Sustainability and the Environment - presentation to ICE

Sustainability and the
Environment
What is Sustainability?
ICE G&S Sustainability Seminar
17 May 2007

© Responsible Solutions Ltd.
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Ian Nicholson
• Managing Director, Responsible Solutions.
– Specialist environmental and social responsibility consultancy
– Specific focus on the construction sector,
– Delivering pragmatic solutions from boardroom to site.
• 23 years in the construction industry
– Front line project work (road, water, building)
– Business improvement/change
– Environmental/sustainability – research, strategy, training
• Technical Manager, CEEQUAL.
• Construction Advisor, Envirowise
• ICE Environment and Sustainability Board member

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Presentation outline
• Context
• Where are we now
• Where do we need to be
• Challenges
• Informative
• Thought provoking
• Challenging
• Uncomfortable
• No comprehensive answers
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So what is sustainability…

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2

Definitions
• Sustainability
– A state
– The capacity for continuance

• Sustainable Development
– The process for achieving sustainability

5

Some common definitions

“A better Quality of Life for
everyone, now and for
generations to come.”

“Not cheating on your kids”
Living off Natures interest;
not its capital
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3

Corporate Social Responsibility
“An organisational response to
delivering sustainable development”
Quentin Leiper ICE President 2007

Key elements of a responsible organisation:
• recognise its impact on society
• take these impacts into account in the way it
operates, in a positive way
• work in partnership with others
DTi Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2002.

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Triple Bottom Line
Environment

Quality
of Life

Economic Social
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Triple bottom line

Environment

Economic Social

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Putting it in context

10

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Putting it in context All the earth's
Environment systems and
resources -
naturally
sustainable

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Environment Humans and
societies and all
Society species

how do we
operate and have
a quality of life
that does not
undermine the
earth's natural
systems?

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Environment
Economy is
Society Society’s
mechanism for
achieving Quality
of Life.
Economy
do we operate our
business in way
which is fair and
equitable to
employees,
society &
environment?
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Environment
Society

Economy

…and if we don’t
have an
environment
where does that
leave us?
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7

Our current status

How many planets we need if
everyone in the world lives as the
average UK citizen.

15

Sorry to tell you this…

We only have one!
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8

DEFRA – 5 Principles

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What does this mean in
practice?

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What is a sustainable project?
creating a solution which balances
the

impacts of the natural environment
with

the values & beliefs of the community
in a

profitable, responsible & ethical way

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So what are some of the
issues we need to consider?

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10

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12

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What is our current
performance

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6tonnes of material for
every person in the UK

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© Responsible Solutions Ltd. 92m tonnes of waste 32

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3 times more than all UK households

13m tonnes
unused materials

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90% non energy materials extracted in UK

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52% of CO2 emissions from
buildings

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27% from transport

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We cause disturbance & nuisance

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Our work has a visual impact

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Employ 2.1million people

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There is a growing skills shortage

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60 deaths per
year on
construction sites
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Some economic facts

• circa 8.2% of GDP
• 30% of our output is to the public
sector
• savings potential of between
£500m-£2.6bn from government
construction activity (NAO estimate)

43

Where do we need to be

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XXXX
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BedZED analysis
UK Typical BedZED eco-slob BedZED best
Services Nourishment Services Services Nourishment
11% 30% Nourishment
12% 15% 31%
33%
Goods
31% Goods
Mobility 36% Goods M obility
Shelter 13% Shelter Mobility 39% S 9%
helter
15% 5% 14% 6%

CO2: 11.0 t/capita CO2: 8.7 t/capita CO2: 6.2 t/capita
EF: 5.2 gha/cap EF: 4.7 gha/cap EF: 3.3 gha/cap
2.7 planets 2.4 planets 1.7 planets

Sources: BFF, Bill Dunster Associates, Bioregional, SEI-York

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10 Principles of One Planet Living
1. Zero carbon
2. Zero waste
3. Sustainable transport
4. Sustainable materials
5. Local and sustainable food
6. Sustainable water
7. Natural habitats and wildlife
8. Culture and heritage
9. Equity and fair trade
10.Health and happiness
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1. Zero carbon • Achieve net CO2 emissions
of zero from developments
2. Zero waste and their infrastructure
5. Local and sustainable
food
7. Natural habitats and
wildlife
10. Health and happiness
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1. Zero carbon
2. Zero waste • Eliminate waste flows to
landfill and for incineration
food
wildlife
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1. Zero carbon
2. Zero waste
• Reduce reliance on
3. Sustainable transport private vehicles and
achieve major reductions
4. Sustainable materials of CO2 emissions from
5. Local and sustainable transport
food
wildlife
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1. Zero carbon
2. Zero waste
• Transform materials
4. Sustainable supply to the point where
materials it has a net positive impact
5. Local and sustainable on the environment and
food local economy
wildlife
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1. Zero carbon
2. Zero waste
• Transform food supply to
5. Local and the point where it has a
sustainable food net positive impact on the
environment, local
6. Sustainable water economy and peoples'
7. Natural habitats and well-being
wildlife
52

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1. Zero carbon
2. Zero waste
food
6. Sustainable water • Achieve a positive impact
on local water resources
7. Natural habitats and and supply
wildlife
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1. Zero carbon
2. Zero waste
food
7. Natural habitats • Regenerate degraded
and wildlife environments and halt
biodiversity loss
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1. Zero carbon
2. Zero waste
food
wildlife
8. Culture and • Protect and build on local
heritage cultural heritage and
diversity
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1. Zero carbon
2. Zero waste
food
wildlife
• Ensure that the OPL
9. Equity and fair community's impact on
trade other communities is
10. Health and happiness positive
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1. Zero carbon
2. Zero waste
food
wildlife
• Increase health and
10.Health and quality of life of OPL
happiness community
© Responsible Solutions Ltd. members and others 57

Some more immediate steps

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The Stern Review
• Emissions must be cut using the following methods:
– Increased energy efficiency
– Reduce demand for energy intensive technologies
– Adoption of clean power, heat and transport
technologies
– Reduction of deforestation
– Supporting innovation and deployment of low
carbon technologies
– Remove barriers to energy efficiency: inform,
educate and persuade individuals to change their
behaviour.

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An Introduction to CEEQUAL
• Key features of CEEQUAL
– a points-scoring-based
assessment scheme
– an incentive to apply best
environmental practice
– a developing benchmark
against which expected standards of
environmental performance can be set
– applicable to all types and sizes of civil
engineering projects
– is a voluntary award – not a legal requirement
– not a competitive scheme, but an achievement
scheme and award
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•What environmental issues
does the Scheme address?
•12 CEEQUAL sections
•180 questions, 1000 points

1) Project Environmental
Management (12%)
2) Land Use (8.2%)
3) Landscape (6.9%)
4) Ecology & Biodiversity
(8.5%)
5) Archaeology & Cultural
Heritage (6.2%)
6) Water Issues (8.9%)
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•12 CEEQUAL section
headings
7) Energy (8.5%)
8) Use of Materials (9.5%)
9) Waste Management (8.7%)
10) Transport (7.6%)
11) Nuisance to Neighbours
(7.3%)
12) Community Relations (7.7%)

•Visit www.ceequal.com
for more information
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The key challenge

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The Construction industry has a
significant role to play in delivering
sustainable development

Yes – we are currently part of the problem
BUT
We are also a key element of the solution

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Eliminate the silos
• Contractors – don’t wait for designers
• Designers – tell your clients the
sustainable alternatives.
• Clients/Developers – don’t assume what
your customers want.
• Don’t assume it will cost you more.

• Make it your job to…
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Promote team working
• Lets lose the blame culture
• Invest in skills and people development
• Encourage creative thinking
• Make one planet thinking the norm.
• Invest in our people
• Invest in your supply chain

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Work with our people
• It is people who
– will design better
– will build with less resources, work with and
develop communities
– will reduce emissions and improve our safety
performance
– help with disaster relief, support the needy and
homeless and alleviate poverty
– will make the difference we want to see in the
world
– will protect and enhance our environment
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A Win-Win solution?
• We are struggling to engage people in
the industry.
– Image?
– Perception?
• We need to change behaviour and
culture
– Deliver a more sustainable future
– Demonstrate our positive contribution

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…be the change you want
to see in the world. Ghandi
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a story....

Alan Knights
Sepik River Journey.

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Alan Knight’s
Sepik River
Journey

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One final question

Do you understand the impacts
of what you buy and sell?

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Thank you for listening…

…any Questions?

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Sustainability and the Environment - presentation to ICE

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