Sustainable development is continuous and controlled social change that is taking place worldwide. Its ultimate objective is to secure the opportunities for a good life for present and future generations. The real estate and construction cluster plays a key role in promoting the sustainable development objectives because its environmental impacts and significance to the national economy are of great importance.
The proportion of energy consumption by buildings amounts to as much as 40 per cent. And where and how communities are built, affects consumption, environmental loading and social impacts. Land use planning – the location of jobs, housing and services – has a major effect on the need for mobility and the environmental impacts of traffic. In turn, the standard of construction has a major impact on the use of energy during both the construction process and the lifetime of a building. The Finnish Sustainable community programme encourages research institutes, universities and companies to engage in international collaboration by exchanging information and networking companies and research groups. The programme provides opportunities for ambitious R&D projects and develops business expertise and international cooperation. It serves as a gateway to best researcher groups and innovative R&D companies. The Sustainable Community Conference aims at sustainable neighbourhood solutions with global optimisation and local design, differentiation and branding, active end-user involvement, paradigm shift and new business opportunities. Read More