Experts: Coordinated Action Planned for the Implementation of Sustainable Construction

Amendments to the Public Procurement Law Are Vital for Implementing Sustainable Construction

Sustainable construction and the transformation of the building stock toward climate neutrality is one of the most complex challenges in both Latvia and the European Union. Experts in the discussion point to the sector’s significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, emphasizing the need for radical changes to achieve emission reduction targets.

The requirements for measuring and publishing the carbon content of building life cycles, which will soon take effect in Latvia, are an important step toward more transparent and sustainable construction. Armands Gūtmanis, head of the Climate Neutrality Cluster, emphasizes that “the European Union is currently working on detailing the climate targets for 2040, which foresee a 90% emission reduction. To achieve this, we still have the 2030 interim target – a 55% reduction in emissions – which will affect construction-related sectors as one of the largest sources of emissions.”

Experts note that one of the priority tasks in the overall planning of all sectors should be to set so-called limit values, i.e., the maximum amount of CO₂ per square meter allowed in new buildings.

“Collaboration and coordinated action among all sectors involved in sustainable construction is a fundamentally important prerequisite for implementing the new European regulations on sustainable construction. Together with company representatives, next year we will continue a more structured implementation of sustainable construction principles, breaking this large topic into more specific themes and involving countries and municipal institutions as well as educational establishments,” says Gūtmanis.

“Sustainable construction is an approach that simultaneously considers economic, social, and environmental aspects. It must ensure the sustainability of buildings throughout their entire life cycle,” explains Valdis Ligers, expert at Baltic Sustainable Building Advisors.

Ligers emphasizes that building sustainable buildings is not expensive, and their sustainability can be precisely measured using specialized systems. “The main challenge is to collect and compile the necessary data,” adds Ligers.

“The Riga City Council manages more than 12,000 apartments in buildings that are in very different conditions – from new projects to partially dilapidated buildings,” says Viesturs Zeps, Chair of the Riga City Council Housing and Environment Committee.

Zeps highlights that renovation works carried out in some of Riga’s apartments serve as pilot projects for implementing sustainable construction and circular economy principles. “We have created a sustainable construction katalog, which provides a comprehensive overview of climate-neutral, circular, and non-toxic building materials. The main goal is to eliminate hazardous substances in buildings, promote circular economy principles, and strengthen climate protection,” explains Zeps.

Industry representatives are unanimous that rapid changes in public procurement legislation are necessary to help countries and municipal institutions carry out construction service procurements in line with today’s best European practices and regulations.

“The fact that only 43% of Latvia’s TOP 100 construction companies mention sustainability or green construction on their websites is an alarming signal, especially considering the sector’s role in achieving climate targets,” notes Edijs Kupčs, Chairman of the Latvian Builders Association. “This statistic indicates that implementing sustainability principles has not yet become a priority for many companies, clearly pointing to the need for greater education and motivation from both the country and the industry itself.”

Kupčs also points out the slow progress of green public procurement: “Green procurements for Category Three buildings are carried out in a simplified manner, and their total volume is only €19.8 million. This is very small compared to the overall turnover of the construction market. Implementing procurements and supporting sustainable construction must become a priority to drive the sector forward.”

Kupčs emphasizes that the guidelines for circular management of construction waste on construction sites, developed only in April this year, are a step in the right direction, but broader company involvement is needed for their implementation.

Eduards Filippovs, representative of Amber Cranes, predicts that already next year, the first examples of sustainable construction will appear in Latvia. These will be analyzed and used as good practice, which can be replicated in other projects. “As a result, technologies will also enter the market, such as zero-emission construction equipment, which can help achieve our green goals,” he notes.

Experts in the discussion also emphasize that the implementation of sustainable principles in construction will clearly strengthen the export capacity of building materials manufacturers, as sustainability criteria and standards have already been introduced in nearby export markets – Scandinavia and Germany – which Latvian companies must comply with.

A wide range of industry experts shared their views in the long-term construction discussion, including Normunds Grīnbergs, President of the Latvian Builders Association and Head of the Latvian Construction College; Jeļena Gavrilova, Board Member of Valsts Nekustamie Īpašumi; Kaspars Rožkalns, Chairman of the Board of UPB Nami; Katrīna Muižniece, Sustainability Expert at Luminor Bank; Marija Katrīna Dambe, Lead Architect at Nomad Architects; Egija Smila, Head of Merko Ehitus Group Companies in Latvia; Kristaps Ceplis, Head of the Latvian Timber Construction Cluster; and Sergejs Frolovs, Head of BLV Advisory.