Innovate UK has awarded a grant to support Morgan Sindall’s bespoke whole life carbon assessment software tool, which is being adapted for Nottingham Trent University
The grant, totalling £55,000, will also support the creation of teaching modules for the university.
Once the project is complete, the software and modules may be made available to other universities and training institutions.
The award follows a separate Innovate UK grant for the company’s partnership with Nottingham Trent, which seeks to develop new algorithms to automate data collection and evaluation in whole life carbon assessments.
Whole life carbon assessments are set to have an impact on UK construction
Whole life carbon assessments combine carbon emissions for the day-to-day running of buildings, such as heating and lighting.
In the UK, 25% of carbon emissions are linked to the built environment, highlighting the need for whole life carbon assessments like CarboniCa.
About CarboniCa
Launched by Morgan Sindall in 2021, CarboniCa has been used on 100+ large building projects each year and has already saved over 30,000 tonnes of carbon.
The upcoming CarboniCa Education programme will consist of two modules, CarboniCa Engage and CarboniCa Immerse.
Once development is completed, the programme will integrate into NTU’s built environment courses, offering practical exposure to whole life carbon assessment tools.
350,000 new roles needed for net zero construction targets
The partnership between Morgan Sindall and Nottingham Trent University is set to grow the industry’s skills base, according to Tim Clement, director of social value and sustainability at Morgan Sindall Construction.
Currently, there is a significant shortfall in green skills, with the Construction Industry Training Board stating that the UK needs 350,000 news roles to deliver on its net zero aims.
Clement said: “[..] new ideas, transformative change and better use of technology is required now. We are a solutions-focused organisation and the whole CarboniCa programme is at the leading edge of speeding up the response to meeting the sustainability challenges our country faces.”
