Environmentalism has become an even more relevant hot topic issue in recent years as the world has become, as a whole, more conscious of the way our action impact our environment. But is there a reason to jump on the bandwagon besides the obvious PR boost to your construction company?

Construction businesses in particular have become a lot more concerned about lowering their carbon footprint. However, many construction companies haven’t taken adequate steps to be truly eco-friendly. They need to follow relevant trends and prepare accordingly.

And how can you go about improving your ESG strategy?

Why should construction companies become greener?

One big reason for construction companies to become more sustainable is that consumers are demanding more from their businesses now than in the past and they don’t just want more bang for their buck. They expect their businesses to have the same cares that they do.

In fact, 81% of those surveyed by Nielson said they felt strongly that companies should be doing more to improve the environment. Sustainability is also never a bad business model. Adopting greener business practices shouldn’t just save the environment, it should also save you money.

How do we get started?

There are a lot of ways to make eco-friendly construction a priority. Some tips are listed below.

Start small – Begin by implementing recycling into your business plan and promoting it heavily across the business. Try changing out all of your light bulbs with LED alternatives and attempt to cultivate a culture of eco-friendliness throughout the workplace. This means encouraging employees to reduce the use of paper, avoid using materials unnecessarily and reusing material whenever possible.

Take action – Once you’ve installed the basics, consider taking things up a notch or two by only using products made from recycled material. You could also be putting your practices under the microscope and examining areas where it would be feasible to cut back. Cutting back on travel, for example, is an obvious step.

Go renewable – Installing solar panels at your office achieves two things: It’s a symbol to your clients and customers that you are taking things seriously and it will give your building a renewable source of energy. It probably won’t generate enough power that you’ll be able to rely on it 100% but it should at least mean you’ll be using a lot less grid power and it will pay for itself in a matter of years.

Think long term – Establish a long-term strategy that outlines your goals and work to achieve those goals over a number of years. This means setting milestone targets like reducing your carbon footprint by so much at the end of year five and aligning yourself with like-minded individuals who share your ambitions.

Use external help – Many external consultants are able to help businesses improve their carbon footprint and create a plan to improve the environment. Those that specialize in environmental compliance are particularly adept at bringing businesses in line with what is expected of them from a modern environmental perspective.

Ultimately, it’s all of the little things when taken together that are going to make that crucial difference. So, shop local, recycle and think before you act. It’s perhaps easier said than done but it could open up a whole new avenue for your business as an eco-friendly pillar of the community.

The post Why and How to Make Your Construction Business More Environmentally Friendly appeared first on Green Building Insider.

Exploring greener construction methods will ensure other industries become more sustainable, too. Several green technologies and practices are being introduced to this sector. Here are some of the most impactful ones.

1. Biodegradable Materials

Current materials used in construction can create a lot of waste after the building is eventually torn down. This can be toxic to the environment and take hundreds of years to decompose. By changing the materials used, we can improve the future without compromising the integrity of our buildings. In fact, green materials can often help the structure last longer for less money.

Organic plants like hemp or recycled materials like fiberglass insulation are good examples. Switching a few things or reusing items can go a long way in helping a building prolong its life and reduce the amount of waste it will produce in the future.

2. Green Insulation

We already touched briefly on recycled fiberglass insulation. While recycling of any kind is a plus, we can make our insulation use better and greener. Fiberglass is glass that has been melted down, which requires a lot of energy and can be harmful to handle. For greener materials used in modern-day insulation, look no further than your own home.

Cotton insulation has become extremely common. It’s exclusively made out of denim or recycled scraps of jeans. Cellulose insulation has also been growing in popularity. Instead of being pushed between the walls, it’s sprayed on, which makes installation easier. Incredibly, the material used in cellulose insulation is recycled newspapers.

3. Cool Roofs

The technology of a cool roof is less about the material it’s made from and more about the design. These roofs are designed and angled to ensure the sun is reflected instead of absorbed, reducing the heat taken in by the home and cool or warm air escaping through the roof. This may not seem like a major change, but dark roof shingles can reach 150 degrees Fahrenheit or 65.5 degrees Celsius, creating a lot of unwanted warmth inside the home during summer.

Reducing the heat from the roof lowers the building’s temperature. This puts less strain on air conditioning systems so they use less energy. Even using a coat of reflective paint on a new roof can reduce temperatures in urban and suburban areas.

4. Self-Powered Buildings

Self-powered buildings use green energy to power their systems, such as solar, wind or thermal. When a large structure like a skyscraper goes off the grid to use renewable energy, the money saved can be reinvested elsewhere.

Skyscrapers often install wind turbines on their roofs, while some suburban communities use geothermal technology to benefit the entire area. However, the most popular sustainable method is solar energy. Panels can be installed in any home or building and produce their own air conditioning system. It has become common practice to install solar cooling systems in buildings during construction.

5. Rammed Earth Brick

Rammed earth is a construction technique that’s been used for thousands of years. Due to its green nature, it’s becoming popular again on a global scale. However, this technique takes time to create.

To make rammed earth, one must mix soil with hard materials like gravel or clay to form a substance similar to concrete without the harmful chemicals. Then, it has to cure. The curing process can take a few months or as long as two years, making it inefficient timewise unless the process is more automated. With today’s technology, better automation practices are possible.

Portions of the Great Wall of China were made with rammed earth, so the longevity of this material has already been proven. Another benefit is the regulation of temperature inside the structure, which stays cool in summer and warm in winter.

However, water has the potential to wash away the materials. With proper regulation systems installed, this issue becomes obsolete.

Construction Going Green

These few green methods and others can increase a building’s sustainability while reducing its overall carbon footprint. Practices like these are used in every aspect of the construction process, from planning to siting to building. Even after a structure is complete, maintenance and use will contribute to how much emissions it will or won’t put off during its lifetime.

Sustainability can go hand in hand with energy efficiency. Thanks to our advancing technology, green practices are often cheaper and better made than others. One of the main hurdles for builders is the installation price. However, by making this small investment upfront, the rewards and money saved in the long run will only prove beneficial.

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CBRE publishes the National Green Building Adoption Index every year. According to the 2017 National Green Building Adoption Index, the number of buildings with LEED or Energy Star has surged in recent years. In 2005, less than 5% of all businesses had this certification. That figure rose to nearly 40% by the end of last year.

The sudden demand for green businesses is an unprecedented boon for contractors. Contractors that choose to become part of the green movement stand to earn a massive payout.

Through this article, we’ll walk you through what the future may hold for this up and coming industry. Let’s now begin.

An increase in demand

Before the turn of the century, very few companies cared about LEED certification. They tended to view green contracting as an unnecessary expenditure with very small benefits to the environment and was most likely to hurt their bottom line.

In recent years, their attitude has changed precipitously. They see that their customers are more likely to support green businesses and they can save considerably over the long run. Some research has shown that green businesses can cut energy costs by an average of 25-30%. As energy availability becomes a greater concern, the number of companies that want to invest in energy saving buildings will likely surge.

As more and more businesses begin to see the benefits of green office buildings, bosses will increase the demand for green construction. Not only can green office buildings save company’s money, but they can also boost their reputation in the eyes of their customers. Energy savings aren’t the only reasons that brands are investing in green buildings. After all, it’s showing that they care enough about humanity’s future that they make an investment in ensuring the sustainability of the environment. This increased interest in green construction will result in a higher demand for the services and, eventually, a more noble effort on the part of society to make conscious, more environmentally friendly choices.

Increased popularity will lead to advancements in materials and processes

It’s no surprise that as demand for green buildings and green construction increases, so will demand for the materials required to do it. As demand increases and the industry becomes lucrative, people will want to get involved in the industry, coming up with new and more innovative ways to increase energy efficiency and productivity. Positive change begets positive change and, before you know it, these positive changes you’ve made in the effort of being green will eventually become second nature routines. This can be nothing but good for the future of our environment.

A positive change for the future

An increase in innovation and creativity focused towards the preservation of the environment is nothing but good for humanity’s future. This will help to ensure future generations inherit the best earth we can leave them. The decreased environmental impact will ensure the maximum longevity of resources for future generations. The routines put into place now, will then be second nature. The innovations of today will be the cornerstones of the advancements in environmental safety. There’s no telling how far we’ll go in the next ten to twenty years, but things are certainly advancing quickly. These advancements will help to ensure the sustainability of our resources for future generations. Environmentally friendly practices and the technological advancements they bring along with them help to instill good habits in future generations that will help to lead to a better future.

The future for green construction is wide open. With concern for the sustainability of resources high and global warming remaining ever-present, consumers care more about the environmental impact of what they’re doing, which can only be greeted with positivity. Green construction is beneficial to both the environment and the success of business. An increase in interest in green construction will just lead to further innovations in cleaner and greener ways to do things.

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