As the conversation around sustainability in the construction sector heats up, the NBS Sustainable Futures report has discovered that 15% of construction professionals believe their organisations are likely to miss the 2050 net zero deadline. Lee Jones, head of manufacturing solutions at NBS, explains
The carbon impact of construction is a long-standing issue yet only in recent years has it started to get the attention it deserves. Accountable for 40% of all CO2 emissions, it’s now essential that we work more sustainably – and with haste. However, looking at the results from NBS’s Sustainable Futures report, it’s clear that significant progress is still needed.
In fact, according to the study, despite three-quarters of respondents saying they’re personally frustrated that they can’t do more to achieve sustainability, around 15% said that their company won’t make the expected 2050 net zero target. A further 29% are treating this as a long-term goal.
Breaking barriers preventing lower carbon outcomes
The main barrier identified was a lack of demand from clients. 52% said this was the primary cause, yet we should refrain from placing the blame solely on clients; as construction professionals, it’s our job to guide and advise clients towards increased sustainability measures where possible.
The cost of achieving sustainability followed close behind (51%), just one percent lower. When considering sustainability, some built environment professionals fail to take into account the whole lifecycle of a building, including its operational phase. Furthermore, if considered in the early stages, many sustainable outcomes can be factored in without significant financial impact.
Other views included: “That it (sustainability) is a tick box exercise, or something that can be added on at later stages” and “That the climate crisis ‘isn’t too bad’ and can be fixed by one thing (that someone else will do)”. Whilst it’s true that this doesn’t reflect the majority of those in the construction industry it could shed some concerning light into misconceptions that may exist in the industry and be a reason for why sustainability isn’t being pushed with clients on the level it should be.
Another concern highlighted in the Sustainable Futures report was the view that sustainable products are being ‘value engineered’ out of projects (38%). This raises an interesting point – and highlights the need for measures that ensure that products aren’t being specified simply to fit budget constraints.
37% of respondents also noted that a lack of government policy and regulation was another reason sustainability isn’t included, highlighting the power and influence that more stringent environmental legislation would have on construction professionals.
A difference of opinion
There will always be some barriers that affect some project roles more than others. Perhaps unsurprisingly, for contractors, it was contractual risks that were proving to be an issue. Given what we’ve seen over the past few months in terms of limited building supplies, faltering supply chains and rising material costs, it’s clear that contractors are cautious about procuring products that may, in theory, cause a project to overrun.
For suppliers, value engineering sustainable products out of projects is a concern. This would suggest that further communication and education with client and contractor stakeholders are needed to help to alleviate concerns and gain a deeper understanding of the product and its performance credentials.
Client-side, they highlighted that a lack of management commitment and sustainable performance information were major obstacles to sustainability not being included in more projects. For project designers and specifiers, increased efforts from suppliers of construction products around the topic could help improve the situation so that more projects can achieve sustainable outcomes.
It is imperative that companies set sustainability goals and plan for success
If the UK is to reach net zero within the allotted 2050 timeframe, companies must set goals and plan for success. Within the report, NBS wanted to look at whether firms had strategies in place and if they could predict when they are expecting to achieve net-zero status.
Unfortunately, a specific timeframe remained elusive for many, and they decided not to make a prediction. Of the 368 that did respond, the most common answer was between 2026 and 2030, where 30% predicted that they would be net zero between these dates. Whilst this appears surprisingly high, this must be met with scepticism as achieving Net Zero may be confused with achieving carbon neutrality. Yet for further third respondents, Net Zero still remained a long-term goal that will be reached after 2031.
What was most concerning to see was that 5% don’t believe they’ll be able to make the deadline, predicting that they will only achieve the government target after 2050, and one in ten think they will never become net zero at all.
Given that data from the United Nations on climate change states that greenhouse gas emissions need to peak before 2025 at the latest and be reduced by 43% by 2030, it’s clear that current efforts are far too slow given the actions required to combat climate change. If firms are to do their part, wider sustainable strategies must be introduced immediately to ensure emissions deadlines are met.
The growing demand for detailed product information
The Sustainable Futures report also looked at the role of building product information within modern specification, which has been proven to deliver lower carbon outcomes and increase levels of safety through comprehensive, clear and unambiguous product data. Sustainability performance information about products is welcomed by professionals – they just want to see more of it. In fact, nine out of ten users stated that ‘robust specifications’ were central to achieving sustainable outcomes.
The report also emphasised how specifiers and manufacturers view and prioritise product information. Whilst there was an overlap between both groups in terms of the metrics that they deemed important, the order in which they were ranked showed some stark differences. For example, suppliers placed ‘country of manufacturer’ as the number one sustainability metric. In contrast, for users of product information, this was only placed at number 5 in their list. When considering carbon costs within a project, where materials are sourced and manufactured can have a large impact through transportation.
Users also placed ‘product level certification’ as the number one priority, yet for manufacturers, this was placed as number four. Despite the differences in ranking, it highlights the growing need for accreditations and certifications as a mark of quality. By doing so, users of product information can feel comfortable knowing that products have passed third-party testing and quality assurance tests.
Equally, it also highlights the need for manufacturers to be honest, accurate and upfront about the green credentials of their products. The CMA’s Green Claims guide, which aligns quite closely to the requirements of the CCPI, warns to avoid ‘generic claims’ such as 100% natural” or “environmentally friendly” as well as irrelevant claims that aren’t of use in today’s marketplace. Misleading packaging, graphical trickery and ambiguous percentages are also areas to be mindful of when displaying or supplying product information to users.
If the situation is to improve around sustainability, the industry will need to see improved communication between both specifier and manufacturer. By understanding the needs of specifiers to a greater degree, manufacturers can ensure they’re presenting the right levels of detail when it comes to building product criteria. Equally, specifiers have a part to play in letting manufacturers know what information they need in terms of green credentials and product performance.
The issue of retrofit
One of the biggest challenges the Sustainable Futures report made obvious was the growing issue of achieving sustainability within existing buildings. Light refurbishment projects are less likely to achieve adequate carbon reduction measures. Again, construction professionals felt strongly that the government needed to play a more central role in tackling this problem. Nine out of ten respondents (89%) felt that government intervention is needed to help existing buildings become net zero.
It will be interesting to see if the chancellor’s decision to slash VAT to 0% on retrofit work for specific energy-saving home improvements has gone far enough to incentivise homeowners and restore the balance against building new.
With such rich results, it’s clear that these types of reports are crucial to helping the industry move forward. What’s now needed is closer collaboration between parties involved in building projects to understand roles and responsibilities better.
We also know that further education on the topic goes hand in hand with more sustainable outcomes. With such a willing workforce ready to achieve a lower carbon future, further learning and knowledge on the subject could be the answer we need to see sustainability success rates improve in the following years.
