Only 12% of UK construction firms think the sector will meet the 2050 net zero target, citing preparedness and skill shortages, according to a new survey from Balfour Beatty and the Supply Chain Sustainability School.
The survey polled 270 construction firms from across the UK in order to understand the current pathway of the industry in relation to the government’s net zero goals.
The results showed a clear commitment among supply chain partners to decarbonise their businesses with the transition to a low carbon economy being viewed as a positive opportunity for 79% of respondents, an increase of 5% on last year’s survey.
Most companies (70%) have firm targets and strategies for reducing carbon emissions and some are already investing in low-carbon materials, products, and approaches (59%).
However, despite the commitment, the survey noted that reaching net zero is by no means a foregone conclusion, with 68% saying the sector is not well enough prepared – an increase of 4% from the previous year. Furthermore, 81% of participants indicated that construction practices (and subsequent demand from customers) are changing too slowly.
“There is resistance to change which is partly down to human nature, but it’s slowing down the progress we could be making. There are still people who can’t understand why the money is being put into sustainability or that we need to do things in new ways.” said survey participant Katie Atherton, environment and sustainability manager at William Hare Limited
“We need to change the outlook and become more used to collaborating across businesses. That’s something we haven’t done before, so it takes time.”
The survey suggests that some of the inactivity may be due to the turbulent economic environment, with customers and contractors juggling the need to control costs in the face of increasing energy, material and labour prices, with reducing their carbon footprint. 53% of respondents said that these current challenges have impacted their decarbonisation plans and activities.
The survey further highlights that there is also a severe skill shortage of people needed to measure and record carbon emissions, develop alternative solutions, and operate and maintain lower carbon solutions.
“Experienced carbon professionals are really hard to come by and there’s huge competition in the market,” said Karen Hills, head of carbon and sustainability, at Atkins Global, “We are developing a Carbon Academy to upskill staff and widen carbon capability; we then hope to share access to this resource with clients and other partners.”
In addition to net zero goals, planners are already looking at the effect that environmental issues may have on construction in coming years. Factoring in new rules around biodiversity and navigating the vast array of admin issues pertaining to them.
