The sustainable construction industry

The pressure from stakeholders such as investors, customers and politicians on companies’ environmentalism is growing rapidly the recent years. This pressure means that many companies, from CPG to construction, need to manage their environmental footprint to not only appease stakeholders, but to create a sustainable supply chain. The construction industry has long been accused as a key polluter to urban environments, not entirely without cause as for example around 10% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from construction activities.

By managing and improving environmental, social and economic performance throughout supply chains, companies can conserve resources, optimize processes, uncover product innovations, save costs, increase productivity and promote corporate values.

Due to the range and complexity of the construction supply chain there are several different steps and ways to build a more sustainable construction site. But some steps are taken organically such as the growth of off-site construction. Which is not only cheaper, but also reduces the environmental costs of long and inefficient transportation.

The effectivization of construction doesn’t end there. Transportation currently accounts for around 20% of UK carbon emission. By making supply lines more efficient and transport modes greener you can greatly improve your supply chain’s sustainability. Some examples of this is switching to more efficient vehicles, sourcing materials locally and consolidating site suppliers.

Another big source of pollution is great amount of waste that comes out of a construction site and its supply chain. By putting aside the linear approach to waste – make, use dispose and instead imbedding an effective waste management policy a company can not only create more sustainable construction, but also increase profit.

By conclusion, the way to a more sustainable construction goes hand in hand with an effective supply chain. By improving your supply chain, you not only reduce costs, time, and risks, but also waste and pollution.