“Time to rethink what buildings are made of”
Rethinking materials to cut emissions and shape the future of a more sustainable construction.
Q: Discussions around decarbonizing the built environment often center on energy efficiency. From your perspective, what are we still overlooking?
Fernando Resende: Energy performance is essential, but only part of the carbon footprint. The construction industry accounts for around 37% of global CO₂ emissions, and approximately one quarter of that stems from embodied carbon – emissions generated by materials like insulation, concrete and steel before a building is even used. To meet climate goals, we need to address both operational and material-based emissions. That means rethinking not only how we build, but what we build with - especially considering more sustainable construction solutions.
Q: What innovations are emerging to address these embodied carbon challenges?
Resende: At Covestro, we focus on developing low-carbon, bio-circular attributed polyurethane raw materials for insulation and other construction products, that help reduce the carbon footprint. One example is Desmodur® CQ MS, which is used by manufacturers like Recticel in their “Recticel Impact” insulation boards. It offers the same performance as fossil-based PU but reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 43%1, significantly reducing embodied carbon.
The feedstocks are partly bio-circular attributed and certified via a mass balance approach, making it a seamless replacement – no production process changes required.
Q: Many in the sector still assume that sustainable materials come at the cost of performance. Is that view still valid?
Resende: Not in this case. Recticel’s boards, including 25% bio-circular raw materials, allocated via the mass balance approach, maintain the same high thermal insulation performance, helping to reduce heating and cooling demand by up to 70%, depending on application. These insulation materials deliver high quality while significantly reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
We’re adding environmental value – not sacrificing technical standards.
Q: Can you provide examples of where this material is already being used?
Resende: There are a few good examples. One is the TVH Parts headquarters in Belgium, where a roof was recently retrofitted using Recticel boards powered by Desmodur® CQ MS. The project improved both energy efficiency and sustainability – without design compromises or altering the production process. It demonstrates how this technology can be applied at scale in existing building retrofits and modern construction projects alike.
Another example is the Cultuurhuis in Stekene, Belgium - a new cultural centre that integrates sustainability principles from the ground up. Here too, Recticel insulation incorporating our alternative raw materials were used in the building envelope. The Cultuurhuis is especially interesting because it shows how public architecture can lead by example – combining performance, environmental responsibility using low-carbon insulation boards powered by Desmodur® CQ MS, and civic function.
Q: Why hasn’t uptake been faster?
Resende: Embodied carbon has often been overlooked compared to operational energy, but that’s changing. The construction industry is now increasingly aware of the importance of reducing embodied carbon and overall carbon footprint. Regulatory frameworks across Europe are increasingly targeting embodied emissions as part of broader climate goals, also green buildings certifications like DGNB and LEED are placing greater focus on material impact. Combined with investor pressure, this is shifting how materials are selected within the construction supply chain.
Q: What’s next for construction materials?
