WET News

| NEWS ANALYSIS Water leads low-carbon construction Innovation spans blue sky thinking backed by research A number of major contractors have pledged to cut carbon in infrastructure. Dean Stiles finds out where savings can be made and how construction techniques can change. CYNICS SAY that lowcarbon initiatives for many contractors are nothing but a box-ticking exercise for no matter how willing and able contractors are in terms of delivering low-carbon solutions, rarely is there a contractual obligation to deliver. But the 'business as usual' approach is set to change with government targeting infrastructure projects. And water projects will be high on the agenda given the role of Chris Newsome, director of asset management at Anglian Water, who chaired the Infrastructure Carbon Review, a report published by HM Treasury. The review's recommendations have the potential to reduce up to 24 million tonnes of carbon and save the UK almost £1.5B a year by 2050. The review is developed jointly by government and industry though the Infrastructure Cost Review and Green Construction Board. The review's working group includes Anglian Water, Carillion, Skanska, Galliford Try, Mott MacDonald, Balfour Beatty, Clancy Group, and Arup so carries the weight of contractor input. Resource efficiency "At the beginning of a change like this, it's more about values and belief, but when you call it right the metrics soon catch up and support you," says Adam Green, managing director, Carillion Construction Services. Keith Howells, chairman, Mott MacDonald Group, says: "Carbon is a businesscritical issue, no matter what your convictions about man-made CO2 and climate change. Carbon is a proxy measurement of resource efficiency. By cutting carbon, the infrastructure sector could generate significant savings, contributing a substantial financial benefit to the UK economy." Carbon reduction is a longterm commitment and reducing measures will be applied as long as they are needed and are effective, says Jennifer Clark, director of environment, Skanska UK. "Skanska is committed to taking a collaborative approach at the highest level with our clients and supply chain. This will help unlock the combined potential of all partners, making a real and effective contribution to a low-carbon future," she says. "Skanska aims to go beyond near-zero carbon in construction to become restorative. We have put a number of measures in place, including our internal green fund, which provides the seed capital to invest in low-carbon solutions. We are raising awareness and helping to improve the industry supply chain's capability in this area via the Supply Chain Sustainability School," she says. The review says innovation is absolutely essential to achieve carbon and cost reductions. "...evidence shows that pursuing lower carbon drives technical, process and cultural innovation, giv- Water Treatment, Waste Water Treatment Water Filtration, Materials Handling • High Return On Capital – From 6 Months • Low Operating Costs – Class Leading • High Reliability – 25 Year Design Life • High Customer Satisfaction Contact us today…. Tel: +44 (0) 28 867 69600 Email: info@skesolutions.com www.skesolutions.com 6 | WET News | January 2014 ing those organisations that achieve it a sharper competitive edge and an export potential. Innovation spans blue sky thinking backed by research, to the application of wellproven processes or technologies in new contexts. Realising the benefits of innovation requires a combination of sustained support and effective risk management, the review says. "Innovation and new technology is playing, and will play, a key role in reducing carbon, but it is important to consider whole life carbon across systems and processes which can eliminate the need rather than just reducing," Clark says. While contractual requirements to reduce carbon will help change behaviours, the industry should not wait for that to happen, she says. "Often the greatest savings can be made when contractors and clients work together from an early design stage. By allowing scope for alternative ways of thinking during design and procurement, clients can benefit from contractors' full capability and experience." "Setting a higher sustainability bar in contracts and creating space for real innovation would bring new ideas and ways of working to the forefront." "There are already successful examples of collaboration and partnerships in the water industry where our clients are thinking long-term about reducing carbon and saving costs. Our clients are strong, visible leaders that drive challenging reduction targets and reward success. For example, in framework agreements, partners work together to continually make improvements thanks to sustainable mind set and unwavering commitment," Clark says. "Reducing carbon reduces cost, which stands to reason: you use less resource and less energy. That's not all. Our drive to reduce carbon has been a game-changer for innovation, leading to solutions that perform better all round," says Dale Evans, director of Anglian Water's @ one Alliance. A small but significant group of those consulted for the review said that legislation or taxation is necessary to drive carbon reduction in the construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure assets. However, the prevailing view was that government should use its influence as UK infrastructure's most powerful client to drive the agenda, as it has done with Building Information Modelling (BIM), the report says. "Remove blockers in the value chain: Integrate your supply chain and incentivise collaboration to address the challenges of reducing carbon. Drive this by creating a principals' group bringing together leaders from across the supply chain. Share and publicise strong ideas to ensure they become widely known and encourage them to be used time and again," the report says. There was a consensus amongst those interviewed that the most valuable innovation occurs within the supply chain through integrating the supply chain, the report says. Water is the only sector to date that has generated programme-level data on carbon and cost reductions. Anglian Water has been demonstrating the link between carbon and cost for eight years: the company's data shows a clear correlation between reduced carbon and reduced cost, and Anglian Water is convinced there is a causal link. I

• Cover