Madrid, April 20, 2023.

Casas Circulares wants to be an ally of public administrations and the private sector to promote the Circular Economy in the building sector. The Spanish Aluminum Association (AEA) is the promoter of this initiative that is already obtaining significant support from companies and agents in the sector and that has been presented today, internally, within the framework of its General Assembly

Spain faces in the next five years a great challenge of transformation from a linear economy to a circular one. A task to which everyone, governments, companies and civil society, must contribute. This challenge requires rethinking the way in which life, work or the way of planning urban planning and cities are organized. And even more so, if possible, in a context in which, according to official data, buildings emit 36% of CO2 emissions; between 10% and 15% of construction materials are wasted during the construction process and 54% of demolition materials are sent to landfills. Against this backdrop, Casas Circulares was born, the public-private alliance promoted in the first instance by the Spanish Aluminum Association (AEA) and which has been joined by important companies and business organizations such as the metal employer CONFEMETAL, opinion leaders from the building, housing, urban planning and Circular Economy sectors. Likewise, the will of the alliance is that other sectors such as glass or wood join it."The birth of this alliance is a milestone for the sector. It is an ambitious project that emerges as a vector that helps to provide the best solutions for the circularity of the building stock through actions to raise awareness and disseminate good practices, as well as search for opportunities.The EU Circular Economy Action Plan 2020 identifies five priority sectors to accelerate the transition to the throughout their value chains, among which is the construction of buildings, because this sector is a great consumer of resources in Europe", explains Armando Mateos, President of the AEA. In fact, according to data from the European Commission , the building sector uses around half of all the materials extracted, almost half of all the energy consumed and a third of all the water that is used and generates a third of all waste. For all these reasons, generating a space for reflection and action focused on the circularity of buildings, from their construction and rehabilitation to their demolition and recycling, seems essential."Circularity must be considered both at the beginning and at the end of the life cycle Therefore, the carbon savings resulting from end-of-life reuse and recycling should be explicitly included in the life cycle global warming potential (GWP), "emphasizes Mateos. In short, Casas Circulares was born at a key and fundamental moment for a sector that must look to the future applying efficient and effective strategies from the present, in order to promote and achieve energy and climate objectives at a European level. "The transformation of the Spanish economy involves converting Spanish households into circular ones," concludes the president of the AEA. The Casas Circulares alliance will be officially presented on Monday, April 24, at 10:00 a.m., at the BBVA Tower in Madrid. The event will be attended by Nuria Matarredonda, General Director of the Urban Agenda and Architecture of the Ministry of Transport, Urban Agenda and Housing, as well as representatives of the AEA and other personalities from the sector. More information on Circular Houses on the web: www .casascirculares.esCircular Houses. Casas Circulares is an alliance that seeks to accelerate the transition process towards the complete decarbonization and circularity of the building stock in Spain. Through dialogue and public-private collaboration, the alliance promotes the transfer of knowledge between administrations, companies, sector organizations, experts and opinion leaders from the building, housing, urban planning and circular economy sectors; with the ultimate goal of promoting proposals for the development of public policies and regulations. Spanish Association of Aluminum and Surface Treatments (AEA). The AEA is a non-profit association that adequately represents the Spanish aluminum industry - from extrusion companies to surface treatment and distribution companies - and that ensures the defense of its global interests. The Association represents some 650 companies that directly employ more than 8,000 workers. The AEA represents and manages various Brands and Quality Seals related to surface treatment as a General Licensee for Spain of the international Quality Marks QUALANOD, QUALICOAT , QUALIDECO and QUALISTEELCOAT and provides its associates with the tasks of supervision and management of all aspects related to them. Likewise, the Association participates in various AENOR Committees related to standardization and certification in Spain; It is part of CONFEMETAL, ATESMEL and the Green Building Council Spain and, internationally, it is a member of the European Association for Surface Treatment on Aluminum (ESTAL).

Contact Contact name: Spanish Aluminum Association Contact description: Spanish Aluminum Association Contact telephone number: 914 112 791