Circularity aspects in Housing Subsidy
The first important action was to include circularity aspects in the Styrian Guidelines for Ecological Housing Subsidy. A corresponding guideline, consider Since several years a guideline has been in use in Styria considering several ecological aspects for the subsidy applicants. The goal of the update of the guideline was to increase the usage of reusable and modular building components, the use of recycled materials and the usage of ecological building materials in subsidized buildings.
Circular economy at municipal level
The second action defined in the Styrian action plan was related to the implementation of circular economy in construction at municipal level. The goal was to develop a toolbox for municipalities and other administrative bodies. This toolbox is an add-on to the existing Styrian Guide to Construction & Demolition. This guide is available as an online tool and offers a step by step approach for different stakeholders. This guideline was already updated in 2020 to include new developments and to consider also topics that got more important in the recent years like the neophyte management as an example.
The Styrian Guide to Construction & Demolition is also available in English, to increase the outreach of the guideline. The additional toolbox will especially focus on municipalities, to give them the possibility to have a summary of additional relevant information and examples. Municipalities play a key role in the field of sustainability in the field of construction and demolition. On the one hand they are a relevant builder, and on the other hand the municipalities, in particular the major, is the building authority of first instance in Austria for all building applicants. Therefore it is key to integrate them in detail and give them practical information and examples how to increase the circular economy, and what are critical aspects. This additional toolbox will be presented to the public in May 2023.
The overall goal of the Styrian actions are to increase the circularity aspects in the long term perspective as an relevant anchor point in this field.
