Overall, the construction sector has two directions: either renovate or demolish the existing buildings and replace them with new ones, using different approaches than before (e.g. building demountability, climate resistance, etc.). According to the forecast, up to 25% of single-family homes (approx. 40,000 buildings) and up to 23% of apartment buildings (approx. 5,300 buildings) may fall out of use by the year 2050. At the same time, buildings already built are material banks; the construction has already caused a significant environmental impact, and the demolition would generate a significant amount of construction and demolition waste, e.g. concrete, silicate stone, ceramics.

Looking to the future, the main trends in Estonia's climate are:

• An increase in the outdoor air temperature (more freezing cycles, more intense corrosion of steel and reinforced concrete, changing heating and cooling needs)
• Increase in the level of CO2 in the outdoor air (faster carbonation of concrete)
• Increase in the amount of precipitation (more frost damage, more intense corrosion, floods, landslides, soil water level, storm water drainage)
• Air pollution, soiling of surfaces and formation of organics)
• An increase in extreme weather conditions, including strong winds, a decrease in the differences between the seasons in the Estonian climate, unusual seasonal weather, etc.

Thus, new test years of outdoor climate are needed to change the current situation where the future buildings are designed in the present using the climate of the past. Fortunately, all this is happening at TalTech, for example in the Life IP BuildEst project.

According to Ilomets, the construction sector should also move more towards a circular economy – try to reduce the generation of waste, make maximum use of what is available, renovate and adapt, build less. Selective dismantling could be preferred instead of conventional demolition.

He also briefly touched on the future green skills of the construction industry, which specialists and skilled workers need to cope with the changing climate and society's expectations, including:

• Resource efficiency (A1-A3), need and valorisation of raw materials, including secondary raw materials
• The buildings are temporary and their parts are transplantable
• Buildings are flexible and adaptable (m2/person)
• Durability of buildings and materials, service life design, maintenance and management
• Material banks
• Connecting the natural and built environment, mitigation of heat islands, retention ponds and impregnation of rainwater, green roofs and facades, increase of food production in cities, etc.
• Climate resistance
• Waste prevention and reduction
• Optimisation of material use
• The principle of building in layers and dismantling

Finally, Ilomets gave several good examples of solutions already implemented as well as student works that are waiting to be realised soon, including the TalTech campus.