'Green momentum is building': Poll points to UK rise in net zero construction projects

New research from NBS indicates around seven in ten construction projects now have sustainability targets

Greener building projects appear to be on the rise in the UK, according to a survey of construction industry professionals in which six in ten claimed to have worked on a net zero development in the past year, marking a slight uptick from two years ago.

Based on a poll of 600 workers in the UK built environment sector, it found 64 per cent of respondents said they had worked on a net zero building project in the past year, up from 49 per cent in the same survey in 2022.

The survey also suggests around seven-in-ten construction projects now have sustainability targets, with four-in-ten reaching these green goals, both marking an increase compared to the previous survey.

The findings are included in a report published today by construction data firm National Building Specification (NBS) in association with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) which they said was aimed at better understanding attitudes to sustainability across the sector.

Dr Lee Jones, head of sustainability at Byggfakta Group - NBS's parent company - said the survey results showed growing shift towards more sustainable practices in the UK construction industry.

"The construction industry's green momentum is building, with NBS reporting a small boost in net zero projects and environmental targets being met," he said. "These are welcome figures and show that, whilst much more must be done, the sector is progressively aiming for a sustainable future."

Elsewhere, the study also points to an increase in the number of construction firms measuring their carbon footprint, with seven in ten respondents stating that their firm measures its emissions, compare to around half in 2022.

The number of firms setting CO2 reduction goals has also risen to 76 per cent, up from 62 per cent two years ago, while carbon offsetting has also increased over the same period, with more than half of respondents saying their company now had carbon offsetting strategies in place, compared to just over a third in the previous survey. 

However, the report also found "some surprises" in terms of what construction companies are prioritising for sustainability standards, with 'net zero operational carbon' taking the top spot, and 'embodied carbon' ranked fourth, according to NBS.

The report authors suggested this was likely due to construction sector legislation in the UK covering operational efficiency but not embodied carbon. It added that when asked to rank the importance of life cycle analysis stages from environmental product declarations, embodied carbon took first place among respondents overall.

The study also explored the role manufacturers play in helping architects to achieve low-carbon outcomes. It found that nine in ten – or 93 per cent – felt robust specification was important for achieving sustainable outcomes. Within that, it also found that nearly all architects – or 94 per cent – agreed that manufactures should supply digital information on the green credentials of their products to boost their chances of specification.

Overall, in addition to reducing the sector's environmental impact, researchers said the survey findings indicated that target-based construction is making a difference in driving down emissions across the sector, alongside other factors such as product availability and the increasing use of building product data to ascertain the greenest products or materials.

Even so, the report warned that barriers to sustainability still persisted, with respondents repeatedly citing costs as a top issue.

"Going forward, I would like to see legislation around net zero building practices going further, covering embodied carbon as well as operational efficiency," added Jones. "For the industry to truly achieve sustainable outcomes, it needs the government to take a stronger lead, supporting with policy and incentives."

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Source: BusinessGreen

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