Part 1: Architect’s Guide 1 - 59 7 STEEL CONSTRUCTION AND SUSTAINABILITY The preoccupations of the sustainable development are of particular concern for the construction sector, which is responsible for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions and for 40% of the primary energy consumption. They constitute a major stake for all the involved professionals. It is a question today of designing and of realizing creative projects which integrate values and new techniques. Steel is the mainspring in our quest to improve the quality of our buildings and their impact on our living environment. General principles are established according to three main considerations: ecological, economical and socio-cultural, although the methods for determining their impact have not yet been agreed on an international scale. The sustainability of buildings concerns a range of issues related to choice of materials, construction process, occupation and end of life. These issues may be expressed in terms of specific criteria, such as energy materials use, waste minimization, reduction of primary energy use (and CO2 emissions), pollution and other global impacts. Figure 7.1 Praetorium building in La Défense (Paris) with ‘High Environmental Quality’ label
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