The Regenerative Building Alliance coordinates and supports a diverse range of stakeholders from society, politics, and business in transforming the construction and housing sector. It offers a framework and network where members and committed individuals can contribute to and promote holistic ideas, innovative tools, and ambitious implementation projects. The project partners believe that systemic change is possible through coordinated action, unexpected collaborations, and targeted measures. The Alliance unites bold, transformative leaders who recognize the urgency of a social and ecological transition in building practices and are committed to working together towards this vision.
Four questions for …
Luisa Seiler, the project lead at the Regenerative Building Alliance and Entrepreneuer in Residence at ProjectTogether.
Why is a Regenerative Building Alliance needed?
Luisa Seiler: “How we live has become a question of prosperity and justice, presenting a significant challenge to our social cohesion and democracy. At the same time, the construction sector has a massive environmental impact, accounting for 40% of CO2 emissions, 55% of waste production, and 40% of raw material consumption in Germany. Yet, there are already numerous examples of ecological and socially responsible construction methods that need to be widely adopted.
The Regenerative Building Alliance addresses the core questions of how, why, and for whom we build. It unites change-makers from all areas of the construction industry in thematic alliances and implementation projects. This fosters unconventional collaborations and enables collective action. Together, we develop solutions targeting key leverage points to accelerate socially responsible, climate-positive, and economically sustainable construction practices.”
What do you have planned specifically?
“The Regenerative Building Alliance is translating ecological and social construction into action across four areas: reducing land consumption and soil sealing, preserving and repurposing existing buildings instead of demolishing and rebuilding, establishing organic and circular building products as standard, and ensuring long-term affordable housing for all.
To achieve this, we are focusing on three primary levers: advancing effective regulations for ecological and social construction, enabling financing options for transformative building projects, and strengthening on-the-ground practices.
A key element of our work is the Policy Lab, where we are developing a Carbon Neutrality Roadmap to address building-related life cycle emissions in Germany.”
What will have changed once the project has come to an end?
“The Regenerative Building Alliance will have become a well-established cross-sector movement. Germany's regenerative building ecosystem will have expanded, fostering collaboration between pioneers and traditional actors in the construction and housing sectors.
The Carbon Neutrality Roadmap will guide CO2 limits for the German building sector, supported by a coalition of relevant stakeholders. Additionally, transformative projects demonstrating the feasibility of these practices will have been initiated and made visible to decision-makers. Established approaches to sustainable construction will be accelerated, expanded, and increasingly adopted as industry standards.”
What is a key idea for how the living conditions of future generations can be improved?
“Long-term thinking!”
