In recent years, there has been no way to avoid writing, discussion and news related to carbon footprint and environmental issues. You don't need special fortune teller's gifts to realize that the issue will remain in the headlines in the future as well, to an ever-increasing extent. And why not stay - the topic is interesting and you want to tackle it head on, but by what means? There is still very little concrete. In the jungle of opinions, news and perspectives, it can be difficult for many to pay attention to what is essential, i.e. what are the "low-hanging fruits".
In terms of construction, the discussion revolves closely around the carbon footprint of buildings: how much carbon gets into the sky in the manufacturing of building products, logistics, construction, and finally when the buildings themselves use heat and electricity.
When the machete is swinging while cutting emissions, something essential might be forgotten. What do you get in exchange for surgeries? Are the built homes, workplaces, schools and hobby facilities still pleasant and of high quality for their users? Should we invest more in high-quality conditions with a slightly larger carbon footprint or the other way around? Of course, the truth is not found at either extreme, but somewhere in between, taking into account the wishes of the property owners and users.
You get what you measure
However, less attention has been paid overall to how the companies themselves respond to low-carbon challenges, on a very practical level. Of course, the issue has been under consideration for a long time, but setting numerical and comparable goals is difficult without clear, uniform and seamless metrics.
Of course, meters have been created and their accuracy has been tested in various industries. A few years ago, a calculation method based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol standard was published for the construction industry, with which companies can calculate and thereby reduce their own emissions. Even in Finland, there are already several large contracting entities that require their service providers to provide information about the company's operations in accordance with this calculation method. Therefore, there is also suction for calculating own emissions, not just push. You get what you measure - take the carbon footprint and related components under a magnifying glass, and you can make it smaller.
Talonrakennusteollisuus ry and INFRA ry ordered a counter for the use of their member companies, which was implemented based on the guidelines published by ENCORD (European Network of Construction Companies for Research and Development) for the construction industry. The counter has been available for member companies to download From RT's website for well over a year now and the download numbers have been increasing slowly but surely. With it, construction companies can calculate the carbon footprint of their own operations and see what should be paid attention to first.
The goal is also to implement a survey for the members of TRT and INFRA about the use of the meter, in connection with which we will confidentially ask for company-specific emission data as well. Based on the data, we will publish average emissions data, with which companies can compare their own data, and on the basis of which you can develop your own operations to reduce emissions. By observing your own emission data, you can already get off to a good start in reaching the "low-hanging fruit" when reducing your carbon footprint, but comparing it to the average data of other companies helps you reach branches and stages that are already much higher.
Jani Kemppainen
agent, construction development and energy efficiency
Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries (CFCI)
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