Construction sites release 420 000 tons of CO2

construction site, Photo: Pixabay.com

Norwegian construction sites release 420 000 tons of CO2 annually

Norwegian construction sites, which today release large amounts of CO2, can easily become almost emission-free, according to a report. A recent report shows that 420 000 tons of CO2 are discharged from Norwegian construction sites annually. This is equivalent to emissions from all passenger cars and lighter vehicles in Oslo.

 

A lot of NOx

In addition, construction sites release 5.1 tons of NOx.

This is the first time emissions from construction machinery, transport, heating and construction materials on construction sites are calculated overall.

The report was prepared by DNV-GL commissioned by Energy Norway, Norwegian District Heating, Enova and Bellona and presented at a climate seminar in Oslo on Tuesday.

According to the report, CO2 emissions can be reduced by almost 99 percent and NOx by 96 percent using alternative energy sources and better planning.

Among other things, by adding electricity and possibly distributed heating, which will be added to the building anyhow, to the site before construction work starts.

Fossil building sites

CEO Oluf Ulseth in Energy Norway points out the paradox of building new environmental buildings from a fossil building site.

– What comes across as very accessible is first to lead the distributed heating and power to the building site. It is primarily a matter of working methods, planning, process management and machinery, says Ulseth to NTB.

– It is not calculated what such a change will cost, but it must undoubtedly be interesting. Of course you have to implement transitional arrangements for the actors, says Ulseth.

Climate commitments

He points out that Norway has undertaken ambitious targets for emission reductions and that the authorities must also be on the pitch to help create frameworks for the building industry.–

For example, the authorities can do something about the electricity tax, which has a competitor in duty-free diesel.

But first and foremost, the builder, public as private, must make demands and define how they want it to be, Ulseth believes.

The Building Industry Association (BNL) believes it is important to work for zero emission or fossil-free construction sites, as some developers have begun to demand.

– We recommend that the demands be made wisely and in dialogue with industry, says Rannveig Ravnanger Landet, Director of the Environment and Energy Department of BNL, in a comment on bygg.no.

– Large construction machinery is expensive investments. It is not possible to acquire new machinery without environmental consequences. Should we get a good restructuring process, the big builders must give clear signals about what they will demand in the time to come.

– It is not possible to make the whole change in one go, but with predictability it will be both easier and cheaper, she writes.

 

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today