WORLD NEWS
Construction Climate Challenge conference eyes big
targets for emissions reduction
Industry heavyweights warned We had a belief that 80% of
guests at the Construction our schemes, or more, would
Climate Challenge held in London be low carbon and low cost.
in November that only big targets We made a commitment as a
will trigger the innovation needed collective and there is no U-turn
to make a meaningful difference on this one.”
One of Anglian Water’s
in infrastructure and construction actions was to use recyclable
projects. plastic as an alternative to
that used to contribute 80%
Conference Center in London’s of their embodied carbon. In
Westminster, was a one-day one project they worked on
summit to promote the UK’s reversing the water flow in
new PAS (Publicly Available existing pipelines, instead of
Specification) 2080 standard — building new pipelines, which
the world’s first framework for cut out 16 000 tonnes of carbon
reducing whole-life carbon in and saved GBP32-million.
infrastructure. Commissioned by
saving impetus behind
Leadership Council and the PAS2080 will act as a blueprint
Green Construction Board, it for implementing the standard
offers guidance and consistency on a more global level. Terri
on how to employ material, Wills, CEO of World Green
energy, and labour efficiencies Building Council, says:
to reduce both capital and “Standards like these are so
operational carbon and costs. important right now as they set
a definition and trajectory for
clients, academics, and us to work towards. Spurring
sustainability professionals were leaders to adopt PAS2080 will
told how it is necessary to set filter down through the rest
brave targets and involve the of the industry and the supply
entire supply chain to deliver the chain and force a positive
innovative processes, tools, and collaboration. Forty per cent of
behavioural changes needed to our global greenhouse gases
substantially reduce embedded are from the construction and
and operational carbon in building sectors, so our focus
infrastructure projects. needs to be on decarbonising
Keynote speaker Chris
Newsome, director of Asset
An audience of contractors, clients, academics, and sustainability
professionals gather at the London Construction Climate Challenge,
hosted by Volvo Construction Equipment.
It is hoped that the cost-
the government’s Construction
An audience of contractors,
Volvo
reinforced concrete, a material
UK Government’s 1VS
The event, held at the
The CCC seminar in London was chaired by Dr Paul Toyne, a sustainable
construction expert and London Sustainable Development Commissioner.
our sites by 2050.”
Mark Fenton, climate change
Management at Anglian specialist for the HS2 project —
Water and chairman of the a new high-speed rail network
Green Construction Board linking Britain’s major cities,
Infrastructure Working Group, and currently Europe’s largest
was one of the first to lead infrastructure project — says:
his company through the “A lot of carbon is stuck in small
implementation of PAS2080. He projects like house extensions,
told the audience: “We started but it is the bigger projects that
with a demand on ourselves and have to lead and influence the
our suppliers to reduce carbon. rest of the industry.” n
when it comes to cutting carbon
Mark Fenton, climate change specialist for HS2.
FEBRUARY 2018
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