Concepts and instruments for a sustainable construction sector

This article presents an overview of methods used by the Wuppertal Institute to determine sustainability targets in the construction sector and to develop pathways for achieving targeted improvements. Resource productivity is considered over a building's entire life cycle (MIPS). The COMPASS concept integrates environmental, economic and social aspects for single companies or industrial sectors in order to make progress towards greater sustainability. Profiting from each of these approaches, and based on various types of research, recommendations are derived for companies and policy makers. Multi-stakeholder processes can be used to promote overall sustainable development in the construction sector, and eventually to integrate concepts related specifically to the micro and meso levels.