By Colin Robertson, Sustainability Manager, NG Bailey
In the 80s I became a big fan of the hit TV series ‘Auf Wiedersehen Pet’. I loved the antics of Oz, Bomber and Barry, as they worked on building sites. Yet watching these old episodes with today’s eyes, some of the scenes seem preposterous. Being mocked for wearing safety helmets, having a few beers on the job, and coming up against corrupt officials who consistently stitched up local communities, workers and customers to line their own pockets.
For the writers, the construction industry provided endless satirical content. It was an industry that had a bad reputation; a sector perceived to thrive on despoiling the natural environment by creating unsightly buildings and infrastructure, while using up natural resources in the process. Just think of the environmentalist protests at Twyford Down or Manchester Airport in the 90s.
Together, these factors created the perception of a construction industry that was out of shape, out of step with social, economic and environmental concerns, and held little trust within the communities in which it operated.
Today the position has changed dramatically. Now we can be proud to work in an industry which is tackling some of the most challenging social and environmental issues of our era and emerging as a role model for other industries.
Construction rethought
So what’s happened? Companies in our industry began to understand that there’s a clear relationship between buildings and infrastructure on the one hand and the environment and local communities on the other. Failure to understand and act on these relationships threatened the profitability of a business.
Over the last two decades, the construction sector has progressively worked to develop and meet sustainability standards. It has embraced and exceeded legal requirements, adopted voluntary codes of conduct and reporting, and evolved into an innovative industry. The BRE Innovation Park in Watford is one example, a concept promoting sustainable construction that has been exported globally – including China, Brazil, and the USA.
Our sector also played a central role in the success of London 2012, as these concepts and ideas were put into practice to successfully deliver the Olympic Stadium’s infrastructure. The ambitious project, that had sustainability embedded throughout, was completed on time and to budget before a global audience.
Building trust and driving change
Since Sir John Egan’s ‘Rethinking Construction’ report was published, highlighting the number of inefficiencies that blighted the industry, it has introduced modern methods of construction, such as off-site manufacturing, and on the whole produced better, greener, buildings.
Changes like this have had a significant impact. Investment in dedicated off-site facilities is an approach that delivers a higher consistency of product, creates less waste, cuts carbon emissions and optimises material efficiency.
All these benefits come with an economic advantage for the industry. Working in an increasingly competitive environment, the construction sector began to realise the value of enhancing its reputation by addressing issues related to corporate and social responsibility. As raw material prices rapidly increased, the economic case for resource efficiency became irresistible. Then, as the climate-change agenda rose to the forefront, businesses began to compete on the premise that their products and services could reduce carbon emissions.
National and European legislators introduced laws and standards that have compelled the industry to change further and faster than many others. Yet it has not simply been a matter of complying with a tougher set of regulations. The industry embraced the climate change agenda, recognising the risks to ‘business as usual’ and seeing the opportunities it presented.
Industry collaboration led to the establishment of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), while the Strategic Forum worked with the UK Government to develop ‘The Strategy for Sustainable Construction’, an ambitious and holistic plan designed to reduce the sector’s impact on climate change and consumption of natural resources – simultaneously creating a stronger industry.
Continued innovation and development today
However, the journey towards sustainability is far from complete. The buildings we live and work in still have a huge environmental impact, accounting for 40% of EU Greenhouse Gas emissions. The leaps forward of the last two decades have created a foundation for continued change, but the sector must continue to grow and deliver the transformation to our built environment.
As a nation, we need greater energy efficiency in our building stock. We have some of the most inefficient properties in Europe. Initiatives such as the ‘Green Deal’ promise to transform the economics of how householders and commercial entities invest in upgrading inefficient properties. This could unlock a huge market for energy-efficiency retrofit and refurbishment work.
To achieve such large-scale environmental change is a huge challenge. Customers – particularly householders – need to trust the industry and believe that the necessary work will be delivered sympathetically and achieve what we say it will.
For example, NG Bailey’s carbon emission targets have been achieved through, among other measures, a refurbishment of its Grade I Listed headquarters, using both energy-efficiency and on-site renewables to cut emissions by almost 50% since 2006. This has given us first-hand insights into the challenges of sustainable refurbishments that can be passed on.
Our sector is also stepping up in terms of environmental transparency. Private companies are not compelled by law to report environmental targets and progress, but some choose to make these public and be held accountable. Each year, many construction companies publish a public sustainability report detailing both sustainability targets and achievements.
The construction industry has undoubtedly come a long way in the last two decades but social and environmental challenges will continue to test and shape our industry. With the right frameworks, legislation and attitudes, we will continue to make leaps forward in developing innovative solutions and act as a driving force to a more sustainable future.
NG Bailey is an independent engineering, IT and facilities services business www.ngbailey.com
