Green Alliance publishes blueprint for demolishing construction industry emissions
New report argues circular economy policies and practices could cut construction industry carbon emissions by nearly 40 per cent inside 12 years
An embrace of circular economy practices that reduces material use and extends the life of existing buildings could slash emissions across the construction industry by nearly 40 per cent by 2035, according to a new analysis from think tank Green Alliance.
The report, titled Circular construction, details how the construction industry is one of the UK’s largest sources of carbon emissions and the biggest single source of material waste, with construction, demolition, and excavation generating 62 per cent of the UK’s waste in 2018.
However, it argues that new government targets and policies could result in raw material use across the industry falling by 35 per cent, while carbon emissions could be cut by 39 per cent.
The bulk of these emissions savings could be achieved by reducing the number of building demolitions and instead incentivising building retrofit projects, alongside measures to ensure construction materials are reused and efforts to encourage a switch to lower carbon, more sustainable materials.
“The government has not done enough to tackle the huge waste and emissions arising from UK construction,” said Libby Peake of Green Alliance. “With the right targets and policies, however, ministers could help the industry cut emissions and material use rapidly while still providing the housing and infrastructure we need.”
As such, the report is calling on the government to set a new target to reduce raw material use in the sector by at least a third by 2035, backed by the introduction of ‘material passports’ to help developers track information about the components and products used, a commitment to allow fewer demolitions, and the removal of VAT on retrofit projects to bring them in line with new build projects.
Ben Glover, Associate Director at engineering consultancy Arup, said there was a clear need to disrupt from the “usual take, make, waste approach” to construction. “Carefully considering how materials are identified for use and retain their value for reuse, can enable financial benefits for the construction sector on its journey towards net zero carbon,” he added.
His comments were echoed by Colin Church, CEO of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and Chair of the Circular Economy Task Force, who argued policymakers and businesses alike had to account for the environmental footprint associated with material use.
“Everything physical we use and have around us is either grown or mined, with associated impacts – not only on carbon, but also on biodiversity, water, local society, and so on,” he said. “As this report shows, construction must and can reduce its demand on extraction to minimise all those negative impacts.”
The report was also welcomed by Kai Liebetanz, senior sustainability advisor at the UK Green Building Council, who said: “Achieving a circular economy requires a fundamental systems-level change in our economy. Government action is critical for achieving this change and creating the right enabling conditions. This report highlights the power of a circular economy to drastically reduce carbon emissions and resource use, as well as how both industry and government can step up to the challenge and deliver.”
