Tarmac leads on sustainability challenge
In January 2009, Tarmac commissioned leading trade magazine, Construction News, to undertake independent research with directors from the top 100 contractors to find out what industry leaders really think about the threats - and opportunities - posed by climate change.
How are they reacting?
Are Government targets working?
Have their attitudes to sustainability changed due to the economic downturn?
Dr Martyn Kenny, head of Sustainability at Tarmac, led the research for Tarmac. He said:
"By supporting Construction News' research, we wanted to gain a deeper understanding of industry attitudes and see where the sector is getting it right - or wrong. And the research showed that there's plenty to be positive about, with many companies taking a forward-thinking stance to tackle issues around climate change and sustainability. Without this focus, energy efficient products and sustainable working practices might be perceived as short-term, unnecessary costs. The challenge now is for our industry to take a holistic approach and recognise the long-term benefits that can come from thinking about these issues in a different way.
"What has emerged from the research is the importance of embedding sustainability at the heart of business operations by considering factors such as thermal mass, recycling and re-use, product 'miles' and the energy performance of products in-situ, rather than simply the embodied energy used in producing them. We need to build a construction sector that is both prosperous and environmentally sustainable. Although the industry is taking positive steps to achieving this, more needs to be done to embed sustainability into working practices and create the right products and solutions to deliver a more sustainable future for the whole sector."
View Construction News' online interviews with Dr Martyn Kenny (opens in new window).
Read the Construction news article: "Climate change: a view from the top" (opens in new window, Flash player 10 is required).
Read the Climate Change full results - Tarmac and Construction News research (pdf, 989kb)
19 March 2009
