Tech and data can help Australia’s construction industry shift the needle on sustainability, writes Alex Fernandez-Soncini, strategic construction technologist, Procore Technologies.
I love the power of the construction industry, which is responsible for the creation of amazing spaces where we live, work, learn and play.
I grew up watching my dad on the tools, doing everything such as welding, carpentry and concreting. On weekends, he would show me how to build things and complete odd projects around the house. That’s where my passion for creating something from nothing began.
This passion grew from a weekend hobby into a career as I completed my construction management degree while working full-time in the industry. Throughout my education – both in the classroom and on jobsites – I couldn’t turn away from the sheer amount of waste generated by construction projects, and the disregard for the environmental impact of our actions.
My focus at university became researching sustainable construction methods and green building practices. My thesis centered on the structure applicability of steel fibre-recycled aggregate concrete in construction. The question I have always sought to answer is: how do we make the construction industry climate conscious?
Environmental impact of construction
While the impact of construction on our community and economy remains positive, its environmental consequences are hard to ignore.
Construction is one of the largest industries in Australia – approximately nine per cent of GDP – but nearly 40 per cent of annual global carbon emissions come from buildings. According to the Federal Government’s 2020 National Waste Report, Australia produces 27 million tonnes of annual waste in the building industry alone. That’s 44 per cent of all waste generated in Australia each year.
Of this waste, 20 million tonnes end up in landfill each year, which can lead to serious environmental issues such as polluted water.
However, it is not all doom and gloom. Increasingly, construction industry leaders are turning their attention to sustainability. In Procore Technologies’ “How We Build Now 2022” benchmark report, 48 per cent of Australian respondents said the construction industry should adopt more environmentally friendly and sustainable building practices, while 43 per cent also agreed that decreasing energy consumption and improving energy efficiency of buildings needs to be a greater consideration.
While Australia is leading the world in its rate of rooftop solar installations, uptake of other renewable technologies in the Australian construction industry is less progressive due to barriers such as cost and lack of awareness. There is certainly room to improve onsite use of clean energy sources.
Basic initiatives such as recycling onsite are no longer good enough to meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. Technology will become the key to reducing the environmental impact of construction because it allows people, systems and data to be connected in one place.
One example is the efficient use of technology which can reduce communication errors that lead to defects, which can result in large amounts of waste through rework. Reducing rework and wastage was identified as the most significant sustainability outcome for 87 per cent of Australian construction leaders in a recent Procore industry poll.
If all stakeholders have access to a holistic picture of project data, it can result in smarter business decisions that factor in sustainability.
In Australia, Anthony Albanese’s Federal Government has now legislated a climate target of 43 per cent emissions reduction by 2030. With new environmental laws and targets moving quickly, it’s important to get ahead of the game. Despite how easy it may sound, the process of measuring and tracking environmental impact can be complicated.
How businesses can improve sustainability efforts
The first step to improving environmental and sustainability endeavours is to bring together experts, systems and data through connected technology. This will assist teams to find ways to build more sustainably through improved processes and transparency to address inefficiencies. For example, clear collaboration will allow issues such as overordering of materials that end up being wasted to be re-evaluated and resolved.
The second step involves tracking and reporting on environmental impact and carbon emissions. If every construction company had to track and report their sustainability efforts – such as switching to clean energy sources – opportunities would open to deliver projects more efficiently as data-driven decisions feed into building strategies.
Surprisingly, according to Procore’s “How We Build Now 2022” benchmark report, paper is still commonly used by Australian builders for site activity records (29 per cent), estimating and pricing (26 per cent) and environmental processes (27 per cent). These processes need to be digitised if businesses are seeking accurate and reliable data, streamlined processes and reduction of unnecessary waste.
As more construction companies are looking to reduce their environmental impact, tracking and finding ways to reduce carbon emissions will become an everyday priority, similar to tracking safety and productivity.
I am hopeful and passionate we can build a positive and lasting legacy for future generations in construction. Working collaboratively and efficiently, together we can create a more sustainable future.