The Construction Industry and CO2 Consumption
"The construction sector is one of the most resource-intensive economic sectors. In Germany alone, 517 million tons of mineral raw materials are built into structures annually. This corresponds to 90 percent of the entire domestic extraction." (Source). The consumption of global resources is substantial. Material efficiency is just one of many aspects that should receive attention. There are many more factors to consider: the global transport and use of construction machinery as well as diesel fuel emissions cause considerable damage: – 40% of CO2 emissions and nearly one-third of all waste in the EU are generated by the construction industry (Source).
"We must act now. As a company, we are aware of our responsibility to contribute to Europe becoming climate-neutral by 2050. klarx transports machines across millions of kilometers throughout Europe every year and thus has a direct impact on climate goals", says Florian Handschuh, co-founder of klarx. In the following, we explain which steps klarx is already taking and which solution approaches everyone can implement immediately.
3 Solution Approaches for Greater Sustainability in the Construction Industry
1. Assemble a Team of Climate Officers
Becoming more sustainable is not something you do on the side. Regardless of how large or small companies are, they should consciously and actively address the topic of "climate neutrality in the company." This works best when you build a team of people who are passionate about the topic in their personal lives and want to drive things forward. The main tasks are calculating, reducing, and offsetting the company's own CO2 emissions. Every employee in a company can get involved here very easily. Climate officers engage with the topic in a targeted manner, find solution approaches, and exchange ideas with management. The primary goal is to create awareness, break down old structures, and counteract climate change.
2. Evaluate and Apply Circular Business Models for Construction Phases
The value chain of the construction industry is diverse and thus offers many opportunities to pay attention to ecological footprint.
Saving resources, reusing construction waste & co., and reprocessing materials – the circular economy system can be applied in nearly every construction phase. It's enough to simply get started: in planning, opt for digital tools instead of paperwork; in procurement, switch to renewable building materials; or in the construction process itself, already avoid waste through recycling of surplus material. Renewable raw materials have the advantage that they can be used multiple times, bind atmospheric carbon, and are biologically recyclable (Source).
3. Rent Construction Machinery for Construction Projects Instead of Buying
Should the procurement of construction machinery be reliable, flexible, and yet sustainable? As a digital solution provider for the rental of construction machinery, we not only guarantee the availability of all agreed-upon machines but also pay attention to people, climate, and the environment in our own logistics. Short transport routes, climate-neutral diesel fuel, and digital handover protocols are the first steps in the right direction. By having all project participants use our digital tools such as klarxMANAGER or klarxSUPPLY, not only is a lot of time saved before, during, and after rental, but unnecessary paper is also avoided. Renting construction machinery through klarx has a positive effect on the environment by optimizing the degree of utilization, preventing non-use, and reducing material consumption as much as possible.
It goes without saying that the construction industry cannot develop environmental awareness overnight – but with the points mentioned above, the path can be paved: creating awareness for greater sustainability in the construction industry is already half the battle.
