Major contractors and suppliers join forces to develop automated, real-time reporting of embodied carbon

[edit] Partners

Aggregate Industries UK, Balfour Beatty plc, Galliford Try and Morgan Sindall Group plc have joined forces with construction technology provider Causeway Technologies in a project to develop automated, real-time scope 3 emissions reporting.

[edit] Scope 3

Scope 3 emissions are indirect carbon and greenhouse gas emissions that come from an organisation’s supply chain. In the case of construction, for example, this could include the embodied carbon from the production and transport of concrete, steel and timber.

The accurate measurement of scope 3 emissions is increasingly seen as the biggest challenge to reducing the construction industry’s carbon footprint on the road to net zero.

[edit] Announcement

Speaking recently at Digital Construction Week, Dr Adam O’Rourke, Causeway’s emerging technologies consultant, explained:

“The construction industry has been grappling with the measurement of scope 3 emissions for some time with increasing pressure from regulators, investors and campaigners adding to the sense of urgency for a viable solution. But at present, few construction product suppliers find it easy to provide consistent transaction-level data on the full carbon emissions of their products, and so contractors are heavily reliant on using generic carbon calculators for estimating scope 3 emissions. These calculators are useful estimating tools, but Causeway’s scope 3 initiative is different – it provides contractors, for the first time, with an accurate, consistent and automated reporting tool that reflects the actual materials and products used, not just what was planned. More accurate reporting means better choices and lower risk for contractors. It also means competitive advantages for suppliers who are supporting their customers to meet their carbon reporting obligations with an automated solution – no further effort is required. It really is ‘Scope 3 made easy’.”

[edit] Digital solution

The scope 3 initiative is well advanced in developing a software solution that can deliver a credible, verifiable, efficient and scalable way to measure scope 3 emissions in real-time, using invoice data automatically extracted from Causeway Tradex, the largest connected construction supply chain community in the UK.

Invoices represent the actual materials and services consumed and quickly allow buyers and sellers to see the impact of the changes they make as they implement their net-zero strategies. Causeway Tradex already processes 6.7 million invoices from over 60,000 suppliers, amounting to billions of construction value. Using Causeway Tradex in this way, scope 3 emissions can be associated with specific projects and specific transactions, and emissions measured in real-time as a building or structure is constructed.

[edit] Iniial testing

In initial tests, Causeway was able to sample 25,000 invoices from Aggregate Industries, Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall and Galliford Try focusing on materials with the highest carbon impact. The system is capable of addressing embodied carbon figures down to line-level items such as tools and plant purchases, with the range of materials and products growing as the project matures.

Causeway and its partners are currently engaging with more suppliers and contractors, as well as validating and testing elements of the software. The project is also being supported via a partnership engagement with the Engineering Department at the University of Bath.

Dr. Adam O’Rourke added: “One of the biggest innovations on this project has been bringing together major contractors’ finance departments and sustainability teams. The detail and accuracy of existing financial reporting provides the level of information needed for transparent benchmarking, tracking and reporting on carbon emissions for ESG reporting, but we found that this connection had not been made in many businesses. The Scope 3 initiative bridges this gap.”

[edit] Further information and partners

To register for updates on the scope 3 initiative, go to: https://www.causeway.com/carbon-reporting/scope-3

Causeway Technologies was founded in 1999 by chief executive, Phil Brown. Headquartered in Buckinghamshire, it serves over 3,000 customers globally and has over 500 employees. Causeway provides enterprise and cloud software solutions to support the construction and maintenance industries, serving consultants, contractors, suppliers, and their clients on an international scale.

Aggregate Industries is delivering growth through sustainable thinking. Committed to playing a significant role in enabling the UK to transition to net zero, Aggregate Industries is driving decarbonisation across the construction materials sector. With a broad, established range of low carbon solutions and a focus on the circular economy, Aggregate Industries continues to invest in R&D and innovation, working in partnership with sustainability-focused stakeholders, with the goal of becoming the UK’s leading supplier of sustainable construction materials. It is the first company to be certificated to BES 6001, The Framework Standard for the Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products, developed by the BRE. Aggregate Industries UK is a proud member of the Holcim Group.

Balfour Beatty is a leading international infrastructure group with 25,000 employees driving the delivery of powerful new solutions, shaping thinking, creating skylines and inspiring a new generation of talent to be the change-makers of tomorrow. We finance, develop, build, maintain and operate the increasingly complex and critical infrastructure that supports national economies and deliver projects at the heart of local communities. Over the last 114 years we have created iconic buildings and infrastructure all over the world. Currently, we are working to deliver Hinkley Point C, the first UK nuclear power station in a generation; constructing the world-class arts and cultural facility, the Lyric Theatre, in Hong Kong; and designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining the Automated People Mover superstructure at the fifth busiest airport in the world, Los Angeles International Airport.

Galliford Try is a leading UK construction business employing 3,700 people across the country. We are a people-orientated, progressive business, driven by our values to deliver lasting change for our stakeholders and the communities we work in. We are passionate about our role in providing vital buildings and infrastructure across the country, committed to the idea that what we do makes a real difference to people’s lives. Our purpose, vision and values shape our culture, proactively guiding our day-to-day activities and keeping us focused on what's important to us.

Morgan Sindall Group plc is a leading UK Construction & Regeneration group with annual revenue of £3.6bn, employing around 7,200 employees and operating in the public, regulated and private sectors. It reports through five divisions of Construction & Infrastructure, Fit Out, Property Services, Partnership Housing and Urban Regeneration.

This article was issued via a Press Release as "Balfour Beatty plc, Galliford Try and Morgan Sindall Group plc and Aggregate Industries UK join forces with Causeway " dated June 5, 2023.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

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• Embedded carbon emissions.
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• ISO 14001:2004 Environmental management system -- Requirements with guidance for use.
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