Clear communication and transparency for sustainable development

How sustainability can be measured and the value of this within environmental certifications for construction work can be confusing, especially since it requires full insight into the lifecycle of each individual material – all the way from extraction to recycling.

Therefore, we as both suppliers and contractors need more transparency on the building materials market, which will make it easier for architects and developers to make the best choice for the building project. In this vein, DEKO has collaborated with Viegand Maagøe to develop an overview of documentation that will make it easier for auditors to determine the specific contributions our solutions are making to different DGNB certification criteria.

“At DEKO, we’re working to increase our communication on the measures we’re taking when it comes to documentation and EPDs for our products. Our aim is to convey our range of products to our customers as clearly as possible, and not least to all to make it easier to access documentation. Through clear communication and greater transparency around the certification potential of our products, we as a supplier can help to boost sustainable development in the Danish construction industry,” says Simon Søndergaard Bjarno Jensen, Sustainability Project Manager at DEKO.

DGNB certification and the three pillars of sustainability

The full meaning of the term “sustainability” includes a number of different parameters, all of which play a crucial role in environmental certification. Sustainability is built on three pillars: the planet, public health and wellbeing, and economic sustainability.

The internationally recognised DGNB certification assesses and measures the sustainable quality of a building in terms of its costs over its entire lifetime, its environmental profile and, last but not least, parameters which promote wellbeing such as its indoor climate, comfort, and safety and security. In order to satisfy the high level of requirements set for DGNB certification, we at DEKO approach our work holistically, giving all three pillars equal priority.

“As well as collecting EPDs, we are also working on eliminating harmful emissions from our products, tightening controls on the material composition of all components and simplifying installation of our products to ensure better working conditions for our own (and other) carpenters. We also have a general focus on recycling, both in production and in day-to-day operations,” adds Simon Søndergaard Bjarno Jensen.

Responsibility of the construction industry for the future

In order to increase standards in construction and move the industry towards a more sustainable future, it’s important that all parts of the building process help one another communicate and understand what the market wants, and how individual suppliers can help to accommodate these wants. That’s why we’re investing in communication and transparency in the development and lifecycles of our products to make it easier to be more eco-conscious and quality-assured in our construction work.

Get an overview of DEKO’s certification potential in the DGNB brochure today.