The construction industry is one of the biggest contributors to pollution and also one of the biggest utilizers of global resources as it contributes to about roughly 40% of the world’s carbon emissions. For any industry, practicing sustainability means meeting the needs of the customers while making sure to protect the environment for the long term, and the same is expected of the construction industry to reduce its environmental impact.
What is Sustainable Construction?
Sustainable construction involves processes and building with renewable resources and making use of recyclable materials and harnessing green technology. While construction projects are underway with heavy equipment, care must be taken to make sure to reduce waste and energy consumption while protecting the environment and resources around the site. There are also more and more sustainable construction practices that can be implemented on construction projects such as including the use of green roofs, the usage of greywater systems, the installation of solar panels, etc.
Challenges of Sustainable Construction
Incorporating sustainable business practices in the construction industry is not an easy job and there are multiple factors that come into play when such major changes need to be made throughout the industry that are not part of traditional business practices.
Affordability is one of the major challenges in a move towards sustainable construction as making use of cleaner materials, harnessing green technology, etc. are all very expensive practices and can pose a challenge for companies trying to be more sustainable.
A lack of visibility is also a major problem as monitoring sustainable practices after implementing them in the processes involving different parties such as subcontractors or third parties is quite difficult.
Benefits of Sustainable Construction
- Buildings that are constructed using sustainable methods and techniques often have lower operating costs than conventional buildings owing to the improved energy and water efficiency of sustainable building as bio composites often used in sustainable buildings as sustainable building materials have proven to be quite reliable and durable relative to their non-renewable counterpart.
- Sustainable construction practices can help alleviate social and economic conditions in construction-related industries as well as communities by creating jobs and providing accelerated training opportunities.
- Studies have proven that sustainable construction practices also drive improved health and well-being of the occupants. This is because of the improved indoor air quality and increased natural light in buildings built sustainably.
- The devastating effects of climate change can be reduced with sustainable technological advancements in the construction industry. Construction firms moving towards the use of renewable resources and methods promises a better and cleaner environment.
- Not only does sustainable construction drive improved health for the people who make use of the buildings but it has been shown to improve the productivity of construction workers during construction owing to better surroundings, noise protection, better working conditions, etc.
Despite the challenges, there are several motivations for the industry to adopt sustainable construction practices. Sustainable construction techniques can lead to considerable cost savings over the life of a construction project while reducing the environmental impact of the construction process.