Driving construction towards net zero carbon with SmartWaste

Understanding the carbon challenge 

The first step for any organisation aiming to reduce its carbon footprint is to accurately measure current emissions. However, in construction, this is particularly challenging due to the number of contractors, suppliers, and varied processes contributing to overall emissions. 

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the global standard for emissions reporting, divides emissions into three scopes: 

• Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources (e.g., on-site fuel use). 
• Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat, and steam. 
• Scope 3: All other indirect emissions in a company's value chain 

While Scope 1 and 2 emissions are relatively straightforward to measure, Scope 3 presents a much greater challenge. These indirect emissions often account for over 70% of a construction company’s carbon footprint, requiring data collection from a wide array of supply chain activities. 

How SmartWaste supports carbon reporting 

SmartWaste provides a comprehensive solution for capturing and analysing emissions data across all three scopes: 

• Establishing baselines: SmartWaste allows companies to measure the environmental impact of construction activities, from materials and fuel used on-site to transportation and waste management. By capturing granular data, companies can establish an accurate emissions baseline, informing reduction strategies.
• Setting Science-Based targets: With SmartWaste's data and forecasting tools, companies can set ambitious carbon reduction targets aligned with climate science. This enables participation in initiatives like the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), ensuring that the targets are credible and achievable. 
• Supply chain engagement: A key feature of SmartWaste is its ability to engage the entire project supply chain. Contractors and suppliers can input data on materials, waste, energy use, and transport, making Scope 3 reporting comprehensive and reliable.
• Automated data collection: To improve the accuracy and reliability of data, SmartWaste offers API integration and bulk upload functionality, allowing automatic collection of emissions data from supply chain systems (source: https://www.bregroup.com). 

Driving towards net zero 

SmartWaste is instrumental in helping construction companies take practical steps towards achieving their net zero carbon goals. SmartWaste is driving this transformation by: 

• Identifying carbon hotspots: By capturing granular data on emissions, SmartWaste helps identify the most carbon-intensive activities in the construction process. For example, a contractor using SmartWaste identified that cement production accounted for over 30% of their project’s emissions. This prompted them to switch to low-carbon cement alternatives, significantly reducing their carbon footprint.
• Informed decision-making: SmartWaste empowers project teams with the data necessary to make better decisions about materials, methods, and processes at every stage of construction. For instance, a leading UK housebuilder used SmartWaste data to switch to electric machinery, cutting Scope 1 emissions by 15%. 
• Encouraging innovation: SmartWaste fosters innovation by enabling companies to validate the performance of new ideas, such as the exploration of 3D printing with recycled materials, modular timber construction, and other techniques that contribute to lower emissions  through bold, data-driven carbon reduction targets. 
• Enhancing transparency: Detailed reporting through SmartWaste allows companies to demonstrate progress to stakeholders, including investors and regulators. A major infrastructure firm uses SmartWaste to produce comprehensive annual carbon reports, which have enhanced its reputation as a sustainability leader. 

Overcoming barriers to net zero 

While SmartWaste offers powerful tools, certain challenges remain for the construction industry in achieving net zero: 

• Data quality and completeness: Gathering accurate emissions data from across the supply chain is complex, especially for smaller suppliers. SmartWaste's automated data collection addresses some of these gaps, but manual oversight is often still necessary.
• Embodied carbon in materials: A significant proportion of a project’s carbon footprint is embodied in construction materials before they arrive on-site. SmartWaste helps companies track embodied carbon by integrating with reference data sources, such as the ICE database and from Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). However, access to detailed product-level carbon data remains limited across the industry.
• Knowledge gaps: Many construction professionals lack the skills to fully leverage digital tools for carbon measurement. SmartWaste is helping to bridge this gap with training and support, but more upskilling across the industry is needed.
• Cost perceptions: Despite the long-term savings of low-carbon construction methods, there is still a perception that these approaches are prohibitively expensive. Demonstrating the cost-efficiency of sustainable practices through whole-life costing models can help shift this mindset.

The Road Ahead: Future Trends 

Looking forward, several trends are likely to shape the future of SmartWaste and carbon reporting in construction: 

• Artificial Intelligence: AI is becoming integral to the future of carbon reporting. SmartWaste is already leveraging AI-powered tools like SmartWaste Scan, which automates data capture from material delivery notes and waste transfer notes, reducing manual data entry errors and improving efficiency.
• Digital Twins: Integration with Building Information Modelling (BIM) and digital twin technologies will allow for real-time carbon tracking across the entire asset lifecycle. SmartWaste is evolving to support these digital innovations.
• Standardised carbon benchmarks: The development of industry-wide benchmarks and KPIs will enable more consistent measurement and comparison of emissions across projects.

As the urgency of climate action grows, tools like SmartWaste will be pivotal in helping the construction industry meet its net zero commitments. By transforming carbon data into actionable insights and fostering continuous improvement, SmartWaste is building a more sustainable future for both the industry and the planet.