Most construction businesses would support government incentives and regulation to help fast-track progress towards emissions reduction and bridge the gap between net-zero optimism and operational reality, according to Turner & Townsend, a global professional services company with over 10,000 people in 50 countries.
There is a pressing need for the construction industry to shift its focus to sustainability and prioritise net zero, stated Turner & Townsend in its report, ‘Building a Sustainable Future in the Middle East’.
The report by the global professional services consultancy looks to gauge and shape the understanding of sustainability of construction in the region, ahead of Dubai hosting COP28 later in the year.
The outcomes from COP28 are expected to change the way construction businesses operate in terms of sustainability and net-zero ambitions over the next 12 months, it stated.
Turner & Townsend said the data is taken from a survey of a selection of senior stakeholders and decision-makers, across the construction industry in the Middle East, with both strategic and delivery responsibilities.
According to the survey, over 70% of respondents, including most developers, investors, consultants, and government respondents, are discussing sustainability requirements at the project briefing stage.
Although these considerations are being made from the outset, fewer than half of the survey respondents are continuing to take these considerations from design through to operation.
The majority of respondents to the sustainability survey stated that their current projects do not exceed minimum regulatory requirements, highlighting the potential importance of regulation as a driver of market change. In addition, the report emphasised the growing importance of regulatory evolution in improving sustainability standards over time.
Notably, developers are increasingly considering the wider impacts of construction work in the region, a trend driven by increased awareness and interrogation of Scope 3 emissions – those caused indirectly through a company’s supply chain, rather than directly through its own operations.
This is leading to higher rates of life cycle assessment and increased levels of multi-factor decision-making informed by more than just cost. Expo City in Dubai is an example of a project typifying this trend, it stated.
Almost 90% of respondents felt that government-led carbon targets would help steer businesses towards sustainable practices that are in line with the national policy position.
Such an approach to cascading requirements through a regulatory framework mirrors an approach that has worked well in other markets, such as the EU and parts of North America, it stated.
With industry awareness of COP28 high amongst respondents, the global climate change conference is expected to accelerate change in regulation and act as a catalyst to fast-track national and regional ambitions around sustainability. Businesses in the construction sector now need to shift their focus to sustainability and prioritise net zero.
Commenting on the report, Lindsey Malcolm, Sustainability Lead, Middle East, Turner & Townsend, said: "With the right mindset and sufficient understanding of sustainable project delivery, the construction sector can have a significant positive impact on the Middle East's drive to reach net zero."
"The decarbonisation of the region’s built environment is feasible and has the potential to generate significant value, but the industry must work together to define a shared and a unified approach if impact at scale is to be realised," he noted.
"COP28 could be the catalyst needed to fast-track national ambitions around sustainability, particularly in the UAE as its host country, and usher in a green future for all," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
&uuid=(email))