The Sustainability Jigsaw Sustainability has come a long way in the last few years, from the periphery for tree huggers to mainstream. There is now a much greater understanding of what it means, but still many misconceptions and confusions. For example, how can so many alternative and very different products, such as timber and steel all claim to be the most sustainable?

The explanation is that sustainability covers seven key areas. A products’ sustainable nature should be judged on its performance in each area, which is what BRE have tried to do with their Green Guide to Specification, consolidating the findings into simple ratings. But this is very difficult to do, especially when the same product can be supplied from different factories.

Not surprisingly, there is a tendency for manufacturers to focus on the areas where their products have the greatest strength, and this can lead to conflicting claims. Specifiers, and sustainability consultants in particular, are starting to become familiar with the elements of the sustainability jigsaw but there is still much confusion over this ‘Greenwash’.

The following is a brief summary of the seven key areas of the Sustainability Jigsaw.

Type of Material: The type of material used and its impact on the planet’s available resources, now and in the future, is the first consideration. This is where products made from renewable resources, or recycled material are well positioned and oil based product are amongst those that are disadvantaged.

Method of Manufacture: This considerers the consumption of resources to manufacture the product (energy, water) the amount of waste created and the working conditions of those involved in the process. Increasing numbers of companies are opting to use green electricity as a means of improving their carbon emissions at this stage. An example of an improvement to the process would be a closed loop water system topped up through rain water harvesting. It is also important to consider the chemicals added to some renewable materials to prevent them deteriorating.

Transport to Site: Here it is the carbon emissions associated with the transport from the point of manufacture to the construction site. This process favours products manufactured locally against those shipped half way around the world. This is very difficult to track as there are not the systems or processes in place to accurately measure this. Again claims and counter claims are made about the most efficient forms of transport and decisions in this area can be very subjective.

Packaging: Traditionally an area of high wastage, various requirements are now in place to deal with the removal and disposal of packaging to prevent it ending up in landfill. Major progress has been made in reducing packaging in the last few years, as this is an area where it is easy to make improvements very quickly.

Product Wastage: With some materials there is little or no wastage on site. This is a benefit of using modern methods of construction. Other materials traditionally have high levels of wastage on site. Plasterboard for example, where the UK manufacturers have put in place the Ashdown Agreement with a commitment to reduce waste going to landfill. Increasingly clients are setting site waste targets as part of their contract requirements. John Lewis, for example, encourage zero waste to landfill on the construction sites.

Efficiency in Use: This considers both the ease and efficiency of product installation on site and how efficient it is once it is installed in a building. Efficiency in use might be the levels of thermal insulation provided or the thermal mass of the product both of which would contribute to a reduction in the energy used by the building for heating and cooling. This has contributed to major debates between suppliers of concrete and timber concerning the merits of the different construction methods.

Ability to Recycle: The final consideration is what happens to the products when the building has come to the end of its life. How easy will it be to recycle the product? Products like steel enjoy an advantage here, but the ease with which the different components can be separated is also important. This may reduce the appeal of some panelised systems.

The common measure for all of these areas is the number of tonnes of CO₂ emitted. However there are other factors to consider such as the use of harmful chemicals, and the contribution to society through the provision of employment.

The government has tried to consolidate its thinking in the ‘Strategy for Sustainable Construction’ published in June 2008. It added further drivers towards sustainability with the Code for Sustainable Homes introduced in May 2008 and its White Paper ‘Planning for a Sustainable Future’ which was granted Royal Assent in November 2008. The next step will be publication of the revised Document L, expected later this year, when it is expected to incorporate many of the sustainable initiatives.

In addition to the legislation, we also have what is currently a voluntary initiative; certificates of responsible sourcing. This is an aspect previously treated as on the edge of the construction remit, but increasingly being included. It is demonstrated through an ethos of supply chain management and product stewardship and encompasses social, economic and environmental dimensions.

It first applied to responsible sourcing of timber with the introduction of FSC certification. This has now been expanded to include all construction products with the introduction by BRE of their Global certification standard BES 6001.

Providing a holistic approach to managing a product, it considers the entire supply chain from the point at which a material is mined or harvested in its raw state through manufacture and processing to construction, then re-use and recycling, until its final disposal as waste with no further value.

This will require manufacturers to consider not just their own processes but also those of their suppliers and customers, significantly broadening responsibility. It can be expected that clients and specifiers will increasingly ask for products certified in this way.

As an industry we have to become familiar with all of these concepts, but today a level of confusion exists. For a while manufacturers can ignore some of these issues, focus on an area where they have a strength and use ‘spin’ to promote their product benefits. However those wishing to take the long term strategic view should address all elements of the sustainability jigsaw, promoting their current strengths and implementing a programme of improvement in all areas. This will not only strengthen their position in the market, but provide cost savings as the government increases taxation applied to areas of inefficiency.

	Chris Ashworth, founder of Competitive Advantage Consultancy provides strategic marketing services to the construction industry. He is a member of the organising committee for the CharteredInstitute of Marketing Construction Industry Group ( CIMCIG ).   First published May 2010, RIBA Insight Monthly Bulletin   Return to Articles
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