3. Approach

This project combines an exhaustive literature review with targeted, in-depth interviews with key stakeholders throughout the construction value chain in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. The information collected was used to map the current state of circular construction in the Nordic countries, identify and describe the barriers to circular construction experienced by the different actors, and elaborate on potentials and solutions that would strengthen circular construction in the Nordic countries. The findings are then tested through a targeted online survey of experts within the construction sector.

The current state of circular construction has been investigated though a literature study focusing primarily on reports from stakeholders in the sector as well as recently published and relevant scientific literature in the Nordic countries.

Interviews have been conducted with approximately 30 stakeholders along the construction value chains in the Nordic countries. These include building developers and owners, architects, designers and engineers, contractors and builders, construction product manufacturers, demolition companies, national and local authorities, research, development & innovation institutions, and nongovernmental organisations. A list of interviewees can be found in Appendix A.

The interviewees were chosen based on their impact on and involvement in the circular construction sector, and on their availability. They represent a broad cross-section of the actors within the Nordic countries actively engaged in circular construction. They have been identified through a combination of literature searches, their public presence (for example, presentations at conferences, seminars, and webinars on circular construction), and their mention by prominent actors within the circular construction community and other interviewees. The interviews focused on exploring the interviewees’ role in the circular construction process, how they work with circularity, the barriers they face in their work, and the opportunities and solutions they see for circular construction today and in the future, with the aim of being as specific as possible. The interview guide can be found in Appendix B.

The stakeholder groups and their role in circular construction are further described in Chapter 4.2.

Based on the results of the literature review and the interviews, key barriers and solutions were formulated and tested in an online survey of relevant actors within circular construction primarily in the Nordic countries. The survey also served to gather any additional barriers or elaborate nuances apart from those already formulated in order to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the landscape for circular construction in the Nordic countries.

The survey questions and a brief description of the process can be found in Appendix C.

An internal workshop has been used to find pathways through the complex and interwoven connections between barriers and opportunities. This identifies the key barriers that prevent the circular economy from becoming standard practice within the construction industry; it then uses this to identify the most useful specific opportunities that could help overcome these barriers based on the amount of influence each opportunity has over the key identified barriers.