Green Leadership

The road to a circular economy demands leadership and insight into new value systems. Bold leaders who set the course and show determination and action. We can safely say that everyone nowadays agrees that the world and our cities take on a new appearance. The question is: what does this road look like? How do urbanization and sustainability relate to each other? And when do we take the first steps? To answer the last question first: yesterday, if we can, because we can already do so much. There is no excuse to comply with only minimal criteria. It will only be a few years before the CO2 budget for the construction and real estate sector will be running out. Every step toward an inclusive society and a sustainable environment that we can take now must be embarked on today. After all, a new generation will grow up in the environment that we develop now. They are the young people who need space to grow and who will further shape the new economy. We set the new norm for these younger generations, who are much more willing and eager to share. To ensure that they can flourish in a city with affordable housing and natural settings. This is where we meet, without social barriers and where society and the economy will grow.

Mother nature as our value system

This new, sustainable economy does, however, need another approach, a systematic change, and a level playing field based on the already available technologies and on what is good for our planet. People living in a sustainable economy can address and meet their needs without violating the needs of others and the planet. Looking at the real estate sector, this means that we must continuously increase the use of renewable energy and materials and expose hidden climate costs. To give an example: we can store CO2 by using wood for our constructions while bio-based materials have a less detrimental effect on the environment. And these materials not only ensure a long-term effect – they already contribute by storing CO2, which not only represents an economic value but also a value for the climate. We can minimize waste flows and accelerate the huge demand for living space through parametric designs, modular building methods, and the use of prefab materials. Such new technologies rapidly see the light of day and Ballast Nedam Development wholeheartedly embraces them. We inspire the sector to think in circular earning models that take hidden climate costs into account, drive innovations and their applications, and create scope for experimenting.