The Carbon Trust and the Strategic Forum for Construction (SFfC) have formed a partnership to help construction companies meet the targets of the joint government and industry Strategy for Sustainable Construction.
The first phase of the joint project, due to complete at the end of 2009, focused on setting a baseline and identifying opportunities to meet the Strategy’s target of a 15% cut in construction and related transport carbon emissions on 2008 levels by 2012.
The Carbon Trust, together with the SFfC, the construction industry and representatives from its regulatory bodies will work to establish a methodology for measuring the carbon emissions during the construction process. This methodology will be used to establish a 2008 baseline against which progress will be monitored.
A roadmap to reach the 15% target will then be developed, and participating companies will be helped to deliver the carbon savings. Phase two of the project, to take place in 2010 – 2012, will see the Carbon Trust assisting businesses across the construction industry on specific carbon reduction projects.
Hugh Jones, Director of Solutions at the Carbon Trust, said the construction industry has an important role to play in fighting climate change and that he expects to find savings potential of at least 15%. “Our industry experience indicates that processes and transport make up 90% of the industry’s footprint. We have been very successful at identifying and delivering significant reductions in other sectors and expect this project to find ways to cut carbon emissions by at least 150,000 tonnes of CO2 each year,” he said.
Dr Paul Toyne, from construction company Bovis Lend Lease, who chairs the Strategic Forum for Sustainable Construction’s workgroup on climate change, said: “Over 400 companies in the construction industry have pledged to meet the 15% target of the Strategy for Sustainable Construction, including the biggest names in the business. Collaboration between companies and industry bodies is vital if we are to find cost-effective means of reducing emissions in the long term as well as achieving immediate targets. The Carbon Trust’s expertise will be invaluable in helping us work together to find practical and effective ways to reach this goal by 2012.”