Urban mining scan for construction, renovation, and demolition

As one of the potential strategies, the IBA’27 is focusing on urban mining. Urban mining is the process of recovering and reusing a city’s materials. For a variety of representative projects, we analyzed the materials that flow in and out of construction and renovation projects in Stuttgart. We also offered insights into the related impact of these activities as well as the potential impact reduction by implementing urban mining practices. Reusing materials for new construction projects has many advantages. The materials already exist within the city, eliminating the need for lengthy supply chains and enhancing resilience.

Methodology to assess progress toward regenerative agriculture goals

To support the OP2B coalition’s mission, we evaluated 19 out of 26 of the OP2B member companies, using five themes: Outcomes, Targets, Pilots, Monitoring & Evaluation, and Transition finance – and 13 key performance indicators (KPIs). This approach aimed to determine whether companies are adopting a holistic strategy, demonstrating ambition through measurable targets, robust monitoring, and focused investments in the transition to regenerative agriculture. The analysis was exclusively based on publicly shared information (ESG reports) and centered on value chain actors from OP2B member companies (such as Danone, Unilever, and PepsiCo), excluding enablers like financial institutions and knowledge partners. This exclusion was necessary due to their distinct reporting techniques, which would require a different methodology to ensure a fair and consistent assessment.

Providing insight into the flow of building materials

In the form of an urban mining scan, we show the impact of material demand for new construction and renovation through 2030, as well as the materials released from demolition and renovation projects. We map potential savings by applying urban mining to these available material flows. For the three most promising product-market combinations, we explore reuse possibilities by presenting opportunities and practical approaches.

Mapping waste streams to unlock the circular potential

To drive Utrecht Province’s transition toward a circular economy, we conducted a comprehensive material flow analysis to understand waste streams. For high-potential materials—such as electronic waste, wood, and metals—we pinpointed opportunities for high-value reuse. Through interviews and desk research, we assessed systemic challenges and collaborated with stakeholders to chart pathways for overcoming barriers. This work culminated in an actionable roadmap and prioritization of actions, ensuring stakeholders have a clear path forward to scale circular solutions. This approach not only revealed critical opportunities to adapt municipal waste centers but also highlighted the necessary cooperation between stakeholders.

From analysis to implementation: pioneering sustainable wood solutions in construction

TIMBERHAUS will leverage digital tools to process hardwoods and post-consumer wood, making wood construction materials more diverse and accessible. These novel products will be integrated into flexible building blueprints focused on circularity, health, and well-being, honoring local cultural design traditions.  

Working with Berlin, Baia Mare, and Siena, the project will implement pilot initiatives to demonstrate these blueprints, showcase the potential of multi-story wood buildings, and test local adaptation. From this experience, the project will develop best-practice guidelines, track market trends, and deliver policy tools for broader adoption.

Key to the project, Metabolic Institute will map the flows of timber from the forest till they reach European buildings – assessing the sustainability of the supply of wood in a changing environment. We will explore how the future demand for timber across the construction industry is likely to shape European forests. We will quantify the carbon benefits of an increased share of timber products in the EU built environment, via novel science-based methodologies that take a systemic approach – from the forest floor to the end-of-life of the buildings – to understand better how it can support the EU construction sector in reaching its climate targets.

A systemic approach to nature-inclusive solar

Our research consisted of two parts:

1. A deep dive into the technical and conceptual aspects of solar parks and the potential biodiversity benefits gained by making them nature-inclusive. 
2. An assessment of current EU policies.

The former allowed us to apply our systems thinking perspective to this topic and consider potential benefits and trade-offs between solar parks and biodiversity conservation. We then combined this knowledge with our detailed policy analysis to define a clear path forward for EU policymakers.

Transforming Systems: Five Impact Spaces Driving EU Solutions for a Sustainable Future

To address the challenges discussed above, the Systems Transformation Hub has different “spaces of impact” that aim to address part of the challenge. 

The five spaces of impact are:

1. The Sanctuary, envisioning and creating knowledge to address identified gaps for systems approach policymaking.
2. The Situation Room, providing rapid-response intelligence and advice, to support short-term decision-making, on urgent and complex issues.
3. The Community Garden, convening multi-stakeholder dialogues to dissect the obstacles and “super wicked problems” preventing change within our current systems and creating buy-in for solutions.
4. The Sandbox, experimenting systems approaches in policy making, to demonstrate if such ideas are feasible.
5. The Kitchen, coordinating the partnership and partners’ EU activities, to amplify the impact and reach of each individual organization.

Impact analysis for scope 1, 2, and 3

To gain insights into the current emission status of an individual construction company, we identify and assess all activities and materials across its portfolio. This process is conducted in close collaboration with the company. We support data collection by organizing workshops and sending out clear data requests. Through impact analysis, we identify the CO2-eq emissions related to the portfolio and allocate these to three different scopes. Scope 1 covers direct emissions that occur within the organization. Scope 2 includes indirect emissions resulting from energy consumption in company buildings. Scope 3 encompasses all other activities throughout the supply chain.

Supporting the deployment of Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Rural Land Management 

The LandShift project takes a comprehensive and collaborative approach to address the challenges of land management in a changing climate. The project aims to create climate-resilient land-use practices that balance environmental sustainability with socio-economic needs by combining advanced remote sensing and AI tools with community engagement and strategic policy development.

Key to the project, Metabolic Institute is leading the development of an open-source library of proven Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) to improve land use management in rural areas. We will assess the trade-offs of these solutions across the five LandShift pilot regions: France, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Ukraine. Throughout the project, we will work closely with rural communities to co-create the strategies and roadmaps that adapt and implement these solutions, supporting the transition to sustainable land-use systems in these pilot regions.