The DeCO2 Horizon Europe project envisions a circular and sustainable decarbonised future for the European built environment. DeCO2 proposes user-centric innovations that address building renovation challenges in alignment with the needs of local industrial ecosystems and communities.
The project blends technological innovations through active social engagement, and effective policy interventions aiming to boost circularity and reduce emissions in renovations across Europe. DeCO2 proposes a data-driven dynamic framework for decarbonisation pathways to foster circular economy principles within the built environment.
The DeCO2 demonstration sites provide real-world settings to pilot test DeCO2 innovations, offering safe regulatory testbeds as sandboxes. Three diverse value chains shape the project demonstration sites and ensure that the needs of the market are addressed at all levels:
- A bio-based material-oriented approach established within the Irish demonstration site;
- An industrial ecosystem-oriented case in Spain engaging actors from multiple stakeholders within a deconstruction / renovation scenario;
- A Living-Lab focusing on social acceptance through community inclusion in Austria.
The objectives of the project focus on:
- Implementing and showcasing technological innovations for renovation projects that contribute to the decarbonisation of the built environment;
- Demonstrating the effectiveness and viability of the dynamic decarbonisation framework proposed by DeCO2 innovations across one virtual and three physical demonstrators;
- Assessing the scalability and replicability of the decarbonisation pathways for wider adoption starting from the three satellite countries of the project (the Netherlands, Germany, and Greece);
- Fostering social innovation through people-centred, inclusive, participatory processes for the development, implementation, and acceptance of sustainable renovation solutions;
- Promoting policy innovation by providing practical guidelines to public authorities, policymakers and other stakeholders on how to implement decarbonisation pathways on renovation projects.
DeCO2 has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme under Grant Agreement No. 101147781.
