Jeni Durksen hosts roundtable on supply-chain decarbonisation

The decarbonisation roundtable

Commenting on the urgency of the roundtables, Durksen said, “It’s clear that the time for change is now and coming together with our industry partners is an important step”. The construction industry faces unprecedented challenges in achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It is responsible for approximately 40% of global carbon emissions, making it one of the largest contributors to climate change.

Covering a range of topics across a project lifecycle, the panel discussed:

• Effects of market pressures on product offerings
• Shifts in specification trends by designers
• Lifecycle sustainability strategies for materials and products
• Lessons from leading companies outside the industry.

Watch the full video below:

Challenges and opportunities

Overall, the panel members recognised the importance of building a new model to fit end users’ changing needs. They also highlighted the benefits of sharing best practices between peers and working together to find innovative solutions to sustainability challenges.

Some of the key takeaways included:

Production

• Suppliers are focusing on launching fewer products but with better sustainability credentials.
• Suppliers must create products that can be recycled more easily and have circular options.

Sourcing

• Designers need more transparency regarding the manufacture and ingredients of materials.
• A carbon calculator is a helpful way to compare products and decide which materials to use in a project.

Refurbishment and demolition

• The industry needs a more collaborative approach to demolition.
• The time and costs required to strip out and sort materials for reuse are challenging.
• Demolition is currently underregulated, with a focus on construction.

Opportunities:

• Making demolition more sophisticated as repurposed materials become more valuable.
• Working with universities to adjust how and what we are manufacturing.
• Looking to nature and the natural way it recycles.

M Moser is committed to achieving net-zero by 2050. Working closely with our partners and peers, we’re pioneering new methods of design and construction, cutting waste and working to shift industry standards.

Reach out to our team to explore the opportunities.