Modern society faces significant challenges in terms of resources that are dwindling and a climate that is changing, factors which have boosted the need for interdisciplinary research on the design, operation and management of systems which produce, distribute and use energy. The concept of sustainable construction results from the need to establish principles for managing resources and waste in order to minimize the negative impacts of the construction and use of buildings throughout their life cycle. It is estimated that 40% of all raw materials extracted are intended for use in construction works. The construction sector is thus directly responsible for a large part of the negative impacts of extracting raw materials, transportation, the manufacturing of goods and disposing of construction and demolition waste (CDW).

It is also known that the buildings sector accounts for 40% of final energy consumption in the European Union and it is therefore responsible for a considerable amount of total GHG emissions and waste production. It is of critical importance to explore the potential for reducing energy consumption in buildings by using more efficient and sustainable materials, products and construction technologies.

We hope that the 40th IAHS World Congress, on the theme “Sustainable Housing Construction”, will be an ideal forum to disseminate recent advances and discuss future trends towards a more sustainable and energy-efficient construction industry. The main purpose of the congress is to debate topics related to new environmentally friendly construction materials and technologies, energy efficiency in buildings, waste management, and other topics linked to sustainability in construction. However, the broad scope of the International Association for Housing (IAHS) series of congresses also makes this an excellent place to discuss any issue related to housing science.

We invite everyone involved in construction research to join us at the the 40th IAHS World Congress. We look forward to welcoming you in Madeira, December 16-19, 2014.

IAHS 2014 contact e-mail: iahs2014@itecons.uc.pt