Question:
Discuss About The Construction Environmental Sustainability?
Environmental sustainability is a very essential issue in today’s construction industry because of the impacts that buildings and other structures have on the community, environment and the world. A wide range of natural resources are used within the construction industry and so environmental sustainability aims at ensuring proper allocation and utilization of resources and minimization of resource wastage (Balleto & Furcas, 2011). All construction projects are unique thus it is important to assess each project’s requirements so as to implement it is a manner that eliminates or minimizes impacts on the environment. In other words, the concept of environmental sustainability must be comprehensively analyzed using appropriate management assessment tools and integrated at all stages of construction projects (Ding, 2008). This paper discusses different aspects of environmental sustainability in construction.
Construction industry has great impacts on the environment, economy and society (Zuo & Zhao, 2014). Global challenges such as climate change have necessitated development and integration of environmental sustainability in the construction industry. In this context, the fundamental concept of environmental sustainability and sustainable construction in general is to ensure that structures are designed, constructed, operated, maintained and demolished in a way that improves resource efficiency throughout their lifecycle (Strange & Bayley, 2008). By so doing, depletion of natural resources reduces thus improving environmental conservation. Sustainable development or construction entails using minimum resources to build structures and facilities that meet the needs of people and enhance environmental conservation for present and future generations (Jackson, et al., 2011). Triple bottom line concept is very important in sustainable construction (Alhaddi, 2015) because it encourages implementation of construction projects by considering three important aspects: environment, society and economics (Hammer & Pivo, 2016). In other words, this concept ensures that companies undertake construction projects by considering their financial, environmental and social impacts. As a result of this, projects are undertaken in an environmentally friendly, financially viable (cost-effective) and socially acceptable manner (Lederwasch & Mukheibir, 2013).
Express Ltd is a multinational construction company located in Sydney, Australia. The company was established in 1987 and has undertaken various projects in more than 30 countries including Australia, China, U.S., Canada, Italy, Germany, France, England and Abu Dhabi, among others. The company focusses on design and construction of buildings, roads, railways, dams, irrigation systems, water supply and drainage systems, pipelines and stadiums. The company has an environmental policy to show its commitment of being environmentally responsible. Express Ltd employs around 25,000 people worldwide and manages projects worth about $40 billion annually. The company has a sound financial base and its annual revenue is about $25 billion.
Express Ltd takes environmentally sustainability very seriously and has received several recognitions and awards for the same efforts. The company uses several strategies to achieve its environmental sustainability goals. Key of these strategies are provided below
The company uses construction materials selected based on an environmental sustainability criteria. The company uses locally available and recycled materials through responsible sourcing. The company also reduces the accounting of materials used by creating appropriate designs and ensuring that the materials are properly allocated and used.
The company aims at reducing energy demand and increasing energy efficiency at various stages of the project. Some of the techniques used to achieve this include: use of site-generated renewable energy, use of energy efficient construction methods and appliances, and improving efficiency of energy supply by using methods such as combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) and combined heat and power (CHP).
The main goal of the company is to reduce the amount of potable water used at different stages of the project. This is achieved by: rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling and reuse, blackwater recycling and reuse, and installing water efficient fixtures.
The company also targets to reduce waste as much as possible. This is mainly achieved through application of lean construction methods. The company also uses recyclable materials so that they can be recycled and reused when the structures built are demolished at the end of their service life. Additionally, the company ensures that residual waste is disposed through incineration or landfilling to avoid energy recovery.
This is a major strategy that the company applies across all the projects it undertakes. The company has invested significant resources to develop innovative products and methods of construction. Innovation and new ideas significantly reduce the amount of resources used throughout the lifecycle of structures built (Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, 2008). Examples of innovations that the company uses include: building information modeling (BIM), building energy management system, building management systems, modular construction, self-compacting concrete, etc.
Express Ltd is a multinational construction company that designs and constructs buildings, roads, railways, dams, irrigation systems, water supply and drainage systems, pipelines and stadiums. The company’s head office is in Sydney, Australia but it has branch offices in over 30 countries Americas, Middle East, Asia Pacific, Europe and Africa. We use high-tech knowledge, digital technologies and resources to design and build sustainable structures worldwide with an aim of improving people’s lives and creating maximum value for its clients. By 2025, Express Ltd aims at being a reputable global leader in provision of design and construction products and services. The company’s operations are based on its eight main values: practical ownership and leadership, scalable learning, open collaboration, integrity, quality, diversity, accountability and predictable performance. To achieve its mission and vision, Express Ltd has invested heavily in state-of-the-art plant, equipment, human resources and technologies. The company constantly trains its staffs and ensures that all its operations are undertaken in accordance with the required industry standards, regulations and local building codes. Our main client markets include: government, property and building, oil and gas, infrastructure, industrial, ports and terminals, and mining and minerals.
Express Ltd generates average annual revenue of $25 billion. The company has experienced rapid growth over the past few years mainly because of use of modern technologies and rolling out of training programs for its employees. These have given us a competitive advantage and we are looking forward to improve it.
The general organizational structure of Express Ltd comprises of the following: Chief executive Officer (CEO), management team (financial, human resource, sales and marketing, and operations departments), project managers (site engineers, safety managers, surveyors, planning engineer, structural engineer, quality assurance and civil supervisor) and construction workers.
To ensure that its environmental sustainability goals are attained, the company uses different reporting parameters. Reporting parameters basically refers to observed or measured properties that define the state of the environment (Srebotnjak, et al., 2010). The key reporting parameters that the company uses include: total amount of water consumed, total amount of energy used and its associated greenhouse gases emitted, total amount of hazardous waste generated, total amount of non-hazardous waste generated, total amount of recycled materials used, and number of violation notices, exceedances and fines. The values obtained are compared with industry base values or company targets (Science for Environment Policy, 2015). These reporting parameters help the company to establish the effectiveness of strategies included in the environmental policy.
The governance of the company comprises of effective rules, processes, relations and practices that are used to control and direct the company’s operations. Express Ltd has a strong governance and it uses it to effectively balance the interests of its stakeholders, including shareholders, financiers, customers, management and community. The company is always committed to its corporate governance principles to ensure long-term success. One of these commitments is establishment of the company’s environmental policy, which is very instrumental towards environmental protection. Other commitments and engagements include: training, educating and motivating its employees, suppliers and subcontractors; encouraging partnership, cooperation and participation of all stakeholders; making it clear to stakeholders and partners about environmental sustainability parameters and objectives that must be met; auditing its operations; and constantly seeking improvement of its environmental management processes. In general, Express Ltd has set strategic rules and aims, it involves all stakeholders in its activities and is always in the forefront to provide effective leadership to ensure attainment of its environmental sustainability goals.
The main management style used by the company is coaching. As a result of this, the company creates and provides professional development opportunities for all its employees. By so doing, the company is also able to ensure that its employees have the right and updated knowledge and skills to achieve company goals and objectives. This management style has also enabled the company to create effective relationship with employees across the world who put company interests first.
Conclusion
The need for environmental sustainability in construction cannot be overstated (Sev, 2008). Construction industry in many parts of the world contribute significantly toward socio-economic growth and development (Hussin, et al., 2013). However, the industry also consumes vast amount of resources and contributes significantly toward depletion of natural resources that has various environmental impacts. The importance and impacts of construction industry in people’s lives have led to development of practices such as sustainable construction and triple bottom line concept, which aim at enhancing sustainability of the industry. These practices generally aim at minimizing wastage of resources and improving resource efficiency in construction sector (Atombo, et al., 2015). This will ensure that the environment is protected thus improving people’s quality of life for present and future generations.
To achieve the goals and objectives of sustainability, there is need for collaboration of all stakeholders in the construction industry (Bal, et al., 2013). Each company should also establish the importance of sustainability and develop appropriate strategies to facilitate implementation of sustainable practices. The company should ensure that they adopt environmental sustainability parameters in their activities. This should be done at all stages of the project: planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance and demolition. The main aim should be to reduce the amount of resources used or wasted at all stages without compromising the quality, functionality or durability of the structures built (Kuhlman & Farrington, 2010). In other words, companies should undertake their activities by considering the value of environmental sustainability to their business, community and environment. To determine this value, companies should invest adequate resources in sustainability reporting.
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that there are several issues and challenges in reporting sustainability. Some of these include: deciding the audience of sustainability reports; obtaining reliable, relevant and complete performance data; determining the right sustainability metrics; convincing key stakeholders about the importance and value of sustainability reporting so as to get their backing; compliance with the right frameworks such as assurance standards and GRI; difficulties in getting the necessary resources to compile sustainability reports; and lack of adequate knowledge on sustainability reporting practices. Therefore companies should establish ways of solving these challenges.
Moving forward, companies should use available state-of-the-art technologies to enhance environmental sustainability in their operations. Some of these include use of renewable energy, rainwater harvesting, greywater and blackwater recycling, use of water efficient fixtures and appliances, and use of energy efficient electrical equipment and appliances. All these should aim at waste minimization and improving resource efficiency, which enhances environmental conservation. Governments should also create policies that make it mandatory for construction companies to build structures in a sustainable way. This can be achieved by offering tax exemptions or incentives to construction companies that use sustainable products and practices. Achieving the goals of environmental sustainability in construction requires contribution and commitment from all stakeholders involved in construction projects. These include: clients, architects, designers, specialist engineers, consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, government or regulatory authorities and end users. All these stakeholders must play their respective roles effectively. Additionally, any efforts made towards attainment of environmental sustainability in construction are worthwhile and should be supported by all people.
References
Alhaddi, H., 2015. Triple bottom line and sustainability: a literature review. Business and Management Studies, 1(2), pp. 6-10.
Atombo, C., Dzantor, J. & Agbo, A., 2015. Integration of sustainable construction in project management: a case study in Ghana. International Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 4(1), pp. 13-25.
Balleto, G. & Furcas, C., 2011. Environmental sustainability in the construction industry related to the production of aggregates qualitative aspects, case studies and future outlooks. International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, 2(2), pp. 109-115.
Bal, M., Bryde, D., Fearon, D. & Ochieng, E., 2013. Stakeholder engagement: achieving sustainability in the construction sector. Sustainability, Volume 6, pp. 695-710.
Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, 2008. Strategy for sustainable construction, London: Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform.
Ding, G., 2008. Sustainable construction – the role of environmental assessment tools. Journal of Environmental Management, 86(3), pp. 451-464.
Hammer, J. & Pivo, G., 2016. The triple bottom line and sustainable economic development theory and practice, California, U.S. : SAGE Publications.
Hussin, J., Rahman, I. & Memon, A., 2013. The way forward in sustainable construction: issues and challenges. International Journal of Advances in Applied Science (IJAAS), 2(1), pp. 15-24.
Jackson, A., Boswell, K. & Davis, D., 2011. Sustainability and triple bottom line reporting – what is it all about?. International Journal of Business, Humanities and Technology, 1(3), pp. 55-59.
Kuhlman, T. & Farrington, J., 2010. What is sustainability?. Sustainability, Volume 2, pp. 3436-3448.
Lederwasch, A. & Mukheibir, P., 2013. The triple bottom line and progress towards ecological sustainable development: Australia’s coal mining industry as a case study. Resources, Volume 2, pp. 26-38.
Science for Environment Policy, 2015. Indicators for sustainable cities, Bristol: European Commission: Science Communication Unit.
Sev, A., 2008. How can the construction industry contribute to sustainable development? a conceptual framework. Sustainable Development, 17(3), pp. 161-173.
Srebotnjak, T. et al., 2010. Final report: Establishing environmental sustainability thresholds and indicators, Brussels: European Commission.
Strange, T. & Bayley, A., 2008. Sustaible development: linking economy, society, environment, Paris, finance: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Zuo, J. & Zhao, Z., 2014. Green building research – current status and future agenda: A Review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 30, pp. 271-281.
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