Assessing Carbon Emission Impacts of Circular Economy Measures for Construction and Demolition Wastes in the European Union

The EU's circular economy (CE) initiatives, which encourage material recovery and recycling, would inevitably affect the trajectory towards EU's goal of Net-Zero carbon by influencing material and energy flows. Ideally, the CE of construction and demolition waste (CDW) could yield substantial carbon savings by fulfilling the material demand in the building and infrastructure sector with reduced emission-intensive material production activities. However, the adopted CE measures may also affect carbon emissions through indirect channels. For example, the CE of CDW exhibits an economy-wide impact on several emission-intensive industries, including transportation, power generation, and manufacturing, among many others. Given the complexity of the material and energy flows, a comprehensive and systematic understanding of the carbon emission impacts of CE of CDW is essential for policymakers and enterprises to promote climate neutrality and efficient CE management. In this context, this proposed research aims to assess the carbon emissions (or savings) potential of the EU's CE measures for CDW using an environmentally extended input-output (EEIO) model coupled with updated evaluation parameters from a developed LCA model. The EEIO model, considering the diverse industrial mix in EU member states, can characterize how the CE of CDW affects carbon emissions across different industries and regions. By conducting rigorous empirical analysis and refining the modeling of complex material and energy flows, this research will uncover the gravity of the issue and inform policy frameworks, contributing to the EU's strategic environmental objectives and its path to Net-Zero Carbon.