The arrival of the new government is the perfect opportunity for reducing carbon emissions from the built environment, writes David Harris, CEO of offsite manufacturer Premier Modular.
It’s crunch time for the nation’s net-zero roadmap but what change is needed to make this ambition a reality?
While the UK reached the halfway mark last year – greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were cut by 53% between 1990 and 2023 – delays to key pledges have pushed the finish line further out of reach.
As industries that generate significant carbon outputs, construction and manufacturing will be pivotal to the success of net zero but will need change at a governmental level to double down on sustainable practices.
The change of government is a timely opportunity to accelerate policies that allow a greener built environment to flourish.
To date, progress in the decarbonisation of the electricity supply and a reduction in industrial activities has helped the UK to meet the first three carbon budgets in the government’s Carbon Budget Delivery Plan.
However, the pandemic’s influence on this success cannot be ignored, with GHGs slowing in this period due to decreased productivity.
If the UK is to hit its sixth budget and curb emissions by 78% by 2037, more investment in innovation and collaboration between industries and the government is urgently needed.
Current policies in place to support this include the route map for Zero Avoidable Waste in Construction. Developed between the government and the Green Construction Board, the Route map aims to tackle the 3.5 million tonnes of CO2e emitted by the industry through waste generation.
The strategy is certainly a step in the right direction as it calls for better cooperation between the government and the construction industry to quantify waste streams and identify barriers to reuse and recycling.
Research commissioned by the government has also shed light on the need for waste management practices to be improved. This includes re-purposing and repairing existing building stock, which the study has shown is being driven by its cost-savings, changing social attitudes and the employment opportunities that arise from these practices.
The government has also introduced policies as part of the England Trees Action Plan to ramp up construction’s safe use of timber as an effective method for carbon capture.
With such policies and insight established, the road to net zero is well signposted, but it’s likely more regulatory change will be required for emissions to fall dramatically.
How to make construction more circular?
While several parties have pledged to push the circular economy transition and promote green skills in their manifestos, there are gaps when it comes to addressing the impact of current building materials and practices.
Opening up construction and manufacturing options will be essential if the new government is to deliver sustainable change. For instance, uptake in modern methods of construction (MMC) will help to improve waste management associated with building projects across sectors.
The factory-based, precision manufacture of building components allows parts to be cut to size in a controlled environment, which reduces offcuts and wasted materials. Manufacturing buildings also afford an optimal building envelope that supports better temperature regulation and therefore, energy efficiency.
Within MMC, there is also scope for rental building solutions to be pushed further by the government in favour of a circular economy. The environmental benefits of reusing and repairing buildings are well documented and rental solutions – which are readily reconfigured or recycled – provide a viable route.
As part of this, it would be positive to see the government reconsider the strategy around capital expenditure (CapEx). In healthcare particularly, there is a focus on using CapEx budgets to fund new facilities, such as hospitals, which places greater, immediate strain on financial resources.
Shifting the focus to operating expenses (OpEx) and funding new buildings through the budgets allocated for day-to-day operations would allow NHS trusts and other organisations more flexibility.
To truly capitalise on circularity, the use of OpEx budgets needs to be more actively encouraged; it will create opportunities for hiring temporary, reusable facilities that do not require new buildings to be constructed.
What legislation is needed?
Introducing legislation to improve the monitoring of embodied carbon and how materials are procured and manufactured should go hand in hand with this.
Both the construction and manufacturing industries need a steer on how embodied carbon is measured and controlled, but a staged approach must be taken to regulation. Legislating incorrectly could make the UK less competitive, so new regulations must drive behaviours that support innovation.
The creation and promotion of green jobs in the built environment will be equally fundamental to achieving net zero targets. The government’s roll out of construction, engineering and manufacturing T Levels is a good starting point, with core content themes including a focus on sustainable construction and material processing techniques.
However, green jobs and skills need to be defined further to dispel misconceptions that these roles are limited to work in renewable energy sectors.
The next half of the net zero journey is going to be a harder climb than the first, and the actions of both the new government and the construction and manufacturing industries will make or break a successful ascent.
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