Embracing Sustainable Futures: CERES aims to build a bridge between education and competences needed for the transition towards Circular Economy (CE).
As sustainable development requires more systematic approaches, the dialogue between CE and Industry 4.0 aims to build a new set of knowledge and best cases, to be provided through both higher education (HE) and vocational education and training (VET). The fusion of these paradigms goes beyond manufacturing, and touches entrepreneurship, innovation management, and societal development, fostering an approach mindful of the limits of our planet.
The focus of CERES is on creating a new educational framework adaptable to the changing demands of CE.
How?
✅Through an accurate Market Analysis: research starts from the needs of our societies; this means mapping the kind of skills and competences needed by circular businesses and those businesses transitioning to a circular economy model. This will allow us to figure out the kind of professionals we have to prepare for Today's and Tomorrow's challenges.
✅Through rethinking Education for Circular Economy: Higher education (HE) and vocational education and training (VET) must adapt, equipping learners with the skills needed for a sustainable tomorrow. CERES will contribute to the essential process of curriculum update for CE and its delivery.
✅Through building a community and encouraging networking among CE stakeholders: excitingly, we envision the Circular Economy Digital Innovation Hub (CE-DIH) as a cornerstone, a digital space to connect stakeholders, nurture skills, provide knowledge, and opportunities.
At the Circular Economy Alliance, we are proud to be part of this groundbreaking initiative, and we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the CERES consortium REPIC Ltd, Erion, Aalborg University, Politecnico di Milano, Politecnico di Bari, Cyprus Certification Company / Κυπριακή Εταιρεία Πιστοποιήσης, CERC - Circular Economy Research Center, Cleantech Bulgaria, Centro di Documentazione sui Conflitti Ambientali Associazione (CDCA) for their exceptional efforts and commitment to this important mission.
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Sustainable construction is being reshaped by grid capacity, whole life carbon and circular economy delivery rather than isolated material innovation. The UK approval of National Grid’s 2GW Sea Link, a 138km high-voltage connection between Suffolk and Kent, reinforces the dependence of net zero carbon buildings and energy-efficient buildings on resilient low-carbon infrastructure.
Electrification, heat pumps, smart systems and low carbon building strategies need a stronger renewable grid if sustainable building design is to translate into credible operational performance.
WRAP’s estimate that stronger circular economy measures could generate more than £93bn in gross value added and support 550,000 jobs gives new commercial weight to circular economy in construction. For developers, contractors and designers, embodied carbon, embodied carbon in materials and the carbon footprint of construction are becoming procurement priorities.
Designing for disassembly, using low embodied carbon materials, specifying reclaimed components, requiring environmental product declarations (EPDs) and planning end-of-life reuse in construction are moving from best practice to core sustainable building practices.
Policy pressure on biodiversity is tightening the definition of environmental sustainability in construction. Planning consent, insurance risk and investment confidence will increasingly depend on lifecycle assessment, whole life carbon assessment, life cycle cost and building lifecycle performance. BREEAM, BREEAM v7, net zero whole life carbon and low carbon design are set to gain greater influence as clients seek measurable carbon footprint reduction, resource efficiency in construction and nature-positive outcomes. The strongest businesses in green construction will treat eco-design for buildings, sustainable material specification and circular construction strategies as foundations for competitiveness, not compliance.
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