“Individual efforts must come together to collaborate and create integrated solutions to make the whole sector head in the right direction on the net zero journey. It feels like we have a long way to go in some areas right now.”
“Global companies are leading net zero initiatives because they have a lot more expertise in this area. In the local markets, in Mexico for example, it can be very different. However, there is growing understanding about how to achieve net zero in projects. It starts with discussions about what’s scope one, scope two and scope three of emissions and involves thinking about cost, construction and design at the same time. In the construction industry, decisions have to be made about using certain materials and choosing to reach for sustainability certification.”
“To achieve net zero, there must be a road map to reduce emissions and then ultimately remove them altogether. In the built environment industry, some believe we are in a sprint to sustainability but actually a marathon is a better comparison because this is a long-term project and we’re just at the beginning. In Europe there are already about building materials and other elements but that isn’t in place in Latin America, we’re only just starting the conversation.”
Opportunity through technology
“There's also a lot of opportunity on the journey to net zero, a lot of new sophisticated technology that can make a real difference, and if integrated properly, can have a range of benefits. However, we do also have to tackle the significant lack of expertise to implement that technology properly and also the financial barriers in some countries.”
“If we begin to achieve some short-term goals, we can accelerate adoption of this technology and build more expertise where it is needed most. For example, in Mexico there are a lot of plants using methane from garbage storage to produce electricity, because it was agreed we need to be more sustainable in our municipalities.”
“The adoption of this kind of technology will accelerate the expertise and create an economic ecosystem that helps progress towards net zero.”
Security and sustainability
“Two things are crucial as part of the services that we deliver now. Security and sustainability. In terms of security, we need reliable services with limited risk – that’s one aspect of great value that we deliver to our clients. “
“But sustainability is one of the biggest issues facing businesses because we can all see the effect of climate change – here in Mexico, we have more storms, more flooding causing issues. At the beginning of 2024 one of the biggest problems being talked about was the lack of water, later in the year it was all about the floods and the water storage facilities were all full. Climate change brings a whole range of risks.”
“Both clients and their supply chains need to align to the issues, but in Latin America countries one issue is that we don't have relevant laws and goals fully established as an industry so we’re not all aligned with the necessary actions. To establish sustainability requires a brand-new approach and it’s a steep learning curve. If we were all more aligned this could be implemented more strategically.”
“Everyone knows the main objective is to reach net zero but understanding clearly what that means and how to get there is sometimes harder to define. We need to all be clear on the main activities that we should focus on. We mustn’t head off in the wrong direction and then have to start all over again.”
“The challenges are bigger than when you’re trying to meet an ISO standard with clear goals. Then you can communicate with clients and providers with the relevant language around meeting that standard. It’s much easier to align goals.”
The global data challenge
“Across the world there are also a lot of different countries with different ways of achieving net zero so change management across these multiple countries and offices is a challenge – having to adapt to each country’s way of structuring data whether it’s using Excel or a different database makes integration harder.”
“In the construction sector we have so much information because we work in design, in construction, in the manufacturing of equipment and materials. We are involved in the assembly and maintenance of the assets. There is a huge amount of data in the whole value chain of the construction sector and it needs to be managed properly.”
“But the problem is that we don't have a set structure for the data we have. If information is catalogued in your structured data you can check what the energy efficiency of the materials used in your construction are. You can have a life cycle assessment. You can see how to comply better with goals.”
“We will all start to have more accountability for reporting emissions. We will also have more data to analyse for efficiencies in other projects and learn from them. Structured data is the foundation of a successful net zero strategy.”
Information is power
“So, we have tools, and we can make progress in tracking information. But the problem remains the quality of the information that we get in each of the life cycles of the construction.
One of the problems is that during the design and construction cycle everything has to be fast, so people look for shortcuts and decide not all of the information is needed. One of first premises of how we train artificial intelligence is to have a good model and good information.”
“Any project manager needs to ensure they are included in the first stages of any project because they need to establish the requirements of how to get the assets information. You can’t have all of the design, construction and commissioning information but not connect it to the operation cycle. Sometimes it’s only when the project is finished that the facilities manager says how they record the assets but the project is already completed so integration is much harder.”
“We need to upskill or encourage change management at the cultural foundation of each company. Not everyone needs to be a sustainability expert but they do need to align better and understand why we're required to do these actions – net zero needs serious goals – and if we don’t have good quality data that can be structured effectively it’s going to be challenging to achieve them.”
Learn more about the journey to net zero
Download BSI's Journey to net zero report
Other featured material
Stay up to date with BSI's latest offerings across the sector
BIM Kitemark Certification PAS 2080 Bigger book of BIM Net zero pathway
