Carbon Smart Communities
Increasing material flows along processing chains in timber industry considerably contribute to climate change. However, there is a great but unexploited potential for reduction of CO2-emissions. The project makes these potentials accessible to decision makers and actors. Based on proved innovative cross border working assessment and monitoring tools, HVH developed and provides to the project for testing in the AS, it intially visualizes the impact of low carbon material flows in timber products on the climate (integrated carbon footprint system). It develops and establishes policy guidelines in participating communities (bundled by the different partners) and provides decision makers with steering instruments to actively trigger climate friendly timber products. _x000D_
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Through the project an important but unregarded sustainability aspect will be considered in public construction and procurement. Legal opinions from experts of EU and communal law as well as first activities from public bodies in D to implement the existing tools into procurement indicates the feasibility of the approach. Current lacks of specific informations among decision makers will be filled up. The implementation of developed policies starts within the project duration in several communities and public bodies via partners or observers. To support the setting up and exchange between low carbon model areas an innovative smart places network will be established. By using new communication technologies it extends the sphere of influence of such places by order of magnitude. Strategies and instruments for low carbon and resource saving products and processes are a paneuropean issue but need to be developed in a  transnational approach to get results which are applicable across borders and avoid insulated solutions to reach a broad european acceptance in politics and market. The project provides a technical innovation, as no such trans national instruments are in place up to now.