A Report on the topic Environment and

Stakeholder Management
School of Architecture, Computing & Engineering

Student Name
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3

Low carbon Planning.......................................................................................................................4

Minimization of Construction waste...............................................................................................5

Low Carbon Development...............................................................................................................7

Low carbon energy design and Planning.....................................................................................7

Hazardous Waste Management.......................................................................................................8

Financing - Green Finance.............................................................................................................10

Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................11

List of figures
Figure 1: 4 Rs...................................................................................................................................6
Introduction
Construction activity can very easily be labeled as a global human activity. Hardly any part of
the globe is devoid of construction activity. Studies conducted in the field have found that a large
amount of waste is generated in construction activities. At the time when the world was not
much aware of the consequences of climate change for the entire globe, not much attention was
paid to waste generating activities in construction projects. After a series of inter-governmental
meetings that started with the Earth Summit in 1992, governments all over the world have
realized the importance of carbon management, especially in construction projects. Flagship
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) summits organized at
locations all over the world have highlighted the importance of addressing carbon-related issues
right from the stage of securing funding for the projects to the completion of projects and
commission of newly completed projects. A conscious effort has been made all over the globe to
integrate carbon mitigation strategy in such a manner that all matters related to the project such
as project design, project plan, energy plan, emissions plan as well as management of health and
safety of the personnel working on the project are comprehensively addressed during the course
of the project (Tian-yan and Min, 2012). In an attempt to establish the economic sustainability of
addressing environmental concerns of carbon emissions, studies have found that environmental
projects are cost-effective in the long run. By adopting environmentally friendly practices, the
present generation will perform the pious task of leaving a healthier planet for the generations to
come.
Low carbon Planning
The term Low carbon is specifically attached to a particular economy, industry, activity, or
product to highlight relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide generated by it over a span of time
(Designingbuildings.co.uk, 2019). Unchecked carbon dioxide emissions release has translated
itself into a pressing global problem in the twenty-first century. Carbon dioxide emissions
accumulate in the atmosphere contributing to the greenhouse effect and ultimately to climate
change. Activities, industries, and economies are ranked on the basis of their carbon footprint.
Activities that emit relatively less amount of carbon dioxide are said to have a low carbon
footprint. Being environmentally friendly essentially means having a low carbon footprint. In
order to have a low carbon footprint, it is required that companies, businesses, and entire
countries focus on the reducing direct use of fossil fuels such as coal, gas, and petroleum and
achieving emissions reduction targets within a set period of time (Simonson, 2020).
Achievement of low fossils fuel requirements can be aided if energy-consuming activities such
as cooking and washing reduce the consumption of energy that has been generated in power
plants that rely on fossil fuels (Nzdl.org, 2022). Construction activity is considered to have very
high amounts of carbon emissions associated with it (Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, 2021).
Making a transition from being a high carbon sector to a low carbon sector requires careful
planning. Following are the focus areas recommended for making a such a transition-

 Reduction of waste
 Sourcing of finances from countries that honor their environmental commitments
 Relying on green bonds to finance long term construction projects
 Using locally manufactured products and materials
 Increasingly promoting use of recyclable products and materials
 Making design plans for deconstruction
 Reliance on on-site solar plants for energy requirements
 Reduction in use of vehicles
 Reduction in the number of water and electricity consuming appliances on the site of
construction
 Carbon capture and sequestration
Minimization of Construction waste
There are a large number of waste-generating activities associated with construction activity.
These wasteful activities reduce value creation for both the project developer as well as the
ultimate customer (Udawatta et al., 2015).  Buildings account for nearly thirty-eight percent of
annual carbon emissions on the global level—28% are contributed by operational emissions
because of energy-guzzling activities such as heating and cooling-related power requirements
(Redshift EN, 2021). and 10% from materials and construction.  Unsustainable levels of
inventory, unnecessary damage to building material, lead time, and rework are some of the
wasteful activities associated with construction projects. In order to manage these wasteful
activities, and have a low carbon footprint, construction projects rely on management tools and
techniques such as six sigma and lean construction technologies to evaluate wasteful activities in
the project and assign them statistical values to highlight the severity of the impact of the
wasteful project (Construction Management and Economics, 2022). Adoption of climate impact
in these methodologies has been relatively low till now but with increased climate change-related
disasters particularly in vulnerable locations, projects are increasingly getting carbon footprint
evaluated for their projects (Dahlbo et al., 2015). It is an established fact that climate-aware
persons only prefer those projects whose carbon footprint has been low during the course of the
construction and is expected to be low in the future as well. Management of carbon footprint
using specific management-based tools has become important for a construction project to
compete and stay relevant in the construction sector. 4 Rs are particularly relevant in
construction waste reduction and management (TRVST, 2019)

 Reduce
 Recycle
 Reuse
 Recover
 Figure 1: 4 Rs

Source: (Commission de services régionaux Nord-Ouest, 2016)

Low Carbon Development
Low carbon energy design and Planning
Low Carbon Development is a comprehensive and holistic development strategy adopted for
project design and construction that is energy efficient and environmentally friendly (Redshift
EN, 2021). Activities included in low carbon development are in sync with the targets of the
development of a sustainable and better future (International Institute for Sustainable
Development, 2022). In broad terms low carbon development is that development that targets the
achievement of development objectives without compromising the developmental needs of
future generations. With the continuous evolution of technology and reinforcement of the need
for sustainable solutions to adverse climate events, it can be fairly said that low carbon
development is not the distant future but very much a reality in the present. In an attempt to start
any economic activity, planning is the foremost activity. Organizing, Staffing, Directing,
Controlling and other activities all come at a later stage for the implementation of the project.
Thus, it becomes vitally important to lay a climate-friendly foundation setting for any project.
Following considerations are to be kept in mind for low carbon project planning
 Cautious Site Selection
 Sustainable architecture and engineering
 Low carbon construction materials
 Mindfulness project-related activities
 Activities related to operations and maintenance
Hazardous Waste Management
A large number of activities associated with construction projects generate waste. What is more
important is the type of waste generated in these activities. There are certain wastes that have a
more lethal impact on human beings as well as the nearby ecology in comparison to other
wastes. Legislation that governs construction-related activities normally has clear definitions of
what would be included in hazardous waste. Following wastes are normally included in the
hazardous category (Wbdg.org, 2016). It is required that the project manager makes appropriate
provisions for the disposal of all wastes in general and following hazardous wastes in particular.
 lead-containing wastes
 Asbestos-containing wastes (friable)
 Asbestos-containing wastes (non-friable)
 Wastes containing Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
 Petroleum-based wastes
 Waste fluorescent lamps
 Medicinal wastes
 Demolition related wastes
Most commonly observed properties in these wastes include
 Toxicity
 Reactivity
 Ignitability
 Corrosivity

Waste management best practices that are normally conducted at waste management sites
include
Waste Collection and Hauling
Project-related wastes are transported to the disposal facilities making use of light and medium-
duty trucks. It is advisable to keep the number of trips of these trucks to sustainable levels to
ensure that both cost considerations and climate footprint are adequately addressed (Wbdg.org,
2016).
Tipping
In order to ensure that materials that are coming to the waste management site are appropriately
handled, it is important to identify what types of materials are worth accepting and which need
immediate turning away. Waste Material that is turned away more often than not finds itself
dumped in a sanitary landfill. These materials normally have hazardous properties such as
toxicity, reactivity, ignitability, and corrosivity.
Picking
Waste materials that have been brought to the waste management sites are picked up with the
help of equipment such as a hydraulic excavator. Usually, large-sized materials are picked up
before the sorting process gets started.
Sorting
Different varieties of waste materials are generated at the project site during the course of the
project activity. It is important that the waste is properly sorted. Doing this will help in better
management of on-site wastes. It is advisable that the waste gets sorted into containers that have
been provided by the waste management service providers. It is advisable that a small number of
high-volume containers are used to reduce transportation costs.
Transportation
Sorted material is deposited into industrial containers. Compacters-balers are utilized to
transform the sorted waste material into dense bales. These bales are transported with the help of
containers to local, national, and international locations. Recycled materials are increasingly
being traded in the international markets. Such a trade helps in earning carbon credits.
Disposal
For those materials for which trade in the market is not possible, disposal in landfills more often
than not is the only viable option. Such disposal is not always carbon neutral as it might involve
the release of toxic wastes into the environment even if the particular site is a wasteland.
Financing - Green Finance
Climate Finance is a relatively new term in the financial domain. It is indeed a pressing
requirement that new projects address climate-related concerns but it is important to remember
that these requirements have to ultimately be financed to transform into reality (Grantham
Research Institute on climate change and the environment, 2021). In broader terms, climate
finance can be defined as the climate mitigation assistance that is to be provided by historically
large emitter nations to low emitter nations. In recent times sustainable project developers are
increasingly relying on green financing for their projects (Fleming, 2020). Project developers are
able to secure funding from financiers by highlighting the green credentials of their projects. In
the recent period, investors are increasingly resorting to eco- investing wherein investors park
their funds in companies that support and promote environmentally friendly practices. These
investors park their funds in technology-based companies that are capable of development of
technologies that aid transition from carbon dependence to reliance on sustainable practices
(Gihub.org, 2021). In an attempt to finance climate friendly projects, financial companies are
increasingly taking to issuing green bonds (Investopedia, 2022). These bonds are issued to aid
financing of climate friendly projects. Tax incentives are given to ensure that investors find
investing in green bonds as attractive.
Conclusion
Project-related activities are inherently waste-generating activities. A large number of wastes are
generated in these activities. It is important that these wastes are properly treated in an attempt to
reduce their impact on the nearby ecology. Taking adverse climate events that have happened all
over the world in the recent decades, has been realized by governments, companies, and
organizations all over the world to make processes and activities sustainable. A conscious effort
has been made all over the world by developers to ensure sustainable waste management at their
project sites. The relevance of the four Rs has been recognized with renewed enthusiasm the
world over. Most importantly, developers of green buildings are finding out that their interests
are getting complimented by green investors. Climate-friendly project development activity has
kicked in and there are many reasons to believe that it is here to stay.
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