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Linking sustainability and finance
To deliver on your sustainability goals , you must consider your objectives across every step in the construction process , rather than looking at areas in isolation and trying to bring them together later . Without this joined-up approach , it is easy to sideline sustainability as an afterthought to be ‘ bolted-on ’ or as a ‘ nice to have ,’ rather than an essential requirement . By looking at efficiency in construction materials alongside social impact and design , it is easier to deliver these results in a more cost-effective and competitive manner .
If we don ’ t make these changes and embed sustainability into our projects based on our own initiatives , then we will be forced to make those changes based on regulation imposed on us . For example , the UK Government ’ s Environmental Audit Committee is already planning consultation on whole-life carbon assessments for buildings in 2023 , which would take the overall lifetime impact for building and construction projects into account .
This consultation will gather information on how to address the 25 per cent of the UK ’ s greenhouse gas emissions that are linked to construction projects and will then
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lead to recommendations and potential regulation . This may help provide more reason to invest and support sustainability within projects , but equally it may remove some of the flexibility and opportunity around our decision-making . It may stop us being truly innovative around construction projects , because we have to follow well-meaning rules that only look at specific issues rather than the whole picture . This would affect our abilities to manage our own destinies . In essence , we want to get ahead of the policy makers , we want to inform them and get the right changes for the built environment .
As part of this move , we have to consider the financial incentives that are available for construction projects around sustainability . Thinking of sustainability not as an environmental movement , but as a business or commercial movement is central to
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