Alessia Santoro

Introducing Alessia Santoro
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Alessia, an Italian native, has been immersed in the construction field since the age of fourteen. After completing a three-year program in construction engineering, which combined civil engineering and architectural studies, she moved to Dublin to improve her English. She then went on to do a Masters in Sustainable Cities at Aalborg University in Denmark, which included an internship in Mexico City with ICLE-Local Governments for Sustainability. Her Master’s thesis analysed how the reduction and reuse of bricks through innovative cleaning techniques could reduce environmental impact and generate economic profit.

At the World Business Council for Sustainable Development(WBCSD), Alessia's work has focused primarily on circularity in construction.  Her work has contributed to the development of technical guidelines for repurposing materials, helping to align industry practices with sustainable principles and understanding the business case for circular buildings. Alessia has also been engaged in studying the metrics needed to assess circularity in the building sector, striving to create a unified approach across the value chain.

In her almost three years at WBCSD, Alessia has supported several initiatives, including the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) and the Circular Buildings Coalition (CBC) as well as the Alianza Latinoamericana Circular en el Sector de la Construcción . She has participated in international forums and collaborated on projects that explore the intersection of sustainable materials, decarbonization, equity and well-being,and reducing the impact of the built environment system. Her efforts aim to ensure that building practices will one day not only promote environmental sustainability, but also human well-being and social equity, especially in developing regions.


In this interview, Alessia shares her perspective on the value of the Coalition, what she sees as the most pressing actions over the next two years, and more.

‍QN: Why is it important for you, on a personal note and as an organization, to be a part of the CBC?

A: By participating in CBC, we aim to explore ways to ensure sustainability and circularity in the built environment and promote sustainable living conditions. This initiative is crucial as it allows us to collaborate with experts and key actors who can offer valuable insights and solutions, enabling us to brainstorm effectively and ensure quality housing and environments without compromising sustainability.

Furthermore, being part of CBC draws together diverse organizations from different parts of the world, despite its primary focus being on Europe. This global interaction broadens our perspective and helps us to integrate circular economy principles not just in Europe but also in other regions where we operate. The Coalition's collaborative approach helps us to align our goals and strategies, reduce fragmentation and foster effective partnerships. This collective effort enhances our ability to implement sustainable practices in the built environment, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable future on a broader scale.
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QN: What specific actions, by the CBC, would you like to see over the next two years?

A: I would like to see the CBC take specific actions that include bringing together stakeholders from different geographical areas of the world across the value chain to align their approaches to circularity and sustainability. This alignment should be done by focusing on geographical regions such as Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia, ensuring that the concept of a vertical economy is tailored and supported in each area.

This is because the solutions to be adapted will vary according to the needs and resources available. A perfect solution in one context will not necessarily be the best solution in another.

Additionally, the CBC should facilitate discussion and collaboration to address different levels of maturity and understanding among the stakeholders, with the aim of bringing everyone to a similar level of expertise. This will require the CBC to support the implementation of circular models and promote a balanced integration of technical and theoretical perspectives to ensure a comprehensive approach to sustainable practices.

‍QN: Who and what will/can drive the transition? – what are the levers we can now benefit from?

A: The transition towards circularity can be advanced by leveraging diverse perspectives and expertise. Metabolic, with its focus on numbers and concrete actions, brings a technical and practical approach, while other organizations such as WBCSD or the WorldGBC offer a more holistic and theoretical perspective. By working collaboratively and sharing knowledge, these different viewpoints can complement each other, leading to a more comprehensive understanding and innovative solutions.
Technical experts can benefit from philanthropic insights and theoretical frameworks, broadening their perspectives and encouraging out-of-the-box thinking. This synergy canfoster more effective circularity strategies, enhancing both technical execution and conceptual planning.

However, it is important to balance these collaborative efforts with practical constraints to ensure that knowledge sharing, while valuable, does not become overly time-consuming and distract from core responsibilities.