Having the right data at the planning and design stages of a project is crucial to reducing carbon emissions and achieving net zero, writes Dr Lee Jones, head of sustainability at Hubexo
As the construction industry faces growing pressure to reduce its environmental impact, it’s no longer enough to simply build. Today’s professionals must prioritise sustainable materials, adopt cutting-edge techniques and demand full transparency from manufacturers about the carbon impact of their products.
From minimising carbon, energy and water use to choosing ethically sourced materials and maintaining a responsible supply chain, every decision counts. The responsibility to address both direct and indirect environmental impacts is clearer than ever – it’s about building smarter, cleaner and more sustainably.
Data-driven approach
According to the Treasury and the Green Construction Board, the most significant potential for reducing a project’s carbon emissions lies within the early design and planning stages, with later project phases offering fewer opportunities for meaningful reductions.
To effectively capitalise on this, specifiers and project teams need access to reliable, high-quality data. This has spurred a growing demand for detailed product information, which is essential to achieving lower-carbon outcomes in construction projects. As this need increases, access to data-driven tools will become even more crucial.
At the early stages of design, including concept and spatial planning, specifiers must consider the full lifecycle costs of materials, systems and the building itself. While opting for more durable or less energy-intensive materials may increase initial costs, they can deliver long-term savings.
Digital tools, including Building Information Modelling (BIM), offer a wealth of opportunities to evaluate whole-life costs during the specification phase. These tools allow architects and engineers to make informed, sustainable choices, drawing from comprehensive, accredited product databases. This level of access ensures that decisions are made efficiently and with the environment in mind, ultimately leading to better material choices.
Rising to the challenge
Construction projects require collaboration among many different stakeholders. With digital technologies becoming increasingly widespread, every participant has a responsibility to contribute to the overall effort.
Manufacturers play a key role by providing detailed, digitally accessible information about the environmental attributes of their products. This transparency helps specifiers make informed decisions that reduce the carbon footprint of their projects.
However, for this system to work, manufacturers must offer frequent updates and complete openness regarding the carbon performance of their products.
Unfortunately, many environmental claims lack independent verification. To address this, manufacturers can provide Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) – third-party certified documents that offer clear, verifiable data on the environmental impacts of a product throughout its lifecycle.
EPDs enable specifiers to make more sustainable choices by presenting trustworthy performance metrics.
The future of construction will depend on sustainability data
We are already seeing devastating weather impacts as a result of the current changes, which threaten all the Earth’s inhabitants’ way of life, and it will only get worse without action. In response, the construction industry needs to ramp up its sustainability efforts.
With net zero targets on the horizon, digital tools and detailed product data will play a crucial role in cutting carbon emissions throughout the sector.
The advantages of adopting digital capabilities are clear. These tools help specifiers not only meet sustainability targets but also navigate an increasingly complex regulatory environment, including new frameworks like the Future Homes Standard, the Building Safety Act and the Fire Safety Act.
As the saying goes, “data is the new oil,” and it’s evident that the right data can fuel both sustainability and safer building practices, leading to better outcomes across the construction industry.
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