Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, today shines a light on the future of construction by launching its roadmap towards a zero carbon construction site, harnessing the spirit of innovation and demonstrating the art of the possible for the Edinburgh Biomes project at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE).
Balfour Beatty has been commissioned by the RBGE to help deliver its landmark development project, Edinburgh Biomes. The project includes improving the energy efficiency of the Garden’s iconic Glasshouses and constructing new facilities which will help to reduce the organisation’s carbon footprint and provide a safe bio-secure propagation environment.
Recognising that an estimated 80% of the company’s carbon dioxide emissions are generated from its supply chain, Balfour Beatty will be focusing on reducing scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions associated with the construction phase of the project. In doing so, the company will not only be monitoring its own emissions, but those emissions associated with its supply chains on-site activities, the embodied carbon of materials used, emissions generated from transport vehicles to and from site, as well as waste generated.
Demonstrating its commitment to ensuring the industry moves towards a net zero world, together, the company will be freely sharing its progress – including learnings, opportunities and obstacles – with customers, supply chain partners and government through a dedicated website, to easily share the progress the company is making on its journey.
Today’s launch is one of a number of Balfour Beatty’s activities in the lead up to COP26 as it demonstrates how the company, alongside its partners and customers, can truly shift the dial and help to decarbonise the construction and infrastructure industry.
Wider activities include its Carbon Conscious training programme - helping employees to improve their understanding of the carbon costs and impacts of their behaviours; a Digital Innovation Hub – demonstrating the company’s digital activities including virtual reality, virtual twins and digital project control rooms; and a Sustainable Evolution event – highlighting a broad range of innovative solutions from across the company, from electric plant and vehicles through to modern methods of construction and simulators which help to reduce scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive, said: “Balfour Beatty set out its vision for the construction site of the future in 2017. But with the growing importance of the climate change emergency, we know we need to take decisive action now.
“We are proud to be at the forefront of this critical movement; leading the way in making the UK a world leader in carbon reduction and supporting our industry in delivering the infrastructure for a Net Zero world.”
Commenting on Balfour Beatty’s innovative initiative, Kwasi Kwarteng Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said: "Balfour Beatty’s 'Towards Zero Carbon Construction Site' is an outstanding example of the level of ambition needed to achieve our climate goals.
“It’s inspiring to see a UK business raising the bar for net zero construction sites, helping us all to build back greener.”
For further details on how the company is planning to achieve this, read its paper, “Roadmap towards a zero carbon construction site: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh – Biomes Initiative” and follow the online diary.
To learn more about how Balfour Beatty is supporting the construction and infrastructure industry in reaching Net Zero Carbon emissions, and how the company is progressing its bold targets and ambitions in its refreshed sustainability strategy, Building New Futures, visit Balfour Beatty’s dedicated COP26 website pages or join the conversation on social media using the hashtags #COP26 #SmarterGreenerFaster #BuildingNewFutures.
ENDS
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Notes to editors:
- Balfour Beatty is a leading international infrastructure group with 26,000 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 111 years we have created iconic buildings and infrastructure all over the world including: the £1.5 billion A14 improvement scheme - Britain’s biggest road project; Hong Kong’s HK$5.5 billion world-class harbour theatre project for the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority; and the 12.5 mile $429 million North Metro Commuter Rail line in Colorado, US.
- In December 2020, Balfour Beatty launched its refreshed sustainability strategy, “Building New Futures”, which sets out our ambitions to achieve net zero emissions, generate zero waste and positively impact over one million people by 2040. The strategy focusses on three specific areas – the Environment, Materials and Communities – with each area assigned a 2040 ambition. To guide us in our journey to achieve these ambitions, Balfour Beatty will be reporting annually on each area, with defined 2030 targets to ensure the Group is on track to achieve its 2040 ambitions.
