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This study investigates the carbon footprint of the alternative structure types and materials used for the reconstruction of schools in Haiti. Are recycled construction materials more environmental than virgin materials? To estimate which alternative construction solution has the smallest carbon footprint, a survey was made for the school model used for the reconstruction programme in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

The carbon footprint was calculated using life cycle assessment methodology for five different concrete structure alternatives and five different cement mixes for the same design of a school building. In addition, the uptake of CO₂ through the carbonation of concrete during 50 years was calculated.

The carbon footprint of recycled materials can be either the best or worst option, depending on how the materials are used. The difference to using virgin materials is not big. This is mainly due to the lower structural performance of recycled materials, which needs to be compensated for by using additional reinforcements. Using cement mixes that have high amounts of substitutes for cement seems to lower the carbon footprint of structures considerably. The uptake of CO₂ in carbonation has potential but requires an optimal design and environment.

The findings give information for humanitarian project managers and designers on lowering the carbon footprint of their construction projects.

The purpose of this paper is to show the feasibility of blockchain technology to perform as an infrastructure for improving built asset sustainability by providing all the necessary information for better decision making at all the stages of its life cycle.

Blockchain technology can be used as a tool to build a reliable and secure decentralized information system to capture and disseminate all the data required for different sustainability assessment models. A model is designed and tested through a synthetic scenario to substantiate the research objective with empirical work.

It is shown that blockchain can revolutionize the current state of knowledge for long-term sustainability thinking and provide necessary information in different stages of the life cycle of a built asset. With the proposed decentralized, transparent and comprehensive database using blockchain, the life cycle assessment methods can become much more inclusive and reliable. The new holistic analysis of the built asset sustainability enables better decision making in design, build, operation and demolition of each asset.

This paper proposes and tests a model for using blockchain as an infrastructure to support built asset sustainability. Practitioners from different backgrounds at different stages of a built asset life cycle can use such a network to make better decisions and better assess the sustainability of their built assets.

While most efforts to combat climate change are focussed on energy efficiency and substitution of fossil fuels, growth in the built environment remains largely unquestioned. Given the current climate emergency and increasing scarcity of global resources, it is imperative that we address this “blind spot” by finding ways to support required services with less resource consumption.

There is now long overdue recognition to greenhouse gas emissions “embodied” in the production of building materials and construction, and its importance in reaching targets of net zero carbon by 2050. However, there is a widespread belief that we can continue to “build big”, provided we incorporate energy saving measures and select “low carbon materials” – ignoring the fact that excessive volume and area of buildings may outweigh any carbon savings. This is especially the case with commercial real estate.

As the inception and planning phases of projects offer most potential for reduction in both operational and embodied carbon, we must turn our attention to previously overlooked options such as “build nothing” or “build less”. This involves challenging the root cause of the need, exploring alternative approaches to meet desired outcomes, and maximising the use of existing assets. If new build is required, this should be designed for adaptability, with increased stewardship, so the building stock of the future will be a more valuable and useable resource.

This points to the need for increased understanding and application of the principles of strategic asset management, hitherto largely ignored in sustainability circles, which emphasize a close alignment of assets with the services they support.

Arguably, as the built environment consumes more material resources and energy than any other sector, its future configuration may be critical to the future of people and the planet. In this regard, this paper seeks to break new ground for deeper exploration.

The increasing urgency to address climate change in construction has made green construction (GC) and sustainability critical topics for academia and industry professionals. However, the volume of literature in this field has made it impractical to rely solely on traditional systematic evidence mapping methodologies.

This study employs machine learning (ML) techniques to analyze the extensive evidence-base on GC. Using both supervised and unsupervised ML, 5,462 relevant papers were filtered from 10,739 studies published from 2010 to 2022, retrieved from the Scopus and Web of Science databases.

Key themes in GC encompass green building materials, construction techniques, assessment methodologies and management practices. GC assessment and techniques were prominent, while management requires more research. The results from prevalence of topics and heatmaps revealed important patterns and interconnections, emphasizing the prominent role of materials as major contributors to the construction sector. Consistency of the results with VOSviewer analysis further validated the findings, demonstrating the robustness of the review approach.

Unlike other reviews focusing only on specific aspects of GC, use of ML techniques to review a large pool of literature provided a holistic understanding of the research landscape. It sets a precedent by demonstrating the effectiveness of ML techniques in addressing the challenge of analyzing a large body of literature. By showcasing the connections between various facets of GC and identifying research gaps, this research aids in guiding future initiatives in the field.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate four research and innovation projects, namely, from the perspective of innovation for sustainable development, with a particular focus on digital tools for sales and manufacturing, minimising waste in the textile and apparel value chain and identifying possibilities for further sustainable development in the apparel and textile industry.

The foundation of this study is of the four research and innovation projects, which all focus on minimising waste in textile value chains, to support local manufacturing of apparel products and propose product offers that cater to more diverse needs. The main method used is action research. These projects are analysed from the perspective of innovation for sustainable development and the sustainable development goals developed by the United Nations.

The findings indicate that the projects have the potential to support further innovation for sustainable business models and support sustainable development in textile and apparel value networks, with a particular focus on minimising material waste and thus minimising energy use.

The value of the paper is that it shows how methods and technologies for digital sales and manufacturing and for circular value networks can contribute to business models that support sustainable development in the textile and apparel industry.

The main purpose of this research is to analyse the efficiency of the main European monitoring frameworks to estimate the transition of the countries within the European Union (EU) towards circular economy (CE) using the example of Croatia.

Assessment methods with reliable data and appropriate indicators are essential when it comes to measuring transition and progress towards CE. The methodology employed in this research is a systematic and critical analysis of the seven European measurement frameworks employed to assess Croatia's progress towards CE.

The analysis revealed how EU's monitoring frameworks have developed over time and how useful they are in evaluating country's progress towards CE. The measurement tools and indicators proved, in the case of Croatia, insufficient for clarifying and understanding its progress towards CE. Selection of indicators within monitoring frameworks is arbitrary while their interpretation is highly contextual, dependent on policy targets and local conditions. These results can be extrapolated to other EU member states.

Policy recommendations for more efficient CE transitions are provided.

This research sheds light on the CE development in Croatia – an understudied European country in this context – and discusses the country's goals towards sustainability. The limited success of developed CE indicators is discussed.