Assessing impacts on biodiversity in the building sector A study on wood and concrete as building materials
Ladda ner
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Program
Industrial ecology (MPTSE), MSc
Publicerad
2023
Författare
Albinsson, Louise
Larsson, Mikhaela
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Biodiversity is the vast variety of all life on this planet and their interactions together in
ecosystems. As the building sector is one of the top three sectors that threatens global
biodiversity, the Swedish building company, Sveafastigheter, wants to address the impacts
the building sector has on biodiversity by comparing two building materials to each other
in a project called Wood vs. concrete. The purpose of this study is to support the Wood
vs. concrete project by finding methods to assess biodiversity in the building sector,
with the aim to develop tools for biodiversity assessment. The method used has been
a literature search, with an integrated case study where Sveafastigheter was interviewed
about the Wood vs. concrete project, as well as the indicators identified in this thesis project.
Over a hundred different indicators to assess biodiversity were found which were categorised
into three different categories depending on how they were measured. The three different
categories were (1) measured with the help of experts, (2) measured with the help of maps
or datasets, and (3) measured in investments or reports. A majority of the indicators could
be found in category two which included indicators such as the Biodiversity Integrity Index
(BII), threatened forest species and Ecosystem Integrity Index (EII). The results of the
case study showed that the found indicators were too complex to aggregate into one and
that choosing just one that can accurately represent the variety and intricate nature of
biodiversity was too complicated.
No current policies, regulations or frameworks that target biodiversity specify what needs to
be measured or how to measure biodiversity and the findings of this thesis project showed
that there is a need for fast-paced development within this area. Taking this into consid-
eration, five different internal Key Performance Indicators, KPIs, based on the indicator
and methods findings, as well as future policy scenarios, were suggested to Sveafastigheter.
These internal KPIs would enhance transparency and demonstrate that Sveafastigheter ac-
tively engages in measuring something related to biodiversity. Measuring something means
that there is at least a sense of direction of where biodiversity assessment and policies should
be, and are, headed. The proposed internal KPIs establish a foundation which provides
other companies within the building sector knowledge on where to start on their journey in
assessing biodiversity impacts when choosing materials.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
biodiversity , biodiversity assessment , building sector , concrete , extraction sites , indicators , wood