Can you please introduce your association and describe the role that water plays in your work?
FIEC – the European Construction Industry Federation – brings together 32 member federations from 27 European countries, including Norway, Switzerland and Ukraine.
We represent and promote to EU institutions and policy makers the interests of construction companies of all sizes, from small family businesses to large international groups, carrying out all types of building and civil engineering activities.
Contractors use relatively small amounts of water on construction sites compared to the more water-intensive manufacturers of building materials and other sectors. However, water is essential to the construction value chain, of which contractors are a key part. As a result, water issues have become increasingly important in our work.
The World Resource Institute predicts a 56% gap between water supply and demand by 2030. Water stress is also perceived among the main global risks, highlighting the need to move away from temporary measures to systematic, risk-based management. How are the current water risks perceived in your sector, and what policies/regulations do you consider important for addressing these risks?
Concerns about water scarcity and extreme weather events are shared by all our members, whether in Spain, Italy, Germany, or Sweden.
But we don’t just see the ‘water crisis’ in a negative light. Contractors are strategic allies in making the EU water resilient: They build, repair and maintain water transport networks, treatment plants, water storage reservoirs, flood risk management structures and much more. Without the construction sector, there can be no water-smart society and economy.
In terms of policy, in our recently published ‘Call for a European Blue Deal’, we have outlined 5 proposals and ideas on how to put water at the forefront of European policy.
We need to raise the level of awareness of our policymakers about the fact that water is an essential asset for societal and economic prosperity. Investing in water resilience today is a long-term investment in the well-being of European society.
Collaboration and innovation are at the heart of building a Water-Smart Society. How does your organization actively support collaboration and innovation within your sector to improve environmental performance, competitiveness across the value chain? Could you provide specific examples of your efforts in this regard, particularly related to water?
Environmental sustainability is a key priority for FIEC. Contractors are increasingly focusing on low-carbon products and circular solutions and integrating them into their processes. In general, the whole value chain has become much more sensitive to these issues.
With our members, we are raising awareness of the need to achieve a water smart society and the crucial role that contractors can play in achieving it. In the long run, a climate-resilient economy is a competitive economy, and climate-resilient value chains will be competitive value chains. That is the message we are trying to get across to policymakers.
However, we have also seen an increase in the bureaucracy and compliance costs of the environmental regulatory framework put in place by the Green Deal. We are already seeing a trickle-down effect of this new legislation, particularly on medium and smaller businesses. This is also something we need to keep an eye on.
Would a water strategy be relevant for your sector to strengthen competitiveness and reduce potential disruption on the value chain by ensuring water resilience, security, and sustainability?
Yes, absolutely. We urgently need a new pan-European water strategy that adequately reflects the challenges of our time. We have seen what disruptions in the value chain can lead to during the Covid-19 pandemic and we must avoid such serious disruptions happening again.
The EU “water acquis” already sets rules in many areas, but we see a huge gap in the implementation of key legislation and the need for stronger and more forward-looking policies to avoid disruptions in the future.
That is why, in our Call for a European Blue Deal, we are asking the European Commission and Member States to make water a top priority for the next legislative period.
Again: Investing in water resilience and security is a long-term investment in our economic prosperity.
