At EU level, construction consumes up to 50% of all natural resources measured by weight. Buildings consume approx. 40% of energy and produce 36% of carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, construction waste and building demolition waste produce 25–30% of all waste. The Finnish parliament approved the proposal of the Ministry of the Environment as a new construction law in the spring of 2023 and it is scheduled to enter into force on January 1, 2025. Law e.g., obligates the developers to carry out Life Cycle Assessment for buildings as a part of the building permission process. The EU taxonomy also obliges the capital-intensive construction industry and real estate sector to undergo reforms. Many financiers already require sustainability reporting of the construction projects they finance. In addition, many municipalities have begun to use environmental criteria in their acquisitions and land transfers. Most of the municipalities in North Karelia, led by the city of Joensuu, have committed to reducing the carbon dioxide emissions of their operations and to be carbon neutral by 2030. However, the development steps in the municipalities have been quite modest related the construction industry and real estate sector. There are several obstacles which preventing the development, including socio-economic conditions in the region, but also to a lack of practical knowledge about the means by which emissions in the construction sector can be influenced. The objective of this project is to promote knowledge-based climate smart construction and to initiate the necessary development processes in companies and municipal organizations in the region. In this context, climate smart construction means the minimization of emissions during construction and the use of buildings, including renovation and new construction as well as infrastructure construction. Key means in this context are energy efficiency, designing buildings for long lifespan as possible, using low-carbon materials, using recycled and reusable building parts and materials, developing site operations and promoting technical and biogenic carbon stocks in the built environment. The focus of the project's activities is in implementation of concrete demonstrations and pilot cases. The aim of these demonstrations and pilot cases is to increase the know-how of the target groups in order to reduce the emissions of construction and the life cycle of buildings. These pilot cases and demonstrations relates to following subjects: reduction of emissions from building construction; infrastructure construction and construction sites. In addition, promotion of the circular economy. During the project implementation active communication and cooperation within the professional networks will be done as well. The project contributes to the introduction of new methods and tools that help reduce emissions of real estate sector and construction industry in the private and public sector. The project aims to develop the competitiveness of the local construction sector by helping operators meet mandatory and voluntary requirements related to environmental efficiency. The project's activities will support the implementation of "Carbon Neutral Joensuu 2025" and the implementation of the carbon neutrality goals of North Karelia's municipalities.