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Sustainability Cannot be a Sideshow in Infrastructure Projects

Currently, over 30% of landfill waste comes from the construction and demolition of buildings. 13% of products delivered to construction sites are sent directly to landfill without being used. And even the best managed construction projects inevitably consume resources and produce significant CO2 emissions.

Infrastructure projects can have additional environmental impacts when they encroach on sensitive habitats and ecosystems. The question is always: how we can build the things we need now without adversely affecting the natural environment for future generations?

Part of the answer lies in shifting the emphasis to better sustainability design and planning, rather than measuring and reporting environmental impacts after the event. Comprehensive risk assessments are needed before every project to identify and manage the full range of sustainability issues.

Environmental plans that lack detail are unlikely to make a meaningful difference to the impact of a project. The plan should take in working methods, materials selection and control, energy use, waste reduction and management, water management and pollution controls.

Positive Good

Over and above this, the plan should consider opportunities to enhance biodiversity or the landscape and to improve the durability of the structure. We have skills, labour and equipment on site so let’s make use of them while they are there.

The procurement and contracting process must also place sufficient weight on environmental issues and ideally include specific performance targets for key areas such as waste. It isn’t realistic to claim concern for sustainability and then award contract after contract based primarily on price without environmental issues being a significant factor.

Once projects are live it’s all too easy to lose sight of sustainability goals in the light of technical issues and deadlines. Sustainability targets that are regularly reviewed and enforced help to maintain the focus. These need to be underpinned by appropriate training and universally accepted standards.

The commitment to sustainability is something that goes to the very core of an organisation’s values and practice. A genuinely committed contractor will be able to point to measures they have in place and actions they have taken that go above and beyond what the contract or customer asked for.

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