Sustainable Building Companies Respond to “Code Red” Warning

In the face of intensifying climate change, the focus on sustainability is more pronounced than ever. As the world looks for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and live more eco-friendly lifestyles, sustainable building companies are rising to meet the challenge.

With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) releasing its latest report, sustainable building companies are prompted to accelerate their efforts and work in sync with other stakeholders to rapidly mitigate the effects of global warming.

The “Code Red” Warning: A Call to Action

The IPCC’s most recent report on climate change comes with a stern warning. It states that human activity has been the primary cause of the escalating global temperature, triggering consequences such as the rapid rise of sea levels, loss of sea ice, and increased intensity of heat waves, floods, and droughts. This dire situation has led the head of the UN to declare this as a “code red for humanity,” which underscores the urgency for governments and businesses to take earnest measures to curtail greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the report, there’s a potential risk of the average global temperature being 1.5°C higher by 2040 compared to pre-industrial levels. If global efforts to implement sustainable practices fall short, this threshold could be reached even sooner, underscoring the urgency of robust action. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, there must be a rapid transition towards renewable energy sources and responsible land use.

The Construction Sector’s Role in Combatting Climate Change

The construction sector has a substantial role in this situation, considering it’s responsible for around 40 per cent of man-made global carbon emissions. Therefore, sustainable building companies need to enhance their sustainability frameworks and reduce their carbon footprints. But how can this transition be achieved?

Strategies for a Low-Carbon Future in Construction

Construction companies must design and follow clear paths to deliver tangible change and support the UK’s ambitious net-zero target. This transformation can be achieved by utilising more sustainable construction materials, sourcing locally where feasible, recycling and reusing materials, and implementing modern construction methods (MMC) like modular construction.

Modular construction is one approach many sustainable building companies can adopt to respond to the “code red” warning. With its significantly lower demand for energy and raw materials, modular construction offers an innovative and sustainable approach to reducing the industry’s carbon footprint.

Modular construction consists of off-site building components that are manufactured at factories and then transported in blocks to the site for assembly. This process helps to reduce on-site construction time and eliminates the need for additional resources. Additionally, it drastically reduces waste, air pollution, and water usage by decreasing the amount of materials required for construction, and allowing for pre-manufactured components to be reused or recycled.

Jerram Falkus: Pioneering Sustainability in Construction

At Jerram Falkus, a well-established family-run construction company with multiple projects across London, we are keenly aware of our responsibility in mitigating the impacts of climate change. We are committed to meeting our client’s needs and implementing the best sustainable practices.

We firmly believe that modular construction can revolutionise the construction sector and drastically reduce carbon emissions. To this end, we have embraced modular construction in recent projects, such as the Wivenhoe Road and Weighbridge Modular Housing Construction projects.

To learn more about how Jerram Falkus is contributing to the sustainability revolution in the construction industry or to kickstart your construction projects focusing on sustainability, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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