Decarbonizing construction | foresight.skanska.com
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Decarbonizing construction

The construction industry and the built environment are responsible for nearly 40 percent of global carbon emissions. This needs to change. Solutions including low-carbon materials, circularity and a new approach to waste management can have a major impact. What else is on the horizon? Find out more… 

The future of concrete
Decarbonizing construction

The future of concrete

Concrete is the backbone of modern construction, shaping everything from bridges to buildings. But as widely used as it is, concrete production also comes with a hefty environmental cost, especially when it comes to CO2 emissions. In our latest podcast, "Getting Carbon Out of Concrete," we talk with industry leaders about the exciting innovations driving us toward a more sustainable future with this essential material.
Mass timber offers significant environmental benefits because of its reduced carbon footprint and biophilic design elements
Decarbonizing construction

Designing for durability: Lessons in water mitigation for mass timber projects

Mass timber has gained popularity as a building material praised for its sustainability and aesthetic appeal. It offers significant environmental benefits because of its reduced carbon footprint and its biophilic design elements which bring a natural, warm aesthetic that can support cognitive performance, physical health and psychological well-being.
Roads
Decarbonizing construction

On the road to more sustainable asphalt

Well-built roads keep society functioning, allowing us to travel across town – or across the nation. Unfortunately, the construction of asphalt roads has traditionally relied on fossil-fuel products and produced significant carbon emissions. Now, a new approach to producing asphalt is cutting its climate impact.
Making electric dreams a reality
Decarbonizing construction

Making electric dreams a reality

Construction sites are often noisy places due to the impacts of diesel-powered equipment. That may be about to change as electric-powered alternatives are increasingly put to use. As well as improving conditions for workers and surrounding residents, such machines have the potential to significantly boost sustainability.
PDX_TCORE_progress_53
Decarbonizing construction

Wonderful wood: the benefits of mass timber

If you think large structures like offices and apartment blocks have to be made from reinforced concrete, think again. Mass timber buildings, using structural elements made from engineered wood, are popping up across the planet on a range of different scales. They can deliver major benefits in both sustainability and user experience.
ReCreate_photocredit Heikki Vuorinen photo credit
Decarbonizing construction

Deconstructing demolition: building a circularity ecosystem

Demolishing a building is always a challenge. It uses a lot of energy, and usually results in a lot of waste materials – materials that had already generated significant carbon emissions in their production. But things are changing. With the deconstruction of one of our buildings in Finland, we are helping develop a business model for reusing concrete components in a viable circular construction economy.
M42 Dual Bridge
Decarbonizing construction

Can you tell your scope 1 emissions from your scope 3?

The construction sector possesses vast opportunities to reduce emissions across the whole value chain, creating big wins for the environment and operational efficiency. A key tool in achieving this is the Scopes model produced under the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol. So how does the model actually work? And what's a concrete example of how it is being used to decarbonize construction?
Diagram of Scopes and Emissions Across the Value Chain
Decarbonizing construction

What are the scopes and how can they help companies, particularly in construction and development?

Greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting is a powerful tool for businesses. But what does it entail and how can businesses leverage GHG accounting to serve company goals? GHG accounting is the process of measuring and monitoring GHG emissions using standardized methods and rules. The most widely used GHG accounting standards come from Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which developed the framework of the three scopes.
Towards a more circular world
Decarbonizing construction

Towards a more circular world

The Romans were experts at it: reusing components and materials from old structures to make new ones. Now, as the construction sector works to decarbonize, such an approach is again gaining traction through the circularity movement. So how can we make effective use of old materials from demolished buildings in new construction projects? And just how can the approach be scaled up?
Powerhouse Kjørbo near Oslo was constructed by refurbishing two 1970s office buildings
Decarbonizing construction

Build or rebuild? Is there a simple answer?

There’s a saying in some sustainability circles that the greenest building is the one that is already built. The idea is that reusing a preexisting structure is always less carbon intensive and more sustainable than creating a structure completely from scratch. But are things really that clear cut?
Detail - Växjö station and Town hall 1920px
Decarbonizing construction

Four innovations for more sustainable construction

The world needs construction. The global development and construction sector provides people with homes to live in, infrastructure that keeps our cities moving, and workplaces to be productive. But at the same time, the built environment is responsible for some 40 percent of annual carbon emissions.
Climate Week NYC Focus on action
Decarbonizing construction

Climate Week NYC: Focus on action

With a clear focus on action, Climate Week 2023 brought together more than 1,000 leaders from business, government and the climate sector in New York last week. While the theme this year was “We can. We Will,” discussions for our Skanska team centered around three key actions: Science Based Targets, scaling existing solutions and driving value in the supply chain.
Innovation key to solving transport’s emissions puzzle
Decarbonizing construction

Innovation key to solving transport’s emissions puzzle

Transport underpins society as we know it. It connects people, enables cultures to evolve, and powers economic growth.
The SAS13 bridge replacement project is situated near Birmingham City Centre and is an enabler for HS2 on behalf of Network Rail. The team is demolishing eight spans of an existing nine-span viaduct and replacing it with a new single span bridge.
Decarbonizing construction

Smarter strategies for clean mobility

The transportation sector accounted for 37% of end-use sector carbon emissions in 2021. In nearly half of the world’s countries, it’s the leading source of energy-related emissions.
ESS European Spallation Source
Decarbonizing construction

EC3: tool helping industry cut construction emissions

Materials used in construction account for about 10 percent of annual global carbon emissions. Developed by Skanska and its industry partners, the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) is helping builders and designers everywhere to choose lower-carbon materials, with benefits for the whole planet.
Powerhouse Brattørkaia in Trondheim, Norway
Decarbonizing construction

The future of clean energy starts now

In the midst of an ongoing global energy crisis, it is essential that urban environments take steps toward decarbonization and greater energy efficiency.
using mass timber in construction
Decarbonizing construction

Into the Woods: construction’s path to a sustainable future

Timber currently constitutes just 3 percent of the total materials used in European construction, making it a niche practice. The European Commission has much bigger ambitions.
First carbon neutral asphalt in Sweden
Decarbonizing construction

Why circularity matters in building materials

As industries all over the world move toward sustainability, building materials have been thrust into the spotlight.
Sustainable building materials in construction
Decarbonizing construction

Making concrete progress: sustainable building materials

The built environment will continue to expand to meet the demands of a growing global population. This will require vast quantities of new or repurposed building materials, which in turn could lead to increased carbon emissions. Unless we think differently.

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