Green Barley

Buildings account for 40% of the world's energy consumption and generate around 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, it is clear that the world needs many climate-neutral and plus-energy buildings in the years ahead.

The EU has already decreed that all new buildings from 2020 must be close to zero-energy buildings. This means that these builds must produce about as much energy as they use. This is an ambitious goal, but it also creates new opportunities for those involved in developing the solutions.

In Norway, buildings and industrial processes on land account for more than 800,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Several large Norwegian real estate companies have already decided to take immediate action, regardless of state management. More and more Norwegian architects, designers and engineers use the principles of sustainable development as a starting point in their projects. It's not just environmental awareness that's the driving force here. Energy efficiency solutions in buildings also provide beautiful architectural qualities and represent a source of cost savings in the long term.

Collaboration that makes it happen

The Oslo region is Norway's largest urban area. The region is growing rapidly, with a projected population growth of 40% over the next 30 years. This involves the development of many new homes, jobs and transport infrastructure. We believe that cooperation between several actors in society is the best way to address both the emissions problem and the need for more urban areas.

FutureBuilt. To support climate-friendly urban development, the municipalities in the western part of the Oslo region — Oslo, Bærum, Asker and Drammen — have launched FutureBuilt in collaboration with a number of other partners. Their vision is to show that climate-neutral urban areas, based on high-quality architecture, are possible. Fifty pilot projects will inspire and change practices in both the private and public sectors.

Powerhouse. Powerhouse is a collaboration between real estate companies, engineering and architecture firms, materials manufacturers and environmental specialists with the goal of building plus energy buildings. They want to rethink construction and to demonstrate that it is possible to build plus energy buildings in a cold country like Norway, not just in the southern parts of the world. Their first achievement is the redevelopment of two office buildings now called Powerhouse Kjærbo. Several such projects are under development.

Both of these partnerships use good examples/pilot projects as a strategy to change how the Oslo region develops its buildings and urban areas.

Public Procurement

Public sector purchasing power is used to accelerate decarbonisation and stimulate innovation and technology adoption. This is a method Oslo Municipality has mastered, not only in terms of carbon-neutral buildings, but also in many other sectors. They develop highly ambitious procurement projects and maintain a continuous dialogue with the business community to help them develop necessary solutions. For example, the municipality of Oslo required fossil-free construction machinery on its construction sites. This ensures both increased demand and the development of new technologies.