In the face of a climate
crisis,
the construction industry’s legacy is muddled by its colossal environmental
impact: The built world is one of the largest industries in the world and
accounts for nearly 40
percent of annual global
carbon emissions; construction materials specifically account for approximately
11 percent.
In addition to carbon emissions, the industry sees an annual spend of $178
billion in
rework — work that represents unnecessary spend that is unsustainably wasteful
and largely avoidable. 48 percent of that
rework, on average, is caused by poor project data and communication. According
to a report from Transparency Market
Research,
the volume of solid construction waste generated worldwide every year clocks in
at around 1.3 billion tons. This number is expected to nearly double to 2.2
billion tons by 2025. Outdated communication channels — fax, phone and paper —
lead to poor communication; which, in turn, frequently results in costly rework,
and immense waste of time and materials.
Connected technology — uniting people, systems and data in one place —
synthesizes communication: It allows for owners to communicate with general
contractors, specialty contractors and designers through every part of the
construction process; reducing miscommunication and errors that lead to rework,
waste and more emissions. Additionally, connected technology provides
all-encompassing data that enables teams to approach building projects more
informed through every phase of the construction build process. This results in
buildings that are more resilient and
sustainable,
and that emit less carbon.
With legislation quickly developing that would mandate companies to track and
reduce their carbon emissions (like the recent Securities and Exchange
Commission
proposal),
companies are under pressure to make drastic changes fast — and, given the dire
state of the planet, this makes sense. However, the process of measuring and
tracking environmental impact is complex and warrants careful attention and
collaboration.
Two distinctive types of carbon — operational and
embodied
— play a role in expended energy. Operational carbon addresses the in-use phase
of the building; while embodied carbon includes carbon from the manufacture,
transportation, and material assembly.
Uniting experts to collaborate on sustainable solutions from across teams and
disciplines will optimize sustainability through improved design and
construction practices. Connected technology supports this collaboration by
uniting key players throughout the entire construction process on one platform.
Tracking and reporting on environmental impact and carbon emissions — which will
likely become a requirement in the industry — further drives sustainability into
construction. The data that is collected, tracked and analyzed provides insights
that ultimately create data-driven, informed decisions. While integrating
embodied-carbon tracking and reporting onto connected platforms is a complex
feat, it ultimately will transform and revolutionize ESG efforts for the
construction industry. Digitizing
construction
is a vital ESG tactic that will soon become as crucial for owners as tracking
and reporting safety, financials and productivity.
The construction industry is not simply defined by the creation of physical
buildings; it’s about the people who inhabit these spaces. The built environment
provides a place for day-to-day lives to play out — a landing place for
community, work and play to converge. This tremendous responsibility has
produced remarkable feats of engineering across the globe that daily become
cornerstones of human lives. Redefining construction as a climate-conscious
industry will require better — and more — data that can be leveraged to guide
emission reduction. Construction is in the midst of an important evolution,
tasked with optimizing the built world — not solely for the people that inhabit
it, but for the wellbeing of the planet, as well.
Get the latest insights, trends, and innovations to help position yourself at the forefront of sustainable business leadership—delivered straight to your inbox.
Tiffany LaBruno is VP of Product at Procore Technologies — a California-based construction management software-as-a-service company founded in 2002.
Published Apr 29, 2022 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST