Across the globe, there is now an overarching demand for sustainability that touches a vast range of industries. High-profile media reports, alongside the increasingly severe weather being experienced worldwide, have resulted in a considerable increase in attention to the issue of climate change.
As a result, consumers and businesses alike are becoming more focused on becoming ‘green’. Companies must seek alternative solutions as pressure increases to develop sustainable construction practices.
There is increased pressure on the construction industry to create an environment that will improve the lives of future generations and use sustainable methods. Working sustainably involves meeting the demands of expanding population and supporting the environment in the long term.
However, this demand for greener operations poses the question of what sustainable construction looks like and what methods businesses can implement to achieve this.
What do we mean by sustainable construction?
Sustainable construction involves a holistic approach to processes, plants, procedures, materials, and other elements that reduce project waste, energy consumption, and environmental impact. Today, the construction sector contributes around 45% of total UK carbon emissions and 32% of landfill waste, with 13% of on-site materials being sent to landfills directly. The spotlight is clearly on the sector to change.
However, there is a perception that sustainable construction is expensive, making it seem less attractive in today’s competitive construction market. Despite this, a 2018 report by The World Green Building Council found that although cost remains a concern, money is saved through reduced operating costs thanks to the new sustainable materials and methods.
While it is vital to boost sustainability efforts across entire business operations, the focus should first be on the consumption of resources, as the industry is estimated to make up approximately 50% of global raw material consumption. However, the industry finds itself in a unique position as small but significant method changes in operation alongside new materials can drastically reduce its effect on the environment and position it as a leader in sustainable innovation.
How can we implement sustainable methods?
- Sustainable materials
Using more sustainable materials is perhaps the obvious answer to reducing carbon emissions, and it is now even easier for companies to access these. Health Product Declarations (HPDs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) provide assessments of a material’s impact on health and the environment, making it simple to choose the best resources wherever possible. Manufacturers can also offer Life Cycle Assessments (LCA’s) that indicate the total environmental impact of materials being used. Our Sustainability Strategy commits us to procuring more materials from suppliers with sustainable accreditations, providing assurance that the materials we buy have not detrimentally impacted those who manufacture them, or the wider environment.
- Pre-fabrication & pre-engineering
Pre-fabrication is vital for sustainability as it requires significantly less energy and results in fewer project errors, saving overall energy consumption. This process enables companies to save time and money by building components parallel to site preparation. Once on-site, construction becomes a simpler collation and erection job, mitigating pollution from equipment exhausts and waste materials (reducing Scope 3 emissions)
- Fossil-fuel alternatives
Construction site machinery contributes significantly to air, climate and noise pollution. It represents a third of a building’s lifetime emissions. One of the key mechanisms to move us towards our net-zero carbon goal by 2030 is to switch to hydrogenated vegetable oil fuel for diesel powered machines. Procured from sustainable sources, HVO fuel generates 90% less CO2 emissions, 27% less NOx and 84% less PM emissions. In the last year, our HVO use has increased by 55%, saving the equivalent of 670TCO2e. Several sites across our UK and international- sites now operate hybrid machines or electric power tools that run on electric and lithium-ion batteries to lower carbon emissions. Solar powered welfare units which use PV panels to store and generate energy have been used on a number of our projects, Our Slough project saved 60.7T CO2 with these units, compared to a traditional 50-60kVa diesel generator. HVO fuel and diesel-alternatives are issued as standard on all blu-3 sites to reduce the scope 1 emissions of our projects.
The Clean Vehicles Directive now pushes businesses to decarbonise fleets and offers an opportunity to address this often-ignored part of the industry. At blu-3, our company fleet options are exclusively hybrid or electric options, and we recently installed a number of electric charging points at our Head Office in Kent.
- Water use
Managing the water footprint is just as important as carbon. The use of recycled water across construction sites is increasing. Rainwater and greywater reuse can create significant volume savings during a construction project. Using low-carbon technologies for treating wastewater can also help to reduce carbon emissions on-site.
At blu-3, we have made great strides towards becoming a greener and more sustainable company. Since our baseline year for measuring emissions, we have reduced our overall carbon impact by approximately 40%, and we are consistently looking for ways we can improve. Our Sustainability Strategy, launched on Earth Day this year, outlines our approach and lays out an ambitious 10-year business plan to be more sustainable.
Change is coming
The UK has explicitly committed itself to Net Zero 2050, a target requiring the region to bring all greenhouse gas emissions down to 0% in a relatively short time. According to the climate Change Committee, the UK has already achieved a 40% reduction in carbon emissions1. Still, it is recognised that there is a long and challenging path ahead, and the construction industry has a significant role.
Acknowledging these reductions in emissions, the UK Green Building Council has also released a framework definition that lays out what net-zero buildings will look like in the future and has provided clarity on sustainable processes and practices for construction. There are no one-size-fits-all methods to achieve these goals, but it offers a pathway for the industry to begin the hard work needed to reduce carbon emissions before it’s too late.
Government legislation is also starting to take place, forcing businesses to become more carbon neutral. Still, companies must take the initiative by utilising sustainable options and ensuring they are ahead of the game when going green.
Moving forward, the industry must work together to ensure we continue boosting sustainability efforts and reducing our environmental impact. Implementing new sustainable methods and materials can ensure significant emissions reductions and enhanced performance across all projects.
At blu-3, we are committed to securing to a sustainable world for future generations. You can find out more about our commitments here: https://www.blu-3.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/211270-blu-3-sustainability-strategy-v10.pdf
