Sustainability report 2009

Collectively, the global construction, civil engineering and infrastructure services sectors have significant economic, social and environmental impacts. The sector as a whole accounts for:

• 37% of the world’s energy use
• 40% of its waste and 40% of its CO₂ emissions
• 10% of global GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
• 28% of the world’s employment
• 40% of the world’s consumption of resources
• 14% of the world’s water consumption, and
• 40% of all workplace fatalities

Source: OECD

In 2008, in conjunction with Forum for the Future, we identified those issues likely to be critical to the future global success of our business from a sustainability perspective. The priority areas, identified through horizon-scanning techniques, included:

• The availability and cost of raw materials and water as populations grow and key natural resources dwindle, impacting the way we manage waste, source our materials and conserve water resources but also presenting new commercial opportunities such as water and waste water treatment technologies
• The physical and economic impacts of climate change are likely to increase over time with investment in adaptation likely to grow and encouraging more innovative ways of managing existing assets being impacted by climate change
• Globalisation and the rise of the Indian and Chinese economies impacting on the demand for infrastructure and other business opportunities
• Increasing costs of energy (for fossil fuels) and the price of carbon will encourage our customers and ourselves to seek low-carbon opportunities to reduce costs, increase security of supply and potentially profit from carbon trading
• The availability of finance could determine investment priorities and hence the size and nature of future market opportunities
• The attraction and retention of skilled workers will be influenced by their perception of which businesses respond effectively to their corporate responsibilities, including the availability of opportunities to make a real difference to society’s sustainability challenges

These issues helped to underpin the development of our 2020 sustainability vision and roadmap.

Although there are many uncertainties over the next decade, this horizon-scanning exercise highlighted major opportunities in the transition to a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy.

There will be further opportunities for our continued growth and development arising from new markets driven by the move towards sustainable development. For example:

• Growth in renewable energy and waste infrastructure such as wind, tidal and solar power, new nuclear, waste-to-energy plants and upgrading of transmission grids for renewables
• Increased demand for the construction and renewal of rail infrastructure
• Increased demand for more sustainable buildings – both new and refurbishment of the existing building stock
• Carbon capture and storage at power generation plants
• Continuing demand for more sustainable social housing, schools and hospitals, as populations continue to grow