Space Group take environmental challenge to construction industry

A national building information specialist is calling on its workforce to join in the battle against climate change, with the launch of an initiative designed to drive a change of behaviour in the construction industry and help reduce its impact on the environment.

Space Group, which is headquartered in Gosforth, has launched its ‘how low can you go’ initiative throughout its eight companies, which span the UK from London to Edinburgh and employ over 100 people.

The business is looking to make an impact on the construction industry by practicing what it preaches and setting the team the challenge to see how little resources, materials and energy it can run the business on.

The ultimate aim is to reduce the company’s impact on climate change to the extent it becomes as self-sufficient as possible over the next 12 months.

The challenge will see Space Group consider everything from the company’s daily energy consumption to the containers the daily milk is delivered in and how the recycling is stored and disposed of, with prizes awarded to the person who uses the printer and the photocopier the least, with a forfeit for the person who uses it the most.

The initiative follows the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPPC), which emphasises the threats currently facing the planet.

Space Group CEO Rob Charlton said: “This isn’t about us being eco-warriors, we are focused on driving change in the industry and through this initiative we are hoping to show what can be achieved through re-thinking how we live our day-to-day lives.

“There is no doubt that climate change is happening, and this is our response to the IPPC’s report, which gives the most definitive account of climate change to date. The construction sector uses a lot of resources and the challenge for us is seeing how we can reduce these on a day-to-day level.

“Traditionally construction is a very wasteful industry – it is no longer acceptable to fill skips with cut timber of plasterboard. Not only are our clients paying for this material they then have to pay a premium to dispose of it.”

With an emphasis on innovation, technology and sustainability, Space Group is a building information specialist operating businesses which are leading change across the construction industry, focused on creating a better built environment.

Through the company’s use of Building Information Modelling, Space Group has been able to make accurate predictions about the amount of building material required on construction sites for its projects, allowing it to be more accurate in estimation and precise with its quantification.

Space Group has pioneered a number of projects, such as building houses and schools that consume considerably less energy than their equivalents of 20 or so years ago, achieved using techniques that make economic sense.

Rob added: “Our ultimate target is zero emissions, but these things don’t happen overnight. The construction sector can’t close its eyes and ears to what is happening to the planet as a result of climate change.”