Concrete Perspectives January – February 2023
1. CONCRETE NEWS
Concrete Europe launched
2023 will be a crucial year for the built environment in Europe with the publication by the European Commission of the Construction Ecosystem Transition Pathway and the Whole life Carbon Roadmap. This is why on 8 February 2023 the four European associations representing the concrete sector and its value chain – BIBM (the Federation of the European Precast Concrete Industry), CEMBUREAU (the European Cement Association), EFCA (the European Federation of Concrete Admixtures Associations) and ERMCO (the European Ready Mixed Concrete Organization) – have joined forces in a new umbrella organisation: Concrete Europe. It conjoins the former European Concrete Platform and The Concrete Initiative project.
Concrete Europe aims to convey to the EU stakeholders and construction value chain stakeholders the concrete sector’s contribution in achieving the goals of the EU Green Deal.
More information can be found on the Concrete Europe website: https://www.concrete-europe.eu/.
Read the press release here; Twitter account: @ConcreteDialog (launch video).
NATURSEA-PV Public kick-off workshop, 15 March
Join NATURSEA-PV Public kick-off hybrid workshop on novel eco-cementitious materials and components for durable, competitive, and bio-inspired offshore floating PV substructures. The event will take place on 15 March in Amsterdam, and there is a possibility for an online participation.
The main objectives of NATURSEA-PV:
- Develop a new conceptual concrete substructure;
- Development of new circular materials and treatments;
- Develop improved predictive computational tools for durability aspects;
- Testing and validation in realistic conditions of developed material, components and computational tools;
- Compatibility with socio-economic activities and maximization of sustainable impact in line with the Mission Healthy Oceans.
Project website: https://www.natursea-pv.eu/ (register here).
BetonTage 2023
From June 20th to 22nd, 2023, the concrete and precast industry will show ways to reduce the ecological footprint at the 67th BetonTage in the Congress Center Ulm. Join the conference and discuss the topics such as decarbonisation, carbon capture and storage, resource conservation and emission reduction with other industry experts.
Take advantage of our trade exhibition and make valuable contacts. Experience the presentation of the supplier industry in the machine, software, accessories and service area with around 130 innovative companies. The “Forum Innovation” on all three days of the congress is a platform for selected exhibitors as well as research and application to present new developments and product innovations for building with concrete components and concrete goods.
Decarbonisation will be the focus of the lectures given by this year’s guest country on 21 June. Norway is playing a leading role in this field. The country has already gained experience, for example, with carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Learn more about the programme and register here: https://www.betontage.de/concrete-solutions/.
2. BIBM NEWS
BIBM Congress 2023 in Amsterdam – 7 months to go!
The 24th BIBM Congress will take place in Amsterdam! From the 27th to the 29th of September 2023 the congress will be held in the Dutch capital – the “Venice of the North”. The congress will be under the slogan: ‘Green | Digital | Resilient | Precast Concrete Solutions’. Be part of the next BIBM Congress 2023 as exhibitor, congress participant or sponsor and meet potential partners and speakers from Europe and beyond!
DATE: 27 to 29 September 2023
VENUE: 5-Star Okura Hotel, Amsterdam (the Netherlands)
WEBSITE: https://bibmcongress.eu
REGISTRATION: https://bibmcongress.eu/conference-delegate/
HOST: BIBM – Federation of the European Precast Concrete Industry
ORGANISER: BCF – Building Congress Forum
Official hashtag: #BIBMCongress2023
Download the programme here.
For any information related to the programme, please contact: Ms. Magdalena Herbik mh@bibm.eu.
Public consultations and feedbacks
Targeted survey | Study on measuring the application of circular approaches in the construction industry ecosystem
Did you know that 36% of the total waste generation in the EU comes from construction waste? And that waste generation is predicted to increase by 70% by 2050 compared to current levels? Yet, it’s difficult to measure what the construction ecosystem is doing to address this problem. In order to fully reap the benefits of circular economy, we need a good view of the application of different circular economy approaches and indicators by different stakeholders across the value chain.
To address this challenge, the Commission working on a Study on measuring the application of circular approaches in the construction industry ecosystem.
Survey deadline: 31 March 2023.
Certification of carbon removals – EU rules
This initiative will propose EU rules on certifying carbon removals. It will develop the necessary rules to monitor, report and verify the authenticity of these removals.
The aim is to expand sustainable carbon removals and encourage the use of innovative solutions to capture, recycle and store CO2 by farmers, foresters and industries. This represents a necessary and significant step towards integrating carbon removals into EU climate policies.
Commission adoption – feedback (open till 23 March 2023)
BIBM answer can be found here.
Water pollution – EU rules on urban wastewater treatment (update)
Making sure that urban wastewater is clean and safe is vital for protecting public health and the environment. This key part of EU water policy is covered by the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.
This initiative will revise the Directive after a recent evaluation of it identified certain shortcomings and new societal needs that must be addressed.
Commission adoption – feedback (open till 14 March 2023)
Testing of market needs in relation to the EU ETS Innovation Fund and the revision of its legal basis
DG Climate action launched a market-testing survey, to consult a wide range of stakeholders on key features of the future EU ETS Innovation Fund and to establish an appropriate portfolio of support instruments that will best meet the market needs. The survey comes in a moment when the EU is defining its ambitions towards a Net Zero Industrial Plan, where the Innovation Fund will also contribute, as well as delivering under the RePower EU Plan and the Hydrogen Bank.
Survey deadline – 7 March 2023.
3. BIBM AGENDA
| MARCH 2023 | APRIL 2023 | MAY 2023 |
| 02/03: BIBM Communication Commission Stuttgart, DE 06/03: CA4BM Comms. Group Confcall 08/03: BIBM Directors’ meeting Confcall 13/03: BIBM TEC-COM AhG Eurocode 2 Confcall 16/03: CPE CPR revision webinar (internal) Confcall 17/03: BIBM ENV-COM Decarbonisation WG Confcall 20/03: CA4BM Comms. Group Confcall 22/03: NEPSI Reporting system training Brussels, BE 23/03: CEN/TC 350 WG3 – Product level Confcall 24/03: Concrete Europe Advocacy Committee Confcall 28/03: BIBM Environment Commission Confcall 31/03: Construction 2050 Meeting Brussels, BE | 03/04: CPE WG Sustainability Confcall 19/04: BIBM Board and Extraordinary GA Brussels, BE 20/04: CEN/TC 229 AhG Performance durability Confcall 25/04: BIBM Wastewater Engineering group Helsinki, FI 28/04: CA4BM Communication webinar Confcall | 15/05: CEN/TC 229 WG1 – Structural elements Confcall 16/05: BIBM Communication Commission Confcall 24/05: Concrete Europe Board Confcall |