We as an industry are at a critical point in history — and the stakes are higher than ever. It is not enough to just do our jobs; we must pay attention to how we impact our planet, manage every resource, and consider our legacy for future generations. We’ve all seen the statistics. The construction ecosystem is directly or indirectly responsible for almost 40 percent of global CO 2 emissions from fuel combustion and 25 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emis - sions overall, many hundreds of million tons of waste, and 14.5 percent of particulate matter in big cities, according to the McKinsey report Call for Action: Seizing the Decarbonization Opportunity in Construc- tion. Further, buildings themselves contribute about 37 percent of global carbon emissions. The world is watching how industries work and demanding we find a better, more sustainable way. For some, the term sustainable may seem like a catchword for all things environmental, but it’s so much more. EPA provides the simplest definition of the term: Sustainability isn’t part of our work – it’s a guiding influence for all of our work. In the engineering and construction space, sustainability must be a purposeful investment in process improvement for the betterment of communities, the planet, and operational success. In many cases, sus- tainability will directly influence future profitability given the emerg - ing policy and programmatic shifts. Reducing emissions, minimizing waste and building systems that support a ‘cleaner’ ecosystem must be part of our mission statements moving forward. We can no longer depend on processes that were built for yesterday’s challenges. There is too much “work” in the way we work — and not enough collaboration, precision and speed. The good news is that we have the tools, the technology and the pioneering spirit to facilitate our industry’s sustainability journey. The Carbon Countdown Considering construction’s substantial contribution to carbon emissions, it’s no surprise that many equate sustainability with carbon reduction, which is also highly incentivized by current and emerging federal and state regulations and funding for buildings and infrastructure. As one example, in November 2022, the Biden Administration pro- posed the Federal Supplier Climate Risks and Resilience Proposed Rule, which requires major federal contractors to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks, as well as set science-based emissions reduction targets. As well, Execu- tive Order 14057 states that all new construction and major moderniza- Sustainability, Profitability and the Legacy We Leave By Dietmar Grimm
tion projects larger than 25,000 square feet entering the planning stage will be designed, constructed, and operated to be net-zero emissions by 2030, and where feasible, net-zero water and waste. Further, it states that major federal contractors will publicly report their annual corpo- rate-level GHG emissions and set targets to reduce them and disclose climate risks and vulnerabilities that may affect their future economic stability or their ability to deliver goods and services that are critical to federal agency missions. The federal government believes that these requirements will improve the resilience of federal supply chains to increasing climate risks, strengthen the competitive position of American companies, and help to reduce contract costs through increased efficiency. And remember, where the federal government leads, private enterprises are likely to follow, implementing similar requirements. Foundational solutions such as 3D modeling software, common data environments, and project management systems form the necessary digital construct for effective data connections. The next level central- ized data solutions such as building information modeling, extended reality technology, machine control systems, fleet and equipment man - agement systems and building performance analysis and environmen- tal modeling software then provide additional data and the analytics to drive better decisions. And like any process improvement, measuring improvement is essential to advancement. For instance, consider machine control. Logic says that automa- tion improves productivity, which should reduce carbon emissions. But by how much? Calculating emissions from heavy equipment has largely been interpolative, using data including operation time, fuel burned, heat content, and CO2 emission intensity to measure environmental impact. The common assumption is that less time equates to less fuel, with no accounting for startup, idle time, and engine speed during operation. GHG accountability is one reason Trimble initiated a field study to sci - entifically document the carbon reduction benefits that can be realized
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April 2023
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