Transizione Circolare. Strategie per la riduzione dell'impronta ecologica nel progetto edilizio e policy coherence.

The intensification of extreme weather events and climate change heightens the need for environmental conservation, while a severe energy crisis, exacerbated by global conflicts, exposes vulnerabilities in production processes and resource procurement, destabilizing multiple economic sectors. These vulnerabilities are intrinsically linked to the ecological footprint, a key indicator measuring the environmental impact of human activities relative to the planet's capacity to regenerate resources and absorb anthropogenic waste. This footprint exhibits non-uniform distributions and varying impacts, offering insights into which areas contribute most significantly to environmental strain. In response, integrating the ecological footprint within a cohesive perspective of circular economy and sustainable transformation is essential. This approach emphasizes reshaping construction projects with existing regulatory and operational tools, fostering a shift from a linear to a circular model. Given its potential for sustainable transformation, the construction sector emerges as a strategic focal area. A transition towards circularity in construction requires restructuring industry processes, necessitating a thorough reassessment of programmatic and operational strategies. This entails identifying core principles to optimize coherence and sustainability, aligning them with the most effective tools available. The research introduces a methodology to consolidate existing metrics, enabling a multi-criteria evaluation of circularity in construction through advanced indicators and interoperable performance matrices. This methodology acts as a strategic asset to instill circular economy principles across public and private construction sectors. At a national scale, it could standardize assessments of circularity, promoting knowledge sharing and skill enhancement among industry stakeholders. In its initial phase, the research prioritizes expanding the knowledge base on ecological footprint, circularity, and lifecycle principles. This involves organizing extensive information into an analytical index to guide subsequent research phases, addressing current challenges and including a comprehensive review of literature and policies. The analysis further explores circular economy’s role in construction, examining regulatory and programmatic tools through a structured methodology that transitions from broad qualitative assessments to detailed quantitative analyses. A critical examination phase evaluates the ecological footprint in construction, mapping existing tools and operational criteria to identify key circularity parameters. This contributes to the definition of a unified framework supporting comprehensive evaluations and continuous improvement of construction practices. Refining document collection enables comparison and validation of circularity indicators across various levels, providing a standardized approach for evaluating interventions. Testing the framework reveals existing challenges and future implementation opportunities, ultimately validating the methodology and supporting a transition to circular practices in construction.