The construction industry is responsible for a significant chunk of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. A transformation in building practices and harvesting raw materials not only cleans up the industry but also brings the country a lot closer to achieving its net-zero goals.
The question is: How can one of the dirtiest industries clean up its act?
It turns out there are several sustainable construction practices that construction firms – large and small – can implement to reduce their carbon footprints, including low-carbon or no-carbon machinery, sourcing sustainable suppliers and building materials, and implementing eco-friendly principles, values, and operations in their businesses.
We’re going to take a closer look at sustainable practices while ensuring you remain compliant with the various regulations (including social value) that govern the UK’s construction industry.
Key Principles of Sustainable Procurement in the Construction Sector
In 2022, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) published a report that called for a 68% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. That’s a lot in quite a short time. However, there are seven key principles of sustainable procurement in construction that go a long way towards reaching the goal. The principles are:
1) Sustainable design
Sustainable or green design involves designing green building projects that have little or no impact on the environment. This is achieved across three pillars, which are the same as the social value requirements in the Procurement Act 2023.
- Environmental
- Social
- Economic
The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) has resources to assist industry stakeholders in understanding sustainable design and incorporating it into their development processes.
2) Durability
This entails using durable materials and sustainable construction techniques that increase buildings’ lifespans and drastically reduce their long-term environmental impact. Focus on durability has important knock-on effects for waste reduction, sustainable natural resources, and long-term maintenance costs.
3) Energy efficiency
Energy efficiency in sustainable construction projects operates on four levels.
- The practical stuff, like building and long-term maintenance processes
- The actual energy efficiency of the building, like the use of natural light, solar power, and energy-efficient fixtures.
- The supplier’s energy-efficient methods and business operations, like low-emission machinery and HQ waste reduction measures.
- Reduced energy consumption and reliance on fossil fuels in transportation and logistics, including the delivery of raw materials and staff commuting.
This is a key year for sustainable construction, as the Future Homes Standard requires all homes built in the UK from 2025 onward to be zero-carbon ready. Basically, they must be sufficiently efficient so that retrofitting is unnecessary.
Green buildings must also meet requirements contained in the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP). The SAP considers things like thermal efficiency, insulation effectiveness, indoor air quality, CO2 emissions, energy-efficient technology, and energy expenses.
4) Construction waste reduction
This applies to the entire construction process, from the foundations up. The idea is to stick to the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Dispose philosophy. Use recycled material and recycle unused material wherever possible. Reduce the need for non-recyclable material and material that creates hazardous waste products. Reuse or repurpose items that are still in good condition, like doors and window frames.
5) Indoor air quality
The air outside might be a bit iffy, but the air indoors should be as fresh and wholesome as a mountain breeze. This is actually possible – with careful planning, environmentally responsible design, and sustainable construction methods. Buildings can be designed to optimise natural air flow and manipulate ventilation to keep buildings cool during the height of summer and warm during icy winters.
6) Water conservation
The construction industry is not known for its water conservation. Quite the opposite. However, excessive water use is about as far from sustainable as it’s possible to get, so the brains in the sector have developed green building methods that are more water-wise. The result is a building that has the following features:
- Low-flow fixtures, like shower heads and toilets
- Rainwater harvesting systems
- Efficient irrigation for landscaping
7) Sustainable building materials
There are more sustainable and renewable materials than you probably think. Some provide immediate cost savings, and some cost savings only become evident down the road. However, they’re all viable alternatives to the construction materials currently in use. Sustainable materials already available include:
- Approved timber
- Natural fibre-reinforced concrete
- Bamboo
- Carbon-sequestering materials. They store carbon dioxide absorbed during their growth or production. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Materials in construction include:
- Hempcrete
- Biochar
- Mycelium insulation
- Bioplastic
Sustainability Clauses in Public Procurement Contracts
To make construction in the public sector truly sustainable, it’s necessary to include sustainability clauses in contracts. Clauses specify exactly what’s required from suppliers in terms of energy efficiency, construction waste management, and carbon reductions. They often include incentives for hitting targets and penalties for missing them.
Here’s a quick look at what goes into a sustainability clause.
Environmental performance
The buyers set sustainability goals, like a 35% reduction in the production of waste materials, that minimise environmental impact. Whatever they are, goals must be realistic and measurable.
Ethical supply chain
It’s all good and well to have sustainability goals for your direct suppliers, but what about their suppliers and their suppliers’ suppliers? You need to have a clause that applies to your entire supply chain. It’s not just about environmental sustainability. Your supply chain must abide by fair labour practices; for example, employees must be paid a living wage without a hint of modern slavery.
Waste management
This is about reducing waste during construction processes, as well as things like biodegradable packaging and eliminating single-use plastic onsite and throughout the supplier’s business. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Those are the watch words industry professionals must live by.
Energy consumption
Sustainability clauses can include requirements for suppliers to use alternative (renewable) energy sources, low-carbon machinery, and/or electric vehicles. The aim is to improve energy efficiency and decrease carbon footprints as much as possible while maintaining sustainable operations.
Compliance and reporting
The best way to ensure suppliers comply with sustainability clauses is to include reporting requirements. They must submit reports on environmental impact, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, natural resources, and the impact on the surrounding community; for example, waste reduction methods have saved costs, and the savings have been ploughed back into local community projects.
Metrics must be quantifiable to demonstrate progress and meet transparency requirements as per the Procurement Act 2023.
Choosing Sustainable Suppliers
Supplier selection is very important when you’re looking for a sustainable partner. Here are some tips to help you select suppliers that share your sustainability vision.
- Carbon footprint: Look for suppliers who are actively reducing their carbon emissions and impact on the natural environment, for example, water conservation on construction sites and low-carbon machinery.
- Employee diversity: How diverse is their workforce? Find out about their recruitment policies, equal opportunity practices, and access to training and development programmes.
- Transparency: Are they happy to share information on their sustainability plans and performance? You want suppliers who are open about their sustainability values and their contribution to the UK’s Net Zero goal.
- Compliance: Do they have a good reputation for their commitment to sustainability efforts? Do their efforts comply with industry and national regulations, including regulations regarding social value and sustainability in the Procurement Act 2023?
- Innovation: The Act encourages innovation in procurement, which extends to sustainability and social value initiatives, construction projects, and renewable energy programmes. Do your potential suppliers embrace innovation, either by developing creative solutions or investing in or adopting innovations new to the market?
- Collaboration: Suppliers don’t have to go it alone. They can work with other organisations or enterprises in a joint effort to be more energy efficient, reduce waste, save water, and shrink their carbon footprints.
- Supply chain sustainability: A commitment to sustainability flows over into the supply chain. Look for suppliers who are just as judicious in choosing their partners as you are.
Delta eSourcing Supports Sustainable Supplier Selection
Procurement portals do a lot more than publish contract notices and help buyers find suitable suppliers. Delta eSourcing’s platform, for instance, enables buyers to set up branded portals where they publish all procurement-related information – that’s procurement info, not contract details. This is about overall policies and values where you can make your sustainability requirements clear.
Suppliers are in no doubt about what they need to do to meet your requirements, and only those that are a good match need apply.
If you’re looking for advice on how to optimise your sustainability procurement processes, including how to use data insights to track carbon levels, contact Delta eSourcing now. Book a free demo and test drive our services.
