CARES signs pledge accelerating reduction in carbon emissions

CARES commits to pledge accelerating reduction in carbon emissions

CARES today proudly announces its role in joining an important new initiative committing responsible construction sector leaders to significant cuts in carbon emissions.

Working with key stakeholders across the sector, CARES has become a launch signatory in an important scheme targeting the amount of embodied carbon in the built environment. This new initiative, facilitated by the Singapore Green Building Council, has already attracted influential support from 65 main contractors, government agencies, designers, suppliers, contractors and solution providers.

Unlike operational carbon emissions, embedded carbon emissions cannot be addressed or improved during the lifetime of a finished building project, and the built environment is responsible for 40 per cent of global carbon emissions. By committing to take active steps which will accelerate the decarbonisation of the built environment, partners signing the SGBC pledge have agreed to follow three critical steps in bringing about positive change. These are:

• Specifying materials containing lower embodied carbon;
• Using collaborative design and project optimisation to minimise waste and materials usage, and;
• Transforming onsite power supply processes to utilise electricity and renewable sources of energy

For CARES and other solution providers, together with manufacturers supporting the SGBC pledge, this means greater transparency in carbon reporting; ongoing reviews into supply chains in order to identify further carbon reduction opportunities and a commitment to review manufacturing inputs and processes in order to optimise resources. Other specialists in the construction sector are committing to changes which reflects their priorities with designers, for example, looking to prioritise plans which optimise resource efficiency objectives, while elsewhere government agencies are pledging to pursue more sustainable, low-carbon construction materials by actively encouraging the industry to change current practices.

Describing climate change as an even greater threat to mankind than the global pandemic, the SGBC said that one of the lessons of the past two years had been what could be achieved when parties worked together towards a common goal.

The number of organisations that had already signed up to the SGBC’s Built Environment Embodied Carbon Pledge at its launch demonstrated the willingness of so many stakeholders to develop collaborative solutions to this important issue, said CARES’ Chief Executive Officer, Lee Brankley.

Many partners were already specifying lower embodied carbon materials, or alternatives, in the early design stage, he said. The initiative launched by the SGBC offered a “positive demonstration of what can be achieved when stakeholders pursue positive change through a shared vision delivered with clear leadership,” added Mr Brankley.

Further details of the SGBC initiative, together with a full list of current pledge signatories, can be found at  https://www.sgbc.sg/about-us/singapore-built-environment-embodied-carbon-pledge