Grupo Construcía and its commitment with SDGs

Grupo Construcía impacts on 9 of 17 SDGs

Thanks to the use of Lean2Cradle® methodology, Construcía managed to impact on 9 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, promoted by the United Nations. Our positioning and our way of working generate a positive impact on the health of people, the economy and society. We are aware of SDGs importance and their targets to achieve a sustainable future, focusing our actions to fulfil them.

Companies are considered key agents in achieving these 17 SDGs and their targets. Nowadays, collaboration of private entities is essential to materialize the actions and goals described in them. Recent months have been marked by the approval of deals and strategies where sustainable development, circular economy and environmental protection play a major role. At Construcía we don't lose sight that a transformation towards a model that generates a positive impact is necessary and we have carried out an analysis that allows us to know how we contribute to the achievement of SDGs when it comes to the construction of our buildings.

To what extent does Construcía contribute to SDGs?

PEOPLE'S HEALTH

SDG 3, focused on people's health and well-being, is our starting point. Target 3.9 states that by 2030, the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals, as well as air, water and soil pollution, is expected to be substantially reduced. At Construcía we create healthy spaces, eliminating the toxicity of the products we use in our buildings, with the selection of toxic-free materials, such as Cradle to cradle certificates.

Target 8.8 (SDG 8) explains about the protection of workers' rights, promoting a safe and risk-free working environment and 11.6 (SDG 11) reflects the need to reduce the negative environmental impact per capita of cities, with special emphasis on air quality and waste management. Thanks to the application of Lean2Cradle^® Construcía methodology, we are able to improve the quality of built spaces and achieve lighting, thermal, acoustic and electromagnetic comfort, thus improving the emotional well-being and productivity of building occupants.

ECONOMY

SDG 8, and more specifically 2 of its targets (8.2 and 8.4), are the ones most closely related to our generation of positive impact and value from an economic point of view. It aims to achieve higher levels of financial performance through innovation and the improvement of efficient production and consumption of global resources, de-coupling economic growth from environmental degradation.

We achieve this positive impact with our Lean2Cradle® methodology, which applies the principles of Lean Construction and Cradle to Cradle. Thanks to Lean Construction, construction processes are optimised with maximum efficiency, minimising the problems related to traditional management, such as cost overruns or late deliveries. On the other hand, Cradle to Cradle principles mean that the waste from one system becomes a nutrient for another, hence, nothing is wasted. The result of the combination of these two principles and their application to the circular economy is a reduction in the life cycle costs of the building, an  increase in incomes, profitability and performance and a reduction in regulatory risks.

SOCIETY

It is in the positive impact we generate on society that the greatest number of SDGs come into play.

SDG 6 tells us about water availability and management. Cradle to Cradle principles we apply with our Lean2Cradle® methodology promote efficient water management by using innovative strategies. Furthermore, by eliminating the toxicity of products and waste, we reduce pollution and help protect natural resources.

SDG 9 seeks to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation, using resources in the most efficient way. SDG 15, closely related to SDG 9, promotes sustainable forest management and aims to halt biodiversity loss. At Construcía, we design and build spaces from the perspective of circular economy. We use cyclable materials and create buildings designed to be totally flexible, reconfigurable and removable in the future, thus making the most of the materials installed. We incorporate healthy materials, designed to be reused and reversible construction solutions. In addition, we created a document that gathers all this information to make it available in the future so this recovery becomes a reality (Material Passport).

Just as complying with SDG 11 helps to generate a positive impact on people's health, it does so with society. Buildings created using Lean2Cradle® methodology makes cities resilient and sustainable.

The elimination of the concept of waste is closely related to SDG 12, where sustainable consumption and production patterns and efficient use of natural resources are promoted. The traceability of raw materials and products allows us to contribute to the protection of these resources. Knowing where they come from makes it possible for us to classify them and establish protocols so that they can be reconverted or reused the best way possible in the future, without them losing value.

Our buildings also contribute to the mitigation of climate change, as set out in SDG 13, through the use of renewable energies and the reduction of eco-toxicity and CO2 emissions. Similarly, a contribution is made with SDG 14, which seeks to conserve the oceans and seas by reducing marine pollution produced by activities on land, such as construction, one of the largest sources of waste in the European Union.

At Construcía we believe that management is necessary to go hand in hand with the Sustainable Development Goals. Besides, with the design and creation of our buildings under the Lean2Cradle® methodology we become part of this necessary transformation. We are committed to having a positive influence on people, the economy and society and creating valuable spaces for today and the future.