Decarbonisation: How the construction industry is changing for the good of the planet
With climate control in the headlines and the emphasis on reducing our carbon footprint at the forefront of most governments’ agendas, the decarbonisation of the built environment is a hot topic which many can still find confusing. The built environment, of which the construction sector is a crucial component, currently contributes 39% of carbon emissions globally, however, although this figure is high, there are many ways in which the construction industry can, and is, making positive changes in order to reduce its carbon footprint. Decarbonising the buildings and construction sector is also critical in achieving the Paris Agreement commitment and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs)
Why does the construction industry produce so much carbon dioxide?
Fossil fuels, like coal, petroleum, and natural gas, release a lot of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. When these fuels are used in the production, manufacture and supply of materials and products in the construction industry, as well as the construction process itself, there is an increase in CO2 in our atmosphere. Additionally, lighting, heating, and cooling down our homes also contributes significantly, especially when the buildings are not efficiently designed in terms of insulation and ventilation.
What is decarbonisation?
Decarbonisation is the process of reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere resulting from human activity. The current objective of decarbonisation is to, eventually, eliminate our carbon dioxide emissions. Decarbonisation is achieved by switching to low carbon energy sources, such as wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear power. Hydroelectric power is the world’s largest low carbon source of electricity.
How is the construction industry decarbonising?
To achieve decarbonisation, we need to rethink how we produce and consume energy and operate a radical switch to renewables and low carbon energy sources. By focusing on decarbonising our built environment through carbon-negative future construction, as well as making our current buildings more energy efficient (when renovating a building for example), we can reduce emissions, as well as save on energy bills in the future!
Five ways the construction industry is decarbonising
- Increasing material efficiency
Increasing the efficiency of carbon-intensive materials – like concrete and steel – that are used widely in the industry, is one of the best ways the construction sector is decarbonising. Studies have shown that repeating design elements can reduce time, ensure compliance with safety codes, and bring down the use of carbon-intensive materials. Rationalising modular components through standardisation can greatly increase the efficiency of materials used and result in lower emissions.
Research conducted by Cambridge University in 2014 showed that just by reducing the amount of steel by 20% and cement by 32%, means that carbon emissions in the construction industry could be reduced by 11%.
- Swapping to low-emission machinery and biofuels
Investing in low-emission construction machinery, electric vehicles and biofuels are pivotal in reducing the emissions from the construction industry. Providing employees with electric company cars may seem like a small step, but when you add it all up, it starts to make a huge difference in reducing the company’s carbon footprint.
- Repurposing existing buildings
Buildings in the UK are being underused. Refurbishing and repurposing existing structures instead of constructing new buildings could further reduce emissions by around 7%. Architects are designing homes and buildings with spaces that can facilitate future changes more effortlessly, from residential to commercial and vice versa.
- Choosing lower emission materials
Replacing high emission materials with lower emission alternatives helps bring down the carbon footprint of the construction industry. This is done by choosing sustainable timber as a primary building material rather than high-emission materials like structural steel and concrete. An increase in the demand for timber in construction will result in the growth of more trees, and trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
Additionally, as cement is usually one of the biggest polluters, accounting for 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, switching to low-carbon cement can lead to a reduction of 61% in carbon intensity, resulting in a 6% reduction in the industry’s emissions.
- Recycling building materials and components
Construction and demolition waste such as bricks, wood, glass, plastic, gypsum, metal, asbestos and solvents, are all considered waste. Recycling these items for reuse in future projects or repurposing them would reduce waste and cut the emissions caused by mining and manufacturing the construction materials. Achieving this does require a big shift in the industry, and future buildings would need to be designed so that they are easy to dismantle, so more modular designs could help with this.
Research suggests that recycling 11% of construction materials, such as metal and petrochemical-based kinds, could lead to a reduction of 2% of the industry’s emissions.
Greendale is committed to playing its part in helping the environment and recently achieved a BREEAM rating of ‘excellent’ for its work at Bournemouth University’s Studland House which you can read about here.