State of play for circular built environment in Asia | Knowledge Hub | Circle Economy Foundation
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Article / Report
State of play for circular built environment in Asia
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The report State of play for circular built environment in Asia provides a snapshot of Asia’s circular built environment in 2020, with a focus on some of the continent’s fastest developing nations: India, China, Indonesia, Pakistan and Nepal. The study outlines the Asian context based on current developments in the built environment, and presents the catalysts for circularity across the continent. It also analyses different steps along the value chain of the built environment, pinpointing areas where circular strategies could be beneficial.

Problem

Asia is a diverse region, containing two of the most highly populated countries in the world (China and India) as well as countries with very low population densities (Mongolia); the continent also varies widely in levels of growth, urbanisation and geo-climate conditions—so there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. On the whole, Asia is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and is challenged by rapid urbanisation. The infrastructure buildup occurring to meet this urbanisation is trending towards linear, energy-intensive materials like cement, steel and glass; and what’s more, the increased demand for construction materials is placing pressure on the agricultural sector, as much-needed land and soils are fed into urban development and brick production.

Solution

In India as much as 80% of the housing and infrastructure needed to meet the demands of urbanisation is yet to be built—a trend that echoes across Asian nations in varying degrees. This signals huge potential for the implementation of circular strategies in the construction sector. Despite rapid urbanisation, the majority of the Asian population still lives in rural areas—which traditionally use lower impact materials like earth, stone and biomass resources (for example, timber and bamboo); materials which could continue to positively influence urban construction moving forward. Rammed earth architecture remains fairly common in rural regions, whereby soil is sourced onsite or locally, with very little cost and energy demand, as well as agri-residues which can be compressed and bonded to form wall panels and boards. Across the continent there is an abundance of circular principles incorporated in construction, despite trends towards more linear practices in urban centres. 

Outcome

In all, circular economy approaches have been experiencing increased popularity among both business and government leaders. A transition to circularity in Asia will lead to economic growth, material cost savings, the creation of new jobs, improved business models and innovation, as well as a myriad of environmental benefits. Future focus to further grow the circular economy should focus on developing new materials and technologies, reskilling informal workers, and revolutionising business models.

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