The EU has committed to making its built environment greener in the coming years. With the introduction of the ‘Fit for 55’ package and the proposed revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, local infrastructure and building investments are becoming increasingly driven by requirements and opportunities to apply sustainable energy technologies and circularity concepts. However, the competencies and skills needed to support a successful transition to a low-carbon and circular built environment remain a key issue that local actors are struggling to solve.

The EU-funded BUS-GoCircular project aims to address and overcome the challenges of stimulating demand for a circular construction skilled workforce, along with the hands-on capacity building to increase the number of skilled professionals within the workforce across the value chain. Local and regional governments can use a wide range of policy levers to stimulate this demand.

The paper provides local policy levers to promote these skills. The levers included are:
 

• set targets in a circular economy strategy;
• procure and own circular buildings;
• act as an economic developer;
• provide financial incentives;
• raise awareness and build capacity;
• facilitate and promote networking;
• plan for the long-term.

Focusing on one of the levers – provide financial incentives – the report explains that public authorities can use various subsidies to stimulate demand for circular construction skills, such as grants and loan guarantees. Also, the report explains that European funding can be used to invest in skills. At the end of the paper, an overview of all the recommendations is provided. The recommendations are classified into short/mid-term, long-term, direct impact and indirect impact. Cities and regions can use these levers to give the built environment workforce the skills and tools necessary to transition to a circular built environment and support the implementation of Circular Systemic Solutions at local level.