Climate and Decarbonisation

Addressing climate change is a political, economic and societal priority. Its impacts will have a profound effect on our way of life.

Not only is there the need to slow the global emissions of carbon by policies and actions to move away from fossil fuels, but there is the need to acknowledge the impact already in the planetary system which will require adaptation approaches. With record high temperatures being recorded in the UK almost year on year, homes will need to adapt to be kept cooler and may expend more energy on cooling than on winter heating. Buildings and infrastructure will have to adapt to more extreme weather events such as torrential rain and flooding, and gale force winds. All of these require changes to the way that structures are designed and built. The performances required will in many instances be different from those required today.

Construction product manufacturers are central to the changes. Not only are they implementing changes to their manufacture processes, but they are also innovating for the products that will enable the built environment to be more resilient to the changes brought by climate change.

Manufacturing companies are exploring and implementing how they can move away from an energy supply dependent on fossil fuels to one based on renewable energy such as solar and wind. Energy efficiencies within the manufacturing processes are sought (though are in any case driven by normal business efficiency practices). 

How materials and products are used is also increasingly under scrutiny as it too has decarbonisation potential - can more be done with less, can products have a life after their initial use, and is such reuse or recycling (often decades later) dependent on a new type of material or product broker.

Delivering a low carbon built environment requires collaboration along the entire construction lifecycle. There are no simple one solution answers, but manufacturers are crucial to the new systems to be developed.

For more information, please contact Jane Thornback.