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in modern material-recycling facilities. Today the target has moved onto zero net waste. Some large infrastructure projects, like the Skanska Balfour Beatty joint venture M25 for the Highways Agency, claim to be there already, becoming a net importer of construction waste from others for landscaping, balancing ponds and bunds.
Carbon and energy management
Like all sectors of UK business, construction has been improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the sourcing and supply of materials, and construction methods. The challenge is to decouple greenhouse gas emissions from development, especially as construction moves out of the recession. The work of the Strategic Forum for Construction on carbon reduction (as well as waste and water) can be found on the Green Construction Board website: www.greenconstructionboard.org An action plan outlined some key areas for improvement, for example in temporary site accommodation and in plant equipment. In many of the areas recommended actions have been taken, usually where the business case for a return on investment has been made.
Ecology/biodiversity
Typically the construction industry struggles to make a significant contribution to biodiversity as many of the outcomes are decided at the planning and design stage. Clearly site ecology assessments are important, and typically contractors do not seek to create a diversity loss. Green rating tools like BREEAM make provisions for ecology credits, and some developers and local authorities have specific requirements for green roofs. Arguably, the greatest impact on ecology is through the sourcing, manufacturing and transportation of construction materials.
Materials
Accreditation and certification schemes have been set up to help assess the provenance and impacts of supply, such as labour and environmental impacts of manufacturing. Most recognisable is probably The Forest Stewardship Council, which provides independent certifications of sustainable forest management. The BRE BES6001 is a scheme for construction products, such as cement. The Construction Products Association and its product sector groups have done excellent work to demonstrate how they have integrated and â–ş environmentmagazine.co.uk | 117 |