Strategic Forum for Construction Announces 2008 Baselines for Measuring Waste and Carbon Targets in the Strategy for Sustainable Construction
The Strategic Forum for Construction has today revealed the methodologies for establishing Baselines, as well as the actual Baselines, for both construction waste to landfill and carbon emissions on construction sites. Both provide a major step forward on the way to meeting the targets of the joint government and industry Strategy for Sustainable Construction.
The Strategy for Sustainable Construction, which was launched in June 2008, included targets on halving construction waste to landfill and reducing carbon emissions on construction sites by 15%, by 2012. Both targets had 2008 as the baseline year from which to measure progress. However, up until now there was no method of measurement and therefore the Baselines were unknown.
Publications detailing both Baselines and Methodologies were launched today at the Strategic Forum meeting and are available on line. www.constructionproducts.org.uk
Speaking on behalf of the Strategic Forum for Construction, Jane Thornback, Coordinator of the Forum’s Sustainable Construction Task Group, said; ‘the work on construction waste and carbon has turned the rhetoric of targets into something real that can be measured, priority actions identified and progress monitored. Similar work is taking place on water consumption on construction sites and on the way in which uptake of responsibly sourced products can be measured. Collectively this represents a robust practical body of work that makes a major contribution to delivering the targets in the Strategy for Sustainable Construction.’
Simon Helmer of the Carbon Trust and Paul Toyne, Chairman of the Carbon Subgroup said; ‘Improving the efficiency of site accomodation and related transport is an excellent opportunity for the industry to reduce exposure to rising fuel prices and to demonstrate to customers its commitment to reducing carbon emissions.’
On the waste target, Peter Johnson, Chair of the Waste Subgroup, added; ‘I am enormously grateful to all those involved, especially those that had been willing to pour over Environment Agency and Defra statistics for lengthy periods of time. Having a robust way of measuring CD&E waste to landfill is the essential first step in understanding the work that now must be done to improve resource efficiency and decrease the amounts going to landfill.’
Findings from the Projects:
In 2008 the amount of construction, demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste going to landfill in England was 12.55 million tonnes, equivalent to 118 tonnes per £million of contractors output, so a 50% reduction by 2012 equates to a reduction in CD&E waste of 6.28 tonnes.
The work to develop the measurement methodology was coordinated by the Strategic Forum Waste Subgroup supported by BRE’s resource efficiency team and funded by a grant from Defra’s Construction Resource and Waste Programme (CRWP). The Waste Subgroup will now analyse the principal waste streams contributing to the 2008 baseline so that priority actions can be identified to deliver the 50% reduction by 2012.
For carbon, a similar exercise was conducted by the Strategic Forum Carbon Subgroup to measure the source of carbon emissions coming from construction sites and associated transport. For 2008, this total was an estimated to 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is 47 tonnes CO2 per £million of contractors output. A 15% reduction by 2012 is thus equivalent to a reduction in emissions from site and transport of 750,000 tonnes of CO2 (or £150-200 million on current fuel-energy prices).
The Strategic Forum Carbon Subgroup was sponsored by a partnership between the Carbon Trust and the Strategic Forum enabling Arup to provide the expert secretariat and research support.
The carbon work has already led to the initial identification of a number of key actions that construction contractors and others can take to deliver the target. This action plan will be published in early summer.
The Methodologies and baselines are available at: www.constructionproducts.org.uk
ENDS
NOTE TO EDITORS:
1) The membership of the Strategic Forum comprises:
. Construction Clients Group
. Contractors Groups
. Construction Industry Council (currently the host secretariat for the Forum)
. Construction Products Association
. National Specialist Contractors’ Council
. Specialist Engineering Contractors Group
. Trades Union Council.
The Strategic Forum for Construction is the only construction forum that seeks to represent the whole of the construction community. It comprises senior members of the constituent organisations. The Forum’s activities are both proactive and reactive but at all times seek to work in partnership across the industry to achieve long term improvements.
The Forum has a number of Task Groups including the Sustainable Construction Task Group through whose auspices the work on the waste and carbon targets came about.
2) Construction Resource and Waste Programme (CRWP) is a Defra funded programme aimed at improving resource efficiency in the construction sector. From April 2010 it will be absorbed into a restructured WRAP.
3) The Carbon Trust is a not-for-profit company with the mission to accelerate the move to
a low carbon economy, providing specialist support to business and the public sector to help cut carbon emissions, save energy and commercialise low carbon technologies. By stimulating low carbon action we contribute to key UK goals of lower carbon emissions, the development of low carbon businesses, increased energy security and associated jobs.
We help to cut carbon emissions now by
. Providing specialist advice and finance to help organisations cut carbon
. Setting standards for carbon reduction
We reduce potential future carbon emissions by
. Opening markets for low carbon technologies
. Leading industry collaborations to commercialise technologies
. Investing in early stage low carbon companies
4) The Strategy for Sustainable Construction was a joint industry and government strategy launched in 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jane Thornback
Coordinator of the Sustainable Construction Task Group
c/o Construction Products Association
Mobile: 07887 897 581
Fax: 020 7323 0307
E-mail: jane.thornback@constructionproducts.org.uk
Katherine Adams
BRE Resource Efficiency Team and Coordinator SFfC Waste Subgroup
Tel: 01923 664000
E-mail: adamsk@bre.co.uk
Carbon Trust Press Office
Tel: 020 7544 3100
carbontrust@fishburn-hedges.co.uk
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