Critical Analysis: Construction Industry's Climate Change Mitigation

This report, titled "Climate emergency: A critical view on how the construction industry can mitigate the effects of climate change," investigates the impact of climate change on construction projects and explores mitigation strategies. It examines the effects of climate change on buildings and infrastructure, analyzes ways to reduce the construction industry's contribution to climate change, and identifies strategies for reducing the costs associated with sustainable practices. The report also assesses the use of renewable materials in construction and their potential to minimize environmental impact. The research methodology includes a literature review, data collection through questionnaires, and data analysis to draw conclusions and offer recommendations for future research and industry practices. The report emphasizes the importance of addressing climate change within the construction sector and its role in the broader environmental context.

ABSTRACT
Climate change can be defined as a long-term change within the condition of weather
that represents Earth's global, regional, and local climates. These changes are broad in nature
and may impact the construction of a project. Changes in climate virtually impact the overall
economic and natural system. It represents the interaction between land degradation, forests,
chemicals, water points which directly or indirectly affects construction project organisations.
In this construction project refers to a process of renovating, constructing, refurbishing and
many more are included that are useful to the structure or infrastructure of a building. This
investigates how a construction project can mitigate the effect of climate change.
This dissertation was completed using a variety of resources, including books, journals,
articles, and questionnaires. This study reflects detailed knowledge and information about the
specific topics of climate change and the Construction Industry. It also forms the basis and
starting point for future research in related topic areas.

Table of Contents
Research Topic: “Climate emergency: A critical view on how the construction industry can
mitigate the effects of climate change”............................................................................................
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................
1.1. Background to the study..................................................................................................1
1.2. Rationale for selection of topic........................................................................................2
1.3. Research aim and objectives...........................................................................................2
1.4. Research questions.........................................................................................................3
1.5. Scope and limitation......................................................................................................3
Chapter 2: Literature Review...........................................................................................................
Impact of climate change on buildings and constructions......................................................4
Ways to reduce the contribution to climate change in the Construction industry..................7
Strategies that the industry can adopt to reduce the costs of going green – make it more
attractive to go green............................................................................................................10
Analysis of the way renewable materials used in construction can help in reducing
the environmental impact of construction.......................................................................13
Chapter 3: Research Methodology.................................................................................................
Chapter 4: Data analysis and interpretation...................................................................................
Data analysis.........................................................................................................................21
Interpretation of collected data.........................................................................................24
Chapter 5: Communication and discussion of research findings...................................................
Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendation................................................................................
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................43
Recommendation................................................................................................................45
Chapter 7: Reflection.....................................................................................................................
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................

Research Topic: “Climate emergency: A critical view on how the construction
industry can mitigate the effects of climate change”
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1. Background to the study
Climate change is referred to as a long-term change in an average pattern of weather that
has come to define the global, regional, and local climate of Earth (Ghosh, 2018). These
alterations in climate have a wide range of observed effects which are synonymous with the
term. The change in climate maximizes the risk related to the initiation of the construction
project cycle and can affect the construction sector directly by climate and weather, but can also
impact indirectly like side programming, extra expense, material cost, delivery, labourers’ safety,
delay, etc. In this humans are the major part that will influence climate and overall earth
temperature by cutting down the farming livestock, rainforests, and burning fossil fuels. This
situation requires action aiming to reduce the damage that impacts the environment. Climate
emergencies occur due to human activities such as high usage of fossil fuel, coal, gas, etc. that
result in affecting the climate. These activities may cause pollution in the air and seas and rapid
changes are required for this to be avoided. Due to the changes that occur in the climate several
types of risks are associated with operating a construction project cycle. Changes in climate such
as increased rainfall, rise in temperature directly impact construction projects.
A construction project has a significant influence on the environment all over the world.
Every aspect of the sector has some measurable influence - from mining processes utilised for
materials to the waste developed through the project and the way it is disposed of. There is
sufficient evidence showing that there are significant changes in weather patterns and
temperatures around the world that is posing serious threats to the built environment and other
aspects of our planet. Gunningham, 2019).
To conduct this research, researcher focused on several aspects like literature review,
research methodology, and collecting data by using questionnaires Conclusions are drawn at the
end of the dissertation aiming to enhance the knowledge and skills related to climate change and
their effect on a construction project.
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1.2. Rationale for selection of topic
The rationale of research refers to reflecting a reason to conduct particular research. This
study will critically investigate and analyse how the construction industry can mitigate the
effects of climate change and will assist in providing deep insights and knowledge on the topic.
This makes the researcher able to study the overview of the construction of buildings and
infrastructure and investigate different ways the Construction Industry can minimise and mitigate
Climate Change (Tong and Ebi, 2019). Additionally, strategies for decreasing the costs of going
green in the Construction Industry will be investigated. Moreover, this project also determines
different construction methods, services, and materials that will reduce the impact of buildings
on the environment. Through this investigation, it will be possible to perform further studies on
the topic effectively and systematically. This study will also assess the way in which renewable
materials are utilized in construction and how these can assist in reducing the negative impact of
construction on the environment. and thus provide a deeper understanding of the links between
climate change and the construction industry.
1.3. Research aims and objectives
Research aim
Research aim refers to the intention of conducting particular research by summarising in
a sentence. It helps the researcher to conduct research effectively and on time. The research aim
is to be written in wide terms and shows what was achieved at the end of the dissertations. The
main aim of the current investigation is “To critically investigate and analyse how the
construction industry can mitigate the effects of climate change”.
Research objectives
Objectives of research are defined as the purpose of conducting particular research. It
helps the researcher to attain their targets effectively and efficiently. These objectives are the
essential part of conducting research and attaining the aim of the study that offers a pathway to
investigators related to perform a task in a systematic manner (Salimi and Al-Ghamdi, 2020).
The main objectives which are reviewed and analysed through the current investigation are listed
below:
 To study the impact of climate change on buildings and structures
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 To assess the ways to reduce the Construction Industry’s contribution to climate change.
 To identify the strategies that the industry can adopt to reduce the costs of going green –
making this option more attractive.
 To assess the way renewable materials are used in construction and how these can help in
reducing the environmental impact of construction.
1.4. Research questions
Research question defines those questions that are set by an investigator on a specific project
to present an answer. It is a very crucial element for conducting the whole research proficiently.
For conducting this particular research several questions are to be reflected below as per the aim
of the project.
 How may climate change influence buildings and construction?
 How can we reduce the contribution to climate change in the Construction industry?
 What can the industry do to reduce the costs of going green – making this option more
attractive?
 How the environmental impact of construction can be reduced by using renewable
materials?
1.5. Scope and limitation
The scope of the project is wider as it provides various advantages to the organisations
operating in the construction sector. It also helps in gaining the knowledge about climate change
that affects the construction project. It is highly useful in future professional careers. The
findings from this work will be able to be used in the future by construction professionals to
minimise the effect of the construction industry on climate change. At the time of conducting this
research, several activities are to be included in which the investigator faces several issues and
limitations. These limitations may impact negatively on the end results of the whole dissertation.
All these issues impact negatively on research activities (Yigitcanlar and et. al., 2019). At this
time the researcher plays an important role in managing all these limitations by using ethical
practices and preparing a Gantt chart, work break down structure, etc. so that time would be
managed to do several activities in the entire research. In this investigator also support and
listens to respondent views related to a particular topic so that reliable and viable outcomes are
presented at the end of the research.
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Significance of research- It refers to a written statement that is useful to present the
benefits of conducting a particular study. It elaborates the justification of implementing this
study and its impact on the research field. It also reflects a contribution to new knowledge and in
what manner it is beneficial for others. To conduct this particular research on a specific topic that
is ‘how the construction industry can mitigate the effect of climate change’ helps in gaining
knowledge related to climate and weather change and how it impacts on the construction
industry. This also helps in presenting the strategies related to mitigating the risk of climate
change that is beneficial for all construction companies.
Chapter 2: Literature Review
1. Impact of climate change on buildings and constructions
As presented by Ahmed, (2020), Climate is a complex phenomenon which is continuously
affected through the amount of radiation emitted by the sun reflected back to space, the amount
reaches to ground, and the amount stays in the atmosphere. A prominent role is played by these
climatic agents in the deterioration of the building fabric. Any change in climatic conditions is
expected to have a critical effect on the deterioration rate. When the greenhouse gases increase
the temperature on our planet, this causes ice and snow to melt. This leads to less sunlight that is
being reflected back to space, thus warming up the atmosphere (Crate and Nuttall, 2016). Fossil
fuels like natural gas, petroleum, and coal originate from dead vegetation, which over millions of
years, become fossilised containing a high percentage of carbon. In order to warm houses, power
factories, and move vehicles, fossil fuels are burnt. By doing so carbon dioxide as well as other
gases, which have been known to have an influence on global warming, are released into the
atmosphere (Tol, 2018)
As mentioned by Skullestad, Bohne, and Lohne, (2016), Construction and buildings are
responsible for around 39 % of carbon emissions all over the world, out of this 11 percent from
manufacturing construction materials and 28% from energy consumption, also called embodied
carbon. The energy consumption of buildings comes from its requirement to warm up as well as
cool down the structure when a building has not been developed to be efficient in terms of
ventilation and insulation. The embodied carbon of building comes from manufacturing as well
as supplying of construction materials and products along with the construction process itself.
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The choice of water usage, construction materials, and transportation are some of the elements
which must be taken into consideration when aiming for sustainable building practices.
Buildings can become more vulnerable as the effects of climate change worsen. In the
future, there might be more buildings collapsing, significant loss of value as an outcome of more
snow or subsidence damage, storms, deteriorating indoor climate, water encroachment, reduced
building lifetime and even aggravating health problems. One of the greatest challenges in short
term is stronger storms and rising sea levels (How Changing Climate is Changing the
Construction Industry, 2019)
According to Harrison, Gallantree & Smith (2019), extreme weather conditions, Global
temperature, and increase in greenhouse gases have had a huge impact on the construction sector
at two levels. Firstly, there is increasing pressure from environmental agencies for the
construction sector to design greener technologies, aiming to reduce CO2 footprint. One of the
greener technologies includes geopolymer concrete which is made by using construction waste
materials such as blast furnace slag and fly ash. This reduces Portland cement demand; whose
manufacture has high carbon dioxide release. Using fly ash and blast furnace slag concrete has
advantages like chemical resistance, temperature durability, and high strength. However, there
are also some disadvantages to producing this concrete such as the utilisation of sodium
hydroxide that is harmful to humans. The process of geopolymerization to produce concrete is
very inconsistent and volatile (Grönman and et. al., 2019). Secondly, buildings are required to
withstand extreme weather conditions maximizing the requirements of durability for construction
materials used. For instance: the rise of temperatures at the global level and the extreme weather
situations lead to problems with existing buildings, externally and internally. The buildings have
to be adapted to be more resilient to prolonged and hotter weather conditions that can have an
effect on the integrity and concrete setting strength.
As presented by Pravin, Murali, and Shanmugapriyan (2017), climate change is having a
large impact on the construction sector. Change in climate is on the leading edge of the
construction sector due to consequences that affect the project life cycle. It maximizes the risks
related to the start of a construction project’s life cycle and can affect the construction industry
directly through changes in climate and weather. For example, it may lead to delay in completion
of the project, may rise the material cost which ultimately impacts on the cost of the overall
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project, etc. Climate change also makes indirect influences like extra expense, material cost, site
programming, labourers’ safety, delay, and delivery. A shred of devastating evidence is there
that climate change has developed threats. While performing civil activities, building
construction, and building designs, different climatic factors are required to be studied. It is
required by the project management practitioners to suit their experience as well as expertise in
order to understand the impact that changes in climate could have on the manner they secure the
projects in the future in a better way. They must know about the way they lessen the influence of
climate variation on their profession and endure to grow as well as develop as successful
businesses and thus far constantly mitigate the needs and requirements of their clients.
Buildings are vulnerable to progressive alterations in climate as well as extreme events.
The impacts of climate change include thawing permafrost (any ground which remains fully
frozen — 0°C (32°F) or colder — for at least 2 years straight), severe storms and floods,
increased precipitation, and more frequent wildfires. Without investment in enhanced resilience,
these vulnerabilities are destined to rise. The construction industry faces direct influences.
Precipitation extremes could maximize construction delays and therefore costs. Change in
climate also risks transforming the length of the building season (Skullestad, Bohne, and Lohne,
2016). The increased severity and incidence of heatwaves have implications in the designs of
buildings, potentially implying the requirement to move away from current building designs
towards distinct approaches for new builds. High temperatures also demand alterations in the use
and demand for energy. In countries with warmer climates, wealth is directly linked with the
increased demand for energy, principally used for transport and air conditioning. The hazards
related to climate affect poor individuals more directly by often resulting in the destruction of
homes due to flood or high winds, that tend to be relatively vulnerable (Shen, and Lior, 2016).
As per the opinion of Augiseau, and Barles, (2017), Change in climate is driving
significant alteration in the composition of construction material and manufacturing. Increasingly
lighter, stronger, and durable materials are needed that may drive the material costs up. Those
costs are eventually required to be borne through construction organisations. A specific change
in climatic conditions that have an impact on the construction industry has to do with climate
amplitude as well as duration. The extreme cold or hot conditions may need additional
specialised equipment that is resistant to such conditions. However, these normally increase the
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cost of construction. In addition to this, the impacts of climate change may be felt in reducing the
number of days when construction is feasible altogether. It is usually the case when the
construction projects are conducted in difficult to reach areas like often the cases during pipeline
construction and oil and gas exploration. These construction projects are relying on construction
materials and equipment to be delivered over unpaved or permafrost roads. An unseasonably
warm situation can make the roads built over permafrost or the unpaved roads impassable
(Climate Change: Implications for Buildings, 2014).
2. Ways to reduce the contribution to climate change in the Construction industry
As per the viewpoint of Diana Budds, 2019, global warming is caused due to fossil fuel
combustion that leads to high carbon dioxide levels - a greenhouse gas - collecting in the
atmosphere. The carbon dioxide emission is more complex than sector by sector breakdown. As
per the United Nations Environment Programme, buildings, as well as construction, collectively
account for around 36% of global energy utilisation and around 39% of energy-related CO2
emissions yearly. Commercial and residential buildings account for around 40% of energy
consumption (How do buildings contribute to climate change? 2019). Incremental approaches to
decarbonisation would not be enough. As per the opinions presented by Brent Trenga (2018), the
building and construction industry can continue to be a part of the issue and do its part to assist
in mitigating the effects of global warming. In order to reduce the contribution of climate change
in the construction industry, there are some changes to adopt including-
1. Selecting materials with low embodied carbon as well as sourcing materials from the
suppliers which are transparent in regard to the makeup of goods.
2. Utilising the waste and recycled materials.
3. Maximise use of prefabricated components as well as off-site manufacturing.
4. Better design. The 2030 challenge of architecture urges Global architecture as well as
building communities to mitigate several targets relating to the environment, fossil fuels,
and energy consumption performance standard which is 70% below the local average of
that building type, and GHG emitting. That 70 % rises to 80% by 2020, 90% by the year
2025 as well as becomes the carbon-neutral year 2030 (How to Mitigate the Construction
Industry’s Effects on Climate Change, 2018).
5. Extending the life of the building; a long span of life delays and declines the embodied
carbon related to deconstruction, waste processing, demolition, and rebuilding.
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As argued by Musulin (2019), in order to accomplish a climate-friendly future, practical
steps are required to be taken in development as well as construction. Implementing efficiency in
the material design helps in reducing the emissions by 18% by the year 2050. Material efficiency
is seen as one of the effective means to decline the emission. It has been noted that eliminating
the waste of material at the design stage can lead to around 18% of reduction in emission of
greenhouse gas between the year 2017 and year 2050. The targets of reducing cement and steel
used in construction, noting that minerals in cement account for around 32% of emissions from
consumption of materials, whereas steel accounts for approx. 15%. In order to elevate the
influence, numerous eco-friendly building materials have emerged in the sector. Apart from this,
reusing the components and materials of the building reduces the potential emissions by the year
2050 by 3%. The long-term climate benefits of reducing and recycling the building elements like
virgin steel can lead to around a 3% of reduction in greenhouse gas emission between the year
2017 and year 2050 (5 keyways to reduce GHG emissions in building construction, 2019).
The progressive target of around 11 % decline of virgin metal, as well as petrochemical-
based materials, is suggested in order to reach such an emission decline, although it has been
noted that reusable materials of building are unlikely to mitigate the demand of new construction
in short tenure. However, reusing a fraction of structural steel in the phases of construction can
advance this goal.
In addition to this, improving existing building utilisation can help in reducing the emission
by 11%. The building is often discarded and underutilized prior to that they have reached at end
of their useful life. This can outcomes in an avoidable level of greenhouse gas emission.
Executing the strategic utilisation of existing space as well as infrastructure can lead to around
11 % of greenhouse gas emission decline by the year 2050 and a 10% to 20% decline in new
building demand. As brick and mortar concept, the retail sector faces a demise, and the vacancies
of building rise. Some of the areas or cities are becoming much aware of the way to reuse the
buildings. The benefits of using existing infrastructure can be mirrored in utilisation of lots for
construction in development, as opposed to tearing down existing or forestry buildings for such
development.
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