A recent LinkedIn poll has found that Sustainability is the biggest trend impacting the construction industry right now, followed by the increased pressure on margins and increased technology adoption.
A recent LinkedIn poll has found that Sustainability is the biggest trend impacting the construction industry right now, followed by the increased pressure on margins and increased technology adoption.
Sustainability is a hot topic across all industries, with businesses looking at how they can become more sustainable and reduce their carbon footprint in-line with the targets being set by global governments.
Globally, the industry is responsible for close to 40% of all carbon emissions and in Australia this figure sits closer to 25%. With countries around the world looking at reducing their carbon footprints significantly in the lead up to 2030 and beyond, the industry will have to take a leading role for these targets to be met.
The construction industry is also one of the largest contributors to waste – according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australian construction industry generated over 20 megatons of waste in 2016-17, equal to about 30 percent of the total waste generated in Australia.
So how does the industry meet the sustainability challenge being faced now and into the future?
1. Start with an accurate estimate
Having an accurate estimate of the project ensures that all costs are known upfront, and the project can be kept within budget and margins maintained. An inaccurate estimate could lead to budget blowouts – forcing additional material to be required as well as additional hours required to complete the job – further eroding margins and increasing the carbon footprint of the project.
2. Reusing building materials
Utilising reusable building materials can not only help companies ensure margins are maintained but goes a long way to reducing waste in the industry, reducing the environmental impact of major building projects.
3. Using sustainable materials
Sourcing building materials that have a low environmental impact from a production and maintenance point of view can dramatically reduce the long-term impact on the environment of a building.
4. Increased technology adoption
The broad construction industry has been slow to adopt new technology. However, with the challenges being faced, it is essential the industry utilise as much new technology as possible, including electric and fuel efficient vehicles and technology to monitor idle time to reduce fuel burn.
5. Estimate the carbon footprint
When conducting your estimating, each material, item, or resources can have a carbon value assigned to it, allowing you to see the carbon footprint of the entire project. You can use this data to either look for more sustainable materials to reduce the overall footprint or to undertake projects that will offset this amount.
