Jan De Nul innovates through circular construction
On Friday, 22 February, Jan De Nul Group and 230 other participating public and private organisations kicked off the Green Deal Circular Construction project, an initiative of Flemish Minister for the Environment, Nature and Agriculture Koen Van den Heuvel in cooperation with ‘Vlaanderen Circulair’, the Flemish Construction Confederation ‘VCB’ and Public Waste Agency of Flanders ‘OVAM’.
Over 60% of our CO2 emissions relates to the materials that we use: the circular economy offers solutions to reduce this impact. To realise a circular economy in Flanders by 2050, with closed cycles of resources, we need other products, services and business models.
For the construction industry, this will require maximum re-use and high-quality recycling of construction materials, focus on change-oriented building, optimal use of the available space and extending the life span of buildings and their materials... A deliberate choice has been made to realise this through a close cooperation between companies, public authorities, knowledge institutions and citizens.
Research platform
By joining this initiative, Jan De Nul Group shows its climate commitment, not only in words but through concrete actions: within this innovative learning network, the dredging and construction company commits itself to share practical experiences with other construction companies, manufacturers of construction materials, local and regional authorities, private clients, researchers and other organisations.
Up to 2023, the participating companies will set up experiments to test the circular principles in their daily practice and detect bottlenecks, which will be a great lever for the circular economy in Flanders. Within the scope of this Green Deal programme, a multidisciplinary research group named ‘Pilot Lab Circular Construction’ will also work on solutions for eliminating these bottlenecks.
Sustainable business practices at Jan De Nul
This Green Deal Circular Construction fits perfectly within the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy of Jan De Nul Group. Jan De Nul Group is well aware of its ecological footprint and takes its responsibility in this regard. For Jan De Nul, corporate social responsibility and sustainable entrepreneurship are based on three pillars: reducing the impact of its activities on water and air, the importance of human capital and innovation as a driving force. These three sustainable corporate themes apply to all four of the group’s main activities and define the way in which Jan De Nul Group is building on tomorrow’s world.
With the commitment entered into on 22 February, Jan De Nul Group uses innovation as driving force for reducing its impact on water and air. Jan De Nul shares its expertise in circular construction with all partners and, as such, throws its weight behind research into how circular construction can become mainstream in the future of Flanders.
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