What Is Sustainable Construction?

Why Is Sustainability Important in Construction?

Construction as a process generates notable levels of emissions — according to The World Green Building Council, 36% of CO2 emissions and 40% of energy use come from buildings’ life cycles. This means changes in construction management can be extremely impactful as part of overall environmental efforts.

Reaching ambitious, industry-wide goals and national climate targets will necessarily involve the construction sector due to the large place buildings and their construction hold in terms of generating carbon emissions. Furthermore, sustainable construction practices are important from corporate citizenship and consumer preference perspectives.

Organizations that move ahead of the curve regarding sustainable building are poised to become standard-bearers for the industry as it makes an overall transition. More environmentally friendly construction materials and methods are in constant development, and the most forward-thinking contractors are already investigating them.

With national and international bodies responsible for controlling the environmental impact of construction, there are ample benchmarks and targets to aim for. Progress and goals differ widely from one country to the next, but the general goal is the same — to become more sustainable as soon as possible to prevent irreparable damage to ecosystems and the climate.

How Are Contractors Making Construction Projects Sustainable?

There are numerous ways to bring sustainable methods into construction projects. Across the industry and around the world, construction firms are putting ambitious ideas into practice. These businesses are setting the pace in the industry.

Sustainability efforts encompass new material development and changes in approach, as well as efforts to directly cut emissions.

The following are a few examples of recent projects showing the different ways to consider environmental impact as a fundamental part of construction planning:

Increasing Use of Solar Power on Jobsites

Solar panels on buildings are common devices designed to reduce the need for outside power — but what kind of impact could they have while the building is still under construction? Construction equipment providers have changed their offerings to address this hypothetical.

By offering heavy machinery powered by solar panels, it’s possible to lower the portion of embodied carbon that comes from fossil fuels on the jobsite, though planning to use this equipment will require changes from legacy methods. While this calls for effort and upfront investment, the long-term move toward green construction will demand changes. Getting ahead of the curve on solar energy is one way to commit to progress.

New Uses for Waste Plastic

The use of plastic waste as a sustainable material can help solve two problems simultaneously: It could reduce the amount of plastic causing harm to the natural world while also providing a useful new component for builders. Since plastic is strong and durable and doesn’t break down, it is harmful when allowed to build up as refuse, but could be valuable as, for instance, a paving solution.

The advantages of waste plastic as a building component include its reusability and its relatively low cost. Pavers made out of plastic can potentially be recycled, allowing further construction without generating construction waste. The low cost means firms don’t have to consider short-term budget problems as a barrier when investigating whether they can use plastic in their projects.

Circular Economy

A linear economy is the standard approach to consuming resources in industries including construction. It involves the extraction of non-renewable commodities from the earth and the eventual production of waste. While this model has dominated for years, it has obvious drawbacks from an environmental perspective. Landfills can harm the planet and pollution is a frequent byproduct of the method — all the while, resources are being depleted.

A circular economy in the construction field, meanwhile, includes ample reuse of structures and less demolition. By designing buildings for long lives, contractors prevent the construction waste that results from demolition, as well as the emissions and resource use of building a new project on the same site. Reclaiming and salvaging raw materials and components are also important methods. A long-term goal of circular economies is to restore and renew natural resources, achieving net-zero energy consumption.