Currently the construction industry can account for 33% of the UKs carbon emission.

With the COP26 Conference this week, we decided to research how our industry contributes to environmental pollution and how it’s adapting to reach the set target of halving emissions by 2025.

Construction Industries Impact

There are many reasons construction is having an impact on the climate. Below are the main issues;

  • Destruction to the Ecosystem due to mining, logging, and other techniques to extract raw material
  • Waste, Water, and air pollution caused during the manufacturing of building materials. It’s estimated 5-8% of the Global CO2 emissions comes solely from the production of cement
  • Damage to local waterways and plant life caused by erosion and run off from construction sites
  • Spills or other accidents that directly contaminate soil air and water toxic chemicals
  • The use of heavy machinery and transportation of materials release high-level CO2 emission
  • Currently 400 million tonnes of materials are used in construction with around 100 million tonnes going to waste and landing in landfill sites

The Construction Leadership Council Mission

CO2nstructZero is the construction sector’s response to the government’s 10-point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. This plan sets out how the construction industry can, through commitment meet the Net Zero challenge.  It uses the CCC’s 6th Carbon budget to establish the priorities.  The expectation is that 250,000 green jobs will be created, and significant private sector investment will be achieved.  

Based on transportation, buildings and construction activity, the CLC has used the CCC’s 6th Carbon Budget to determine nine priorities to focus efforts both as an industry and as individual businesses.  

CLC plans to use COP26 to broker an agreement between industry leaders, professionals, and the public to deliver net zero in the built environment.  You can read the press release at CLC plans at COP26 » Construction Leadership Council.

7 Principles of Sustainable Construction

  1. Sustainable Design: The earlier you can involve sustainable construction into your design, the more sustainable it will be and will ultimately lead to long-term environmentally friendly benefits
  2. Durability: Using durable materials and products means they will not need to be replaced or repaired as frequently. Some of the most durable building materials are brick, stone, and concrete.
  3. Energy Efficiency; Improving energy efficiency will help reduce costs by lowering fuel consumption and ultimately reduce the emission of CO2. There are many energy-efficient building materials to choose from e.g., insulating concrete forms, low-emissivity windows, structural insulated panels.
  4. Waste Reduction: planning can help reduce materials going to landfill.  Reduce waste on building sites and if you have materials left over store them for use on future projects don’t throw them in a skip.  
  5. Indoor air quality: In England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the UK Air Quality Strategy’s policies help manage ambient air quality. The strategy helps to protect the public’s health and the environment.
  6. Water Conservation: Fresh water is a resource under threat from constant pollution and changing climate.  Small implementations during a build like pressure reducing valves to reduce flow in toilets, showers and kitchens will save water.  
  7. Sustainable building materials: We cover this further in the blog, but sustainable materials are materials that have no direct impact on the environment and do not use non-renewable resources. E.G., use timber instead of steel, concrete reinforced with natural fibres, Straws bales and making sure that materials are responsibility sourced such as FSC timber, your supply should be able to provide a certificate.

What Individual Companies can do

So, what action can we take now to prove we are not just paying people lip service.

Starting in your office you could switch to energy-efficient lighting such as LED. LED lighting uses up to 90% less power than regular bulbs, they also last up to 60,000 hours compared to regular bulbs. Go paperless both in the office and on-site, instead of printing drawings and H&S files have an onsite tablet or computer where they can access these. (Urban use Citation for our online site documents)

On-site ideas to consider:

  • Transport:
    • Site staff could lift share or use local public transport.
    • Use of electric or hybrid vans or Ultra Low Emission Vehicles
  • Sustainable Suppliers:
    • Limit the amount of suppliers you use by using companies who can provide multiple materials, so you can get bulk deliveries
    • Use local companies to avoid long transportation.
    • Look for supplier that go beyond the basic eco changes
  • Reduction of Waste:
    • Offer spare material to other sites or local companies who could make use of them
    • With better planning, construction of new structures can generate practically no waste
  • Energy Efficient;
    • Structures built with green methods require less energy during construction and occupation
    • Layout adjustments, correct insulation, land siting and even colour of external material can make a huge difference to energy efficiency.

Top Sustainable materials

It’s more important than ever to source alternative natural materials

  1. Bamboo:
    • This is one of the most popular sustainable materials due to the high self-generation rates.
    • It’s often used for flooring and cabinetry due to the high strength to weight ratio and incredible compression strength
    • Has high fire resistance can withstand heat up to 4000 degrees Celsius
    • The biggest negative is if not treated properly it may undergo fungi or insect attacks
  2. Precast Concrete Slabs:
    • Precast concrete is truly a sustainable green product, is also highly durable and uses an extremely low water-cement ratio.
    • The materials that are used to make precast concrete products come from natural and recycled sources, mainly inorganic.
    • The suitability of precast concrete is higher than many traditional concrete options as slabs often take less energy to produce and assemble
    • Relatively low embodied energy value, unlike highly processed materials such as plastics.
    • During its lifetime, precast units, aggregate blocks and aircrete will effectively re-absorb much of the carbon dioxide that was used to create them
    • Over 80% of British Precast members’ production is covered by ISO 14001 or EMAS UKAS certified environmental management system
  3. Cork:
    • Causes minimal damage to the ecosystem as can be harvested from living trees and grows quickly
    • Often used for floor tiles due to being resilient, flexible and reverts to original shape after sustaining pressure. It is also noise absorbent.
    • The negative is it can only by sourced in the Mediterranean countries, making shipping costly however it is extremely light and only requires a small amount of energy to ship
  4. Straw Bales:
    • Can be easily harvested and easily replanted with minimal environmental impacts
    • Bales of straw are used to replace concrete, gypsum, plaster, and other building materials. 
    • Straw bales homes are up to three times more fire resistant
    • High insulation properties which make them a great green alternative
  5. Recycled Plastic:
    • By using recycled plastic, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and gives plastic waste a new use rather than filling landfills
    • A blend of recycled and virgin plastics is used to make polymeric timbers for fences, picnic tables and other structures. Also, grounded up with other trash it can produce concrete
    • Reused plastic can also be used in design products such as water pipes, sustainable flooring, PVC manholes and PVC windows.
  6. Reclaimed Wood;
    • One the most environmentally friendly ways to save trees and reduce the amount of lumber in landfills
    • One of the most common renewable building materials. Wood holds carbon indefinitely so lasts longer which is why it can be recycled after years of use.
    • Good for structural framing, cabinets, and flooring
  7. Green roof system also known as living roof; 
    • Great advantageof a living roof is its durability. Traditional roofs last for around 15-20 years. A living roof last for 40!   
    • A sustainable green roof can reduce the loss of cool air by up to 90% and reduces noise from outside by up to 60 decibels.
  8. Mass timber:
    • Uses large, solid, wood panels which cut down on construction time. The timber used in these panels is cut from a single log (solid-sawn). When glued together is it known as cross-lamented timer (CLT). 
    • Mass timber is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative for concrete and steel.
    • It is a fire-resistant material and retains support even if a building is burning.
  9. Reclaimed or Recycled Steel:
    • 100% recyclable and significantly reduces the ecological impact of new construction
    • Properly and efficiently reusing or recycling into new product, lowers the energy reused and makes the material sustainable
    • The use of scrap steel saves up to 74% of the energy needed to make steel from virgin material
  10. Structural insulated panels;
    • One of the best insulation systems available. They minimize the energy consumed for both heating and cooling.   
    • Using structural insulation panels will save you a lot of time for wall construction.
    • These insulation panels can be produced from recycled materials and require less energy to make compared to other insulation systems, which makes it a great sustainable alternative.
  11. Atmosphere purifying paint;   
    • Specifically designed to be free from Volatile Organic Compounds. At the same time, they are equipped with filtering technology that can absorb chemicals, solvents, and pollutants in the air. The paint has a molecular sieve that traps harmful molecules. 
  12. Sheep’s Wool;
    • Used an alternative to chemical-laden insulation as it is energy efficient and makes good soundproofing material
    • It doesn’t degrade as quickly as other more common insulation however it does need treating with chemicals to avoid insect and fungi growth
    • Sheep wool is also more expensive than other insulation, but the environmental benefits may out way the cost
  13. Solar roof tiles; – electricity demand is increasing.  
    • A way to address the problem is with a sustainable solution like solar panels.  A popular example is sold be Tesla.  A Tesla roof is three times more durable than standard roofing.
    • It’s very easy to install and remove.
    • Tesla roof tiles are equipped with a waterproofed layer to help keep your home warm and dry

What Help are the Government is offering?

At the moment there are grants you can apply for to support if you wish to make a change.

  1. Low-emission vehicles are eligible for a plug-in grant. 
    • You can get a discount on the priceof brand new low-emission vehicles through a grant the government gives to vehicle dealerships and manufacturers
    • You do not need to do anything if you want to buy one of these vehicles – the dealer will include the value of the grant in the vehicle’s price
    • Cars
      • To be eligible for the grant, cars must cost less than £35,000.
      • The grant will pay for 35% of the purchase price for these vehicles, up to a maximum of £2,500.
    • Electric Van/Car Grant
      • Small Van: These vehicles are less than 2,500 kilograms (kg) gross vehicle weight, have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km and can travel at least 96km (60 miles) without any emissions at all. You could receive 35% of purchase price or up to a max of £3000
      • Large van; These vehicles are between 2,500kg and 3,500kg gross vehicle weight, have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km and can travel at least 96km (60 miles) without any emissions at all. You could receive 35% of purchase price or up to a max of £6000
  2. The Workplace Charging Scheme
    • The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is a voucher-based scheme that provides support towards the up-front costs of the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charge points.
    •  The grant cap will be set at £350 per socket for voucher application
  3. The Green Homes Grant
    • This scheme will see the government fund up to two-thirds of the cost of home improvements up to £5,000, This grant has been extended for another year (until end of March 2022)
    • Grants will be offered to cover green home improvements ranging from insulation of walls, floors, and roofs to the installation of double or triple glazing when replacing single glazing, and low-carbon heating like heat pumps or solar thermal
    • With this there is a chance to gain funding for training to help increase the amount of skilled workers that can install the installation  

Conclusion

If the construction industry pulls together there is a real chance to significantly reduce emissions if we take the right actions now.  Just small things will make a difference, install electric car charging points, less transportation of materials, looking to use more sustainable materials and less waste will all add up.  Using sustainable materials is one of the best ways to go green.

The benefits of making some of the changes aren’t just to the environment but they’re likely to see increased profits by taking advantage of every last scrap of raw material.

If you want to check if your projects are having a low impact you can sign up to. a great tool brought to you by the BRE group called LIST (Low Impact Shopfit Tool). This tool helps evaluate and compare the environmental effect of your interior fit-out design.

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