{"id":1171,"date":"2023-11-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yardlink.com\/blog\/net-zero-how-construction-contractors-can-drive-change"},"modified":"2024-07-23T16:32:17","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T16:32:17","slug":"net-zero-how-construction-contractors-can-drive-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yardlink.com\/blog\/net-zero-how-construction-contractors-can-drive-change","title":{"rendered":"Net Zero: How Construction Contractors Can Drive Change"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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Net zero is the phrase heard across every building site in the UK. If we unpack this idea, many other phrases, like net zero buildings, construction sustainability<\/u><\/a>, and net zero carbon construction, come to mind. These ideas are familiar, but they can be challenging to manage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The construction industry is at the epicentre of a web of manufacturing, production, and distribution problems that contribute to the increasing production of greenhouse gases (GHGs). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thought of tackling growing carbon emissions can seem overwhelming, but there are a few critical solutions that construction contractors, site managers, and procurement officers can implement in their day-to-day practices to drive change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does Net Zero Mean?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, the UK government announced a strategy to reach net zero carbon emissions<\/u><\/a> in all sectors of the economy by 2050. The government\u2019s net zero strategy aims to establish an equilibrium between the amount of greenhouse gas we produce and the amount we remove from the atmosphere to slow down the pace of global warming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the Industrial Revolution began, global warming has been on the rise. According to NASA, the average global temperature on Earth has increased by at least 1.1\u00b0C since 1880<\/u><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, why do so many conversations about carbon emissions focus on the construction industry? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Built Environment is Responsible for Around 25% of Annual Global CO2 Emissions<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to UKGBC, the built environment is responsible for 25% of UK emissions<\/u><\/a>. Although, it is widely thought that the built environment is actually<\/i> responsible for around 42% of carbon emissions in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless, 25% is a sizable amount of carbon emissions, meaning construction projects are massive roadblocks on the UK roadmap to net zero. Buildings, construction equipment, and embodied carbon emissions all contribute to this figure, but, as we know, there is a lot more to the story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbon from regulated energy uses (heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting), carbon from the operation of infrastructure (communication networks, waste treatment, street lighting), and carbon from unregulated energy uses (lifts, plug loads, IT servers) all play a part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s break this down in more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Construction Materials Account for 82-96% Of the Carbon Footprint Of a Building<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t talk about the built environment without discussing materials. The cold hard truth is that the production and transport of construction materials account for 82-96% of the total CO2 emissions<\/u><\/a> a building produces. The collection, creation, and distribution of construction materials is an invisible yet essential part of the UK roadmap to net zero. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Limestone is one of the biggest culprits because it is a crucial component of aggregate, cement, and building stones. Limestone processing is a time and energy-consuming process, so much so that one study suggested that switching to alternative energy resources could significantly reduce global GHG emissions<\/u><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Construction Activity Accounts for 10% Of the World\u2019s Carbon Emissions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Of course, construction sustainability isn\u2019t all about the materials and buildings. The process of creating massive skyscrapers, office blocks, and apartment buildings also takes its toll on the environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, construction activity accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions<\/u><\/a>. Grubbing, erecting scaffolding, grading, excavating, dewatering, clearing and removing materials, as well as any earthworks and pipeworks, fall under the umbrella term of construction activity. Even something seemingly insignificant as leaving heavy machinery idle between tasks can have a massive overall impact on the UK\u2019s net zero strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With such a large proportion of the world\u2019s carbon production coming solely from creating buildings (with another large proportion from the built environment), it is no surprise that the construction industry is under massive scrutiny. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Construction Industry Consumed 2.5m Tonnes of Diesel in 2020<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, the UK construction industry consumed a gigantic 2.5 million tonnes of diesel, emitting 6 million tonnes of CO2, greenhouse gases, and other dangerous chemicals. The Construction Leadership Council has created a Zero Diesel Sites Route Map<\/u><\/a>, which seeks to eliminate 78% of diesel in the industry by 2035, but there is still a long way to go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, 300,000 pieces of non-road mobile machinery are used in the UK construction industry. Earth movers, backhoes, cranes<\/u><\/a>, pavers, excavators<\/u><\/a>, and dozens of other essential pieces of construction equipment<\/u><\/a> use diesel, which poses a significant threat to the UK roadmap to net zero. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Construction Sustainability Solutions <\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With all these moving parts, how are construction contractors expected to create and execute net zero-carbon construction plans? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at the potential solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electrification of Construction Equipment <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the construction industry, electrification substitutes fossil fuel sources for electricity generated from renewable energy sources. Manufacturers will use solar, hydro, geothermal, and other renewable energy sources instead of the more traditional, highly polluting sources such as coal, gas, and oil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electrification of construction equipment, machinery, and vehicles is a viable solution to the energy crisis. It has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon emissions produced by construction activity and materials and, therefore, the built environment. If electrification were rolled out widely, net zero carbon construction could be a reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also massive benefits for contractors and companies that invest in electrification. In doing so, they are waving green flags to clients, investors, and industry officials. By planting themselves firmly on the UK roadmap to net zero, contractors can establish themselves as serious, socially conscious players in the industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there are many barriers to implementing electrification in the construction industry:<\/p>\n\n\n\n