Adrian Henke at the Symposium on Grey Emissions in the Construction Sector

At this significant event, experts from the construction industry gathered to discuss solutions for reducing grey emissions – a crucial aspect of climate strategies in the building sector.

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The Relevance of Grey Emissions‍

The building sector in Switzerland is responsible for around 40% of the total energy consumption and contributes approximately 33% of the country's CO2 emissions. A significant portion of these emissions comes from the production and transportation of building materials, known as grey emissions, which make up about 8% of the total emissions in construction. To meet Switzerland's climate goals, the entire lifecycle of a building needs to be incorporated into planning – from construction to operation to decommissioning.

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Adrian Henke: Digitalization as a Lever for Sustainable Construction‍

In his presentation, Adrian discussed how digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) can play a central role in reducing grey emissions.

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Sustainability in construction and digitalization go hand in hand. It is crucial that building material manufacturers make significant investments in low-emission products and ensure these innovations reach planners and architects as early as possible.

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Adrian Henke further emphasized how digital tools and AI-based solutions can help integrate ecological and sustainable decisions early in the planning process, leading to a drastic reduction in emissions. These technologies make it possible to design projects more efficiently and promote sustainable solutions, which not only protect the environment but also save costs in the long term.

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New Approaches and Solutions in the Construction Sector‍

The symposium highlighted that technological solutions alone are not enough; there also needs to be collaboration between research, industry, and politics. It became clear that the construction sector still holds great potential for reducing grey emissions, but this requires broader knowledge sharing and stronger political incentives.

The Direction is Clear

The 2nd Symposium on Grey Emissions in the Construction Sector powerfully demonstrated the importance of leveraging technological innovations and digitalization as driving forces for a more climate-friendly construction industry. The AI and digitalization approaches emphasized by Adrian Henke offer tremendous opportunities to reduce emissions in the construction sector while simultaneously increasing efficiency.