions compared with new ones, while offering the similar functionality and warranties – all at a comparable price.
- Digital services: the full Swegon INSIDE offering has been developed to monitor, control and optimise product performance while minimising energy use. At the same time, the INSIDE services are designed to ensure efficiency and energy savings without compromising indoor climate quality.
- Life-cycle thinking: long-term thinking is part of our DNA, and we help our customers plan sustainably in both economic and environmental terms. Our Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are both the simplest and most advanced way of demonstrating how we can support informed decision-making for sustainable buildings.
We are already on this journey, and we are convinced that the ones who succeed in combining sustainability requirements with business objectives will not only manage the climate transition, but also strengthen their long-term competitiveness.
So let us not only row together — let us agree on the course and then keep the oars in rhythm, side by side. Get familiar with RE:3 and our INSIDE services.
