Leaning towards sustainability of the built environment

Circular economy solutions for carbon neutrality

The joint project between South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences and Kouvola Innovation aimed to promote a low-carbon Kymenlaakso by supporting the adoption of carbon-neutral solutions and new operating models in Kouvola’s built environment.

The project sought ways to meet tightening energy efficiency and sustainability requirements, as well as to achieve carbon neutrality over the lifecycle of construction. The goal was to increase the utilization of recycled materials and thus promote the low-carbon lifecycle of construction.

The project aimed to strengthen the dialogue and RDI cooperation between developer organizations, the city, industry, and companies focusing on the circular economy in construction.

The goal was to promote a low -carbon construction

At the beginning of 2025, a new construction law came into effect, with supplementary regulations to follow in 2025 and 2026. These regulations include climate and demolition material reports, lifecycle carbon limits, and material declarations for construction. The new legislation aims to increase the use of recycled materials and to consider the entire lifecycle of buildings instead of just the carbon emissions from construction.

In this project, recyclable new components were sought from real demolition sites in the city for reuse either internally or externally. The most significant companies focusing on demolition in Kouvola were involved in offering their expertise.

Through the mapping of demolition sites, the project aimed to move towards a so-called circular design solution model, where, for example, the new placement of usable stairs or concrete beams from a school to be demolished would already be known to future designers during the planning of the demolition. The solutions made in this project will bring additional revenue and jobs to Kouvola’s companies in the near future in Finland.