An environmental macro-economic model for the construction sector

This article describes the economic-ecological model BASIS, which handles the construction sector, its consumption of materials, and the resultant environmental effects. The model is a satellite model of the macro-economic model ADAM. The building materials examined are plastic, metal and concrete, each of which result in various emissions that impact upon the environment and health. Materials consumption and energy consumption are central environmental parameters, and can be considered both as indicators of environmental pressure per se, and as explanatory variables for various types of emissions and waste generation. The article documents BASIS and illustrates its characteristics through a number of scenarios. The scenarios examine the effects of changes in various macro-economic variables and of environmental policy-based levies.