The Role of

Technology in
Sustainability
A guide to reducing construction’s
impact on the planet.

Supported by
A forward by Michael Yam, CIOB president
Just as the growth of BIM and information technology has
created a new generation of digital construction specialists,
sustainability will be the catalyst for greater innovation and
new skills. This will, in turn, increase productivity, reduce
labour requirements, minimise waste, lead to better health
and safety outcomes, and ultimately more efficient operation
and maintenance through the asset’s life cycle.
I forecast a positive and gradual reset of the construction
and built environment sector as the 2050 net zero target
approaches. This means a movement towards more off-site
work, more innovative use of materials, more infrastructure
directly supporting zero-carbon energy production, and
more re-fitting than knocking buildings down.
This reset does not just help us protect the planet; it helps
us protect our people and the workforce that makes up the
construction sector. In the long term, of course, we all
benefit as global citizens if we live in an environment less
affected by climate change and the severe weather events
which accompany it. But also, by becoming a sector that
is more efficient, professional, and inclusive, and one that
taps into cutting-edge technology better, we are better able
to establish workplace environments that keep our people
healthy and safe.

MICHAEL K C YAM SMW, DSNS, FCIOB, FRICS

CIOB President
Technology’s role in reducing the impact
of construction
The construction sector is turning to technological innovations
to tackle the industry’s challenges. Whether addressing safety or
quality issues, improving efficiency or testing new construction
methods, there are multiple solutions available..
However, it is the challenge of climate change that has moved to
the forefront. High energy costs are influencing a cost-of-living
crisis, and increased climate-based events have made the
imperative to act stronger.
With the built environment a heavy contributor to carbon emissions,
the industry is well placed to make a difference. It all starts on day
one of a new project and should be driven by both clients and the
supply chain.
While setting out the requirements for the project, clients should
set targets relating to sustainability both in the construction and
operation of the building. And for suppliers, it is a case of outlining
what is possible, including new construction methods, advanced
materials and technologies that are available.
This paper focuses on the technology aspect and how it can help
organisations understand and reduce their environmental impacts.
It is divided into three sections: planning and design, construction
and occupation and ongoing management. It also includes a useful
checklist at the back that summarises the key action points.
I hope that you find it useful and it helps you to get started on your
own sustainability-focused journey.

James Chambers
Director of Global Industry Development for the
Build & Construct division, Nemetschek
A new landscape
In 2019, the UK government amended the
Climate Change Act 2008 to include a target
to achieve net zero by 20501. With buildings
and construction responsible for around
40% of the country’s carbon emissions2,
the sector has an important role to play
in the UK achieving these targets.
Reducing waste, delivering projects more efficiently
and using more sustainable design approaches and
materials will all have a major influence on emissions
in construction and asset operation.
. energy efficiency for the millions of buildings already
Continuing the message
It has been a long journey. The Green Construction
Board (GCB) was set up in 2011 as the sustainability
focused workstream of the Construction Leadership
Council (CLC). Areas of focus included new buildings’
energy, retrofit, infrastructure, resources, waste and
circular economy.
When the UK government published its Construction
Playbook in December 20203, it set out a vision
for an industry that delivers “better, faster and
greener solutions.”
On the latter point, it ranged from small interventions—
such as the use of software for specific single tasks—
up to a major overhaul of how the industry works,
including the creation of a national digital twin to help
create a comprehensive understanding of our buildings
and infrastructure.
The themes around sustainability
continue elsewhere.
The National Retrofit Strategy4, developed by the
CLC, outlined a proposed approach to tackling
in existence, starting with homes. This included
delivering sustainability-focused improvements as
part of a normal repair, maintenance and improvement
(RMI) programme, supported by investment in green
construction jobs.
Recent research by YouGov shows that UK consumers
are ready for this approach, too5, with 83% of people
supporting government intervention to make
this happen

Offering guidance to change how public sector projects

are procured, the playbook called for a larger focus on
sustainability, including:

• Clients to procure with the environment in mind,

using whole-life carbon assessments such
as PAS2080 to understand and minimise the
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of projects
and programmes throughout their lifecycle
• Removing waste from projects during construction
• Standardising components, systems and processes
to reduce waste during manufacturing and ensure
that the best materials are used
• Embracing new technology to drive improvement
Sustainability as part of a broader
values-based approach
The Construction Innovation Hub, a body funded by the
UK government to drive improvement in the sector, has
also focused on sustainability within its Value Toolkit
programme. Designed to guide decision making at the
beginning of projects, it includes four areas:

• Natural capital—the climate impact of projects both

in construction and through the full lifecycle of
the asset
• Social capital—what are the changes and outcomes
that end-users will experience from the project?
Includes considerations for consultative design,
equality and diversity, and connectivity
• Human capital—employment opportunities, skills
development, individual health and well-being
(across delivery and how project will influence these)
Technology requirements move
• Produced capital—covering the whole expected
into legislation
spend related to a project including capital cost,
operational cost and revenue, efficiency, design Data and technology requirements are also moving
quality and processes (both in construction and into legislation. The Building Safety Act 20227
operation) are key factors makes it mandatory that a “golden thread” of building
information is passed on from the design team to the
developer and end occupier.
The purpose is to help clients and project delivery
teams make broader, value-based decisions, rather
than defaulting to appraisals based solely on costs. Relevant to “high-risk” residential buildings in the UK
that measure over 18m in height or have seven or
These discussions should take place at the “Need” more storeys, this legislation will mean that project
phase and influence all that follows (Optioneering teams will need to collect and collate relevant data
phase, Design phase, Delivery phase, Operation phase) about the building process. This should include design
as described within the RIBA Plan of Work.6 decisions and information about the products and
materials used within construction.

Once legislation like this is enacted, it often leads to

it becoming best practice, with others adopting
similar principles.

It seems that there is movement in the right direction.

This guide suggests how organisations can act now
and reduce the industry’s environmental impact.
How technology can drive and
support good practice around
environmental sustainability
Many in the built environment are testing new methods
and technologies to improve building performance and
seeking opportunities to reduce carbon emissions in
construction and operation.
Sustainable design—using tools to drive
collaboration and manage risk
Collaborative tools that engage the whole supply chain
in projects and offer a much smoother design process
can drive a more sustainable approach. For example:
• They can significantly reduce paper use, with
everything available and captured via a digital
audit trail
• They make teams more efficient by enabling
real-time collaboration across multiple locations,
connecting sites and offices, speeding up
projects and improving margin
• They provide access to the right skills and
expertise more easily
• They facilitate better relationships between
the project team
Together, these tools lead to a major reduction
in risk, with projects running more effectively and
stakeholders fully aware of what is going on.
Changes, comments and decisions are logged
and searchable, avoiding surprises or re-work
further down the line.
There are also many tools to help monitor and
improve energy use, which are becoming the norm
for many new buildings. Only by understanding
performance, in areas including energy in use and
thermal efficiency, can we improve what is
designed and delivered.
However, there remains a challenge with retrofit.
While there are tools that can be used to measure
existing buildings, there is a lack of capacity and
skills within the sector to deliver change at volume.
Building better
The UK government has set a target to eliminate
emissions in domestic and commercial buildings
by 2050.8

Greater use of offsite manufacturing can deliver

higher-value, more efficient projects, with sustainability
embedded from the start. Take waste, for example:

• There is less wastage because components and

systems are standardised, allowing for more
accurate forecasting and ordering of materials
• This standardisation allows excess materials
Monitoring performance
or product to be used elsewhere, including for
Tracking life-cycle information via operational
other jobs
dashboards and regular reporting, which compares
• Factory conditions mean that methods can be made
the original brief, design approach and “in-use”
efficient, with waste taken out of the manufacturing
performance, will provide building operators with a
process; it also reduces onsite labour and potential
greater understanding of their assets. This should
quality issues that site-based working can create, lead to better decisions about our built environment,
removing costly re-work from the process reduce both the financial and carbon cost, and see
• Manufacturing lends itself to continuous more innovation in materials and processes.
improvement, with more effective processes or
materials being switched in as and when appropriate
This data should be made centrally available and fed
back into the design process so good performance
and initiatives can be repeated elsewhere.

Thinking in circular terms

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation defines the circular
economy as “based on the principles of designing out
waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in
use, and regenerating natural systems.”9 

We need to start thinking about buildings from a

whole-life perspective: what can be reused in the
future, either in full or in part, and what can be
kept and adapted, avoiding demolition.

This is at the core of the Construction Product

Platform Rulebook, which looks to standardise
the UK’s approach to offsite solutions.
Creating the right culture
for technology
Decisions in the building industry tend to be based
on the skills, knowledge and experience of the people
that work within it. If a successful solution is found, it
tends to be repeated. That can leave limited room for
innovation, with many traditional materials and design
approaches still used today.
In an era where there are calls to change the way things
are done, such as increasing the use of MMC, it means
people need to be informed and upskilled in new ways
of working, alongside the new materials
and technologies available today.
This will involve engagement throughout the whole
supply chain to allow a smooth transition, and it is
important to get the right team involved.
Bringing the team together
The key to rolling out any new solution is to ensure that
you have the right partner. That means:
• Finding a company that can offer the style of training
and support that suits your culture and team
• Choosing someone that understands the
construction sector and has tools built specifically
for the industry
• Having a partner who engages with your organisation
early in the process, such as running pilots with small
groups to build advocacy internally
This will build the team’s confidence in the solution.
Your early adopters will be crucial to your long-term
success and can help with peer-to-peer learning
and support.
Organisations should also involve their supply chain
when implementing new solutions. Without buy-in
from the full project team, it is difficult to achieve the
expected benefits.
This can be anything from setting clear workflows
and processes through to bespoke set ups and
intensive onboarding for wider project teams.
Don’t forget to make time for testing and training
before the solution goes live for a much
smoother rollout.
Data in practice
Once the people are in place, it is about tracking
performance of the new tool against the original
goals, adjusting as and when required. This will
ensure that you get the desired return on
investment and build support for further changes
and improvements in the future.
As well as performance indicators relating to the tool,
this data should be useful for the project.
Following the implementation of the Building
Safety Act, there is a huge amount of focus on data
management, both in terms of accessibility within
organisations (to improve transparency and drive
better decision-making) and in its ability to be shared
along the “golden thread” (from design through to
construction, handover operations and maintenance’).
In practice, this means an accurate, updated digital
record of a building should exist from design stage
through to construction, operation and maintenance.
Software is perfectly placed to build audit trails, spot
and manage risks, ensure compliance and ultimately
drive project lessons learned to make projects more
efficient, better quality and achieve better value.
Glossary
Bringing the team together About carbon

The World Green Building Council considers a building • Operational carbon: Includes carbon emissions
to be “green” if it achieves the following: generated via energy use once the building
is operational
• Efficient use of energy, water and other resources
• Embodied carbon: Includes all carbon emissions
• Use of renewable energy, such as solar energy
generated via the production of materials and
• Pollution and waste reduction measures, and
construction of buildings; this includes extracting
the enabling of re-use and recycling
materials, manufacturing, transport and logistics,
• Good indoor environmental air quality
construction, installation and fit out as well as
• Use of materials that are non-toxic, ethical
the ongoing embodied carbon in operation and
and sustainable
maintenance and later reuse or demolition
• Consideration of the environment in design,
• Whole-life carbon: This includes both embodied
construction and operation
and operational carbon; it can also include a
• Consideration of the quality of life of occupants
Module D assessment, which considers reuse
in design, construction and operation
and recycling
• A design that enables adaptation to a
changing environment
How can
technology
improve
sustainability?
Construction
• Using standardisation allows for
accurate forecasting and ordering
of materials, reducing wastage
and logistics requirements.
• Offsite manufacturing techniques
can deliver further gains, including
raising quality, reducing on-site
labour and equipment requirements,
and developing a greater
understanding about materials and
their performance as full systems.
• Communication is easier between
multiple locations, connecting sites
and offices and bringing the right
experts together to drive successful
projects, saving time and
improving efficiency.
1 Planning and design
• Collaborative tools bring the
whole team together, reducing
physical documentation and
creating a digital audit trail.
• Design solutions can be more
easily discussed and worked on
collaboratively, opening up the
potential for greater innovation.
• Risk is reduced, with visible
project data leading to better
decisions and reducing potential
problems later down the line.
2 • Well structured, accurate data
from other projects can be
integrated at this stage to
encourage continual improvement.
• Circular design principles
should be considered to reduce
environmental impacts—including
tracking materials and components
through a digital “golden thread”.
Occupation and
3 ongoing maintenance
• Project data and O&M
manuals are handed over
digitally, providing occupiers
with greater insight into their
building from day one.
• Digital tools can be used to
measure building performance,
including energy in use and
thermal efficiency.
• This can be compared with
design intent and project
objectives to build anaccurate
picture of how buildings
perform, with positive
outcomes influencing
future projects.
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