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Making construction more sustainable costs more than it brings in, say 57 per cent of surveyed construction professionals. This hasn’t withheld more than half of construction companies (54%) from actively reducing their carbon emissions, according to the Boels Rental Construction Index*.
Although it’s a step in the right direction, there is always room for improvement. Not everyone agrees with this, though: 54 per cent think their employer is already doing enough. Shouldn’t we be more ambitious for a greener future and actually encourage sustainability?
Measures to reduce CO2 emissions
The survey reveals five measures that construction companies commonly use to bring their carbon emissions down:
- Recycling construction waste: Well over half of the construction companies (57%) recycle their building waste to reduce environmental impact.
- Extending equipment lifespan: Two in five (42%) select machines and tools with a longer lifespan, delaying the need to replace them and thus reducing emissions.
- Lowering emissions: More and more companies (35%) opt for machines and tools that have (near-)zero emissions, such as solar-powered electric machines.
- Using sustainable materials: Sustainable building materials, such as bio-based or recycled materials, are gaining popularity and are being used by 29 per cent of construction companies to help reduce their carbon footprint.
- Carbon offsetting: A quarter (24%) compensate for their CO2 emissions through a variety of offsetting mechanisms, for instance by investing in forestry projects.
Environmentally conscious steps
Although steps are already being taken, construction professionals believe more can be done to make the industry more sustainable. Their top tips are:
- Use recycled or bio-based materials (49%).
- Apply energy-efficient equipment (47%).
- Use less fossil fuels (38%).
- Reduce transport movements (37%).
- Build with fewer resources (19%), for example by building during the daytime to reduce the use of light sources.
*The survey was conducted by Markteffect among 404 Dutch people working in the construction industry.
