Lightweight construction accounts for 4 percent of German economy's output – govt report
Clean Energy Wire
Lightweight construction that reduces emissions in the different sectors contributes up to four percent of German total economic output, says a report by the economy ministry (BMWK). Lightweight materials can be used, for example, to reduce the weight of aeroplanes. Lighter vehicles consume less energy when moving around, thus directly lowering transport emissions, as well as saving on raw material consumption. By using lightweight materials in vehicles and other metal products, the sector and associated services have added 124 billion euros to the German economy, the ministry concluded. It estimated that around 1.3 million jobs, equal to 2.9 percent of the workforce, have been created by the industry.
In July last year, the German government agreed on a lightweight construction strategy to reduce raw material consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Supply bottlenecks caused by the pandemic, as well as gas supply cuts as a result of Russia's war in Ukraine have acutely increased awareness of Germany’s multiple import dependencies. But manufacturing is not the only area where materials are an issue. The built environment is responsible for a large chunk of emissions, which research suggests could be slashed significantly by a change in materials and a "sufficiency" approach.
