Sustainability, and 3 ways Sustainability is Building Momentum in the Construction Industry

Please tune in to this episode of The Building BITE Podcast as we hear from industry experts about key topics to help you be successful. The Building BITE hosts Chris Epps, PSP, LEED AP, and Mike Diercksen, CRIS, welcome Patrick McBride, Head of Construction Property at Zurich North America along with David Edsey, Climate Director, and VP with Zurich North America. 

Throughout our conversation, Patrick and David lay out their take on the state of the market as the momentum continues to build. Some key takeaways:

1. Driving Forces: A key factor when discussing the driving change for sustainability in the construction industry comes from the bottom line. It is becoming more common to see contractual obligations introduced on projects, with contractors being told they must commit to specific metrics to build for that owner/company.
2. Regulation and Public Opinion: Another critical element to the push for sustainability comes from what many view as the consumer’s growing preference for green companies, and future legislation that would penalize companies for not building sustainably. This has a trickledown effect as many corporate customers are mandated to implement these strategies in their supply chain regardless of whether they are publicly or privately held.
3. Alternative Resources becoming more available: With case studies suggesting that 50% of emissions come from embodied carbon associated with construction, new materials and methods are becoming more popular, more available and more cost efficient. Whole-building Designs such as Mass Timber structures are entering the market at an elevated rate, along with alternative materials in cement, such as fly ash and slag, which can significantly reduce the embodied carbon content of concrete.

To learn more about these topics through the lens of our experts, listen to our full podcast episode with Patrick McBride and David Edsey, “Sustainability, and 3 ways Sustainability is Building Momentum in the Construction Industry.”

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Links:

View Zurich’s website at https://www.zurichna.com/en
Email Patrick and David at patrick.mcbride@zurichna.com and david.edsey@zurichna.com
Connect with Chris Epps
Connect with Mike Diercksen