82% of construction industry investing in sustainability strategies

A new report has revealed the importance of sustainability within the construction industry. The report, entitled ‘Sourcing responsibly: A market insight into sustainability attitudes and practices’, reveals key findings from a survey commissioned by Tata Steel in March 2016. Over 80% of those who responded to the survey confirmed that their companies are investing, or planning to invest, in a sustainability strategy.

The survey aimed to gain a greater understanding of current sustainability attitudes and practices across the construction industry, highlighting some interesting results including why sustainability is critical and what makes it so important to companies. Respondents were supply chain leaders, and included architects, consultants, developers, engineers, planners and installers, who provided the insights outlined in the report. Topics covered in the report include sustainability investments, education, and barriers to improved sustainability performance.

Barry Rust, Energy & Sustainability Manager at Tata Steel stated: “Sustainability is becoming a critical issue in the construction industry, as shown by the results detailed in our report. Responsible sourcing emerged as a particularly important theme, with the industry clearly prioritising a need to understand the provenance and impact of the materials used in construction. As a manufacturer of construction products certified to BES 6001 responsible sourcing standard, we are pleased to see such a positive response to responsible sourcing and plan to use the findings from the report to encourage greater adoption of sustainable materials in the construction industry.”

The report also includes commentaries from key figures in the construction industry. Rory Bergin, Partner of Sustainable Futures at HTA Design LLP, discusses the need for the construction industry as a whole to focus on responsible sourcing to remove the negative impacts of the materials used in a building and then the negative impact of the building itself. Additionally, John Hutton, Head of Sustainability at BAM Nuttall, highlights responsible sourcing as a key part of the transition to a more sustainable industry.

Jonathan Clemens, Head of Marketing at Tata Steel Construction & Infrastructure, added: “We have made a public commitment to leading and advocating environmentally responsible practices in all business operations. Overall, our report details a positive industry-wide approach to sustainability, but it also highlights areas of opportunity for businesses within the construction industry to grow and improve. This includes the requirement for more emphasis on recyclability, rather than recycled content, and further education to ensure that there is a greater emphasis on the whole life cycle of the building. Only through this life cycle approach will the optimum resource decisions be made and the value of the building asset maximised.”

To find out more about sustainability in the construction industry, download the full report, or watch the animated video available at: www.tatasteelconstruction.com/responsiblesourcing