The Build Chain explain how a new approach to materials procurement can help to reduce carbon emissions in the construction industry
Although COP28 has drawn to a close, sustainability will continue to be a popular topic within the construction industry. The UK is targeting net zero emissions by 2050, and businesses of all types will need to make changes to help the country achieve its targets.
With construction being responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, there is a lot of pressure on our industry, in particular, to reduce the negative impact on the environment.
One often overlooked area of the building cycle where significant, impactful change can be made is materials procurement. A new approach to this vital industry activity has the potential to be transformational.
Current sustainability challenges in materials procurement
A significant portion of construction industry carbon emissions can be attributed to the manufacturing and transportation of materials, making it clear there is room for improvement when purchasing materials.
Adopting a local supply chain is a great place to start; reducing the distance materials need to travel to get to the site directly reduces the transportation-related carbon emissions associated with each project.
Additionally, the materials themselves need to be manufactured and packaged in a more environmentally friendly way. Those with responsibility for selecting and purchasing materials should look for widely recognised certifications such as Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) ratings and prioritise these over less sustainable options.
With procurement teams facing time pressures and industry-wide issues like price inflation, change and innovation are required if the sustainability of materials procurement is going to be improved.
Using digital solutions to procure more sustainably
Utilising modern technologies transforms procurement and ensures sustainability can be embedded into the process.
Digital solutions can improve the impact of materials procurement on the environment in a variety of ways:
- Make it easier to select suppliers with appropriate sustainability accreditations
- Find suppliers who are local to your sites
- Reduce the paper used within the procurement process
- Help prevent unnecessary deliveries and over-ordering to minimise waste
Technology can create end-to-end transparency across the supply chain by providing means to verify sustainable sourcing claims and enabling the tracking and tracing of materials.
The data collected by digital solutions can be used to accurately forecast demand and need for materials which creates opportunities for waste reduction and gives procurement teams more time to select sustainable alternatives to traditional materials.
Lifecycle assessment tools, which measure the environmental impact of materials throughout their lifecycle, will only grow in importance as the industry shifts to more modern, sustainable ways of working.
Using solutions like digital procurement platforms can introduce further benefits alongside sustainability, including the provision of real-time data, transparency, and increased efficiency in material sourcing.
Construction procurement teams need to move away from paper-based, manual ways of working and adopt modern, digital systems if the industry is going to move forward to a sustainable future.
SME contractors are utilising local supply chains to reduce carbon emissions
UK-based contractors like THB and Rasico Construction are using a digital procurement platform to access local supply chains and reduce the need to transport materials across long distances.
Adopting a new procurement solution has allowed Rasico to source materials from smaller, local suppliers with ease, reducing the distance their materials need to travel to get to the site.
Meanwhile, THB, which carries out specialised works and previously depended on international suppliers, has been able to use a procurement platform to find new local suppliers, which not only reduces the carbon footprint of their projects, but also helps with cost control.
The future of sustainable construction procurement
In the coming years, the construction industry will inevitably shift towards more environmentally friendly and socially responsible practices within its supply chains. Collaboration, innovation, and technology will play a key role in this shift.
Increasing pressure from the public and government on construction businesses to demonstrate what they are doing to reduce their impact on the environment will lead to widespread change across the construction industry.
Procurement teams will move from manual ways of working to adopting digital systems, or risk being left behind. Suppliers and manufacturers who can effectively demonstrate their sustainability credentials will be prioritised over those who do not.
