Growing use of scientific metrics and certification is driving sustainability standards across the construction industry, but a whole supply chain approach is needed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. So is the industry doing enough to reduce carbon emissions?
Many developers of industrial space are already striving to improve their sustainability credentials by constructing buildings using low-carbon materials and incorporating low-energy design features. They know that achieving an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating and optimising a building’s Energy Performance Certificate will enhance its market value, making it easier to sell or lease.
While this focus on sustainability is welcome, there is some concern that change is not happening quickly enough and the current focus on disparate sustainability targets could be limiting progress by encouraging developers to do only as much as they consider necessary. A more rigorous and joined-up approach is needed to achieve a step change in the industry’s sustainability performance.
“Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, property developers should learn from each other”
The key to raising sustainability standards lies in the increased use of robust processes, combined with scientific metrics and certification. Learning from developers that have been pioneering more sustainable ways of working could help to bring benefits across the board.
Understanding that ‘embodied’ carbon is likely to be a significant part of any new building’s environmental impact is an important starting point. Developers should perform a carbon lifetime assessment of the proposed new structure to establish its true environmental impact and grasp the action that must be taken to achieve net-zero status. By involving contractors and subcontractors in this assessment and auditing the findings at every stage of the build, it is possible to compare and contrast the sustainability benefits of individual design solutions over the full lifespan of a development project.
Achieving dramatic CO2 reductions
Some of the most exciting sustainability achievements in modern industrial property development have come from ideas introduced by contractors, or subcontractors, through their involvement in carbon lifetime assessments. For example, to avoid transporting large quantities of stone to the site for use in the construction of the ground-bearing floor slab for a new industrial warehouse, contractors have found a way of treating the existing subsoil to improve its strength and durability, drastically reducing transport-related carbon emissions.
In other instances, low-carbon technologies may require some creative adaptation to meet the needs of end users. For example, photovoltaic panels are nothing new in the construction of sustainable office or retail space. However, industrial warehouses tend to operate around the clock, so they require lighting at all hours of the day and night. To meet this challenge, the latest building designs use lithium-ion batteries, identical to those found in electric vehicles, to store solar energy during the day so it can be released as needed through the night.
Accepting that even the most sustainable building design will have an unavoidable carbon footprint, property developers should also be exploring ways to mitigate their portfolio’s environmental impact. An example of this would be support for wider environmental projects such as the protection of globally significant rainforest. This can be achieved by supporting charities like Cool Earth, which is actively working to protect the rainforest by blocking logging activity and investing in sustainable communities. Support for environmental charities can provide better long-term outcomes than formal offsetting through tradable carbon credits, and recording these efforts through recognised schemes, such as The Planet Mark, helps ensure the process remains robust.
To achieve net-zero status by 2050, the construction industry must adopt a more rigorous and joined-up approach. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, however, property developers should learn from each other and establish more robust ways of working that involve close supply chain collaboration, as well as the use of scientific metrics and certification. Striving to do more and working together will make net-zero targets more achievable.
Simon Cox is head of sustainability at logistics site developer Prologis
