Biodiversity and the construction sector
As previously highlighted, to complement ongoing local and global initiatives, it is crucial that companies embrace responsible practices, striving for a commitment to sectoral transformation, to reduce pressures on nature and biodiversity. Let's explore how the construction sector both depends on and impacts nature and the opportunities for this transformation to begin now.
The built environment - comprising buildings, urban infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, marine and coastal infrastructure, and upstream mining and extraction activity chainsv - currently accounts for 40% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to a 2021 Boston Consulting Group study, infrastructure value chains contribute approximately 25% of the pressure on biodiversity. If population growth continues, urban areas could grow by 1.2 million km2 by 2030. The realization of this forecast and the consequent rise in water consumption, waste generation, and pollution will exert even greater pressure on nature and biodiversity. The construction sector must seize opportunities to mitigate its environmental impacts and contribute to ecological restoration, including by adopting a circular approach to material production systems and waste management.
The construction sector's main dependencies on nature are:
Materials
Water is used throughout the entire supply chain—for raw material extraction, construction material production, and building activities.
Natural habitats are often converted to accommodate new buildings and infrastructure.
A wide range of raw materials is used, including sand, gravel, metals, and wood.
Regulatory Services
The built environment relies on climate regulatory services at local, regional, and global scales. These services, such as those provided by urban forest, heltp mitigate the effects of extreme weather conditions and improve thermal comfort in buildings.
It also depends on natural hazard protection services, which help prevent flooding and storms, in addition to controlling erosion.
What are the impacts of the construction sector on nature?
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Impact on climate change, considering that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions occur at every stage of the construction process, especially during the production of construction materials and the operation of buildings (electricity) or infrastructure (electricity and fuels). |
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Changes in land and ocean use, with the potential for degradation of natural habitats and ecosystems at all stages of the process, especially in the extraction of materials and implementation stages (vegetation removal and inadequate waste management). In transportation infrastructure, habitat fragmentation during implementation is especially critical. Whether or not it degrades the surrounding area during the operation and maintenance phases depends on the quality of environmental management practices. |
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Impact on water consumption during all stages, except demolition, and impacts on its replenishment (groundwater) due to soil sealing. |
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Water and soil pollution, mainly during the extraction and production of construction materials. It can also happen during the implementation and operation phases, and is especially critical during demolition if waste is not properly managed. |
What actions can the construction sector take regarding nature to mitigate risks and open up commercial opportunities?
Avoid further conversion of natural habitats, whether terrestrial, marine, or aquatic, by prioritize construction in areas already disturbed by humans activity. Especially avoid protected areas or areas of ecological importance. When habitat modification is unavoidable, implement strategies that ensure a net positive impact through a combination of mitigation and compensation measures..
Prioritize reuse and renovation over demolition, reducing material consumption and waste generation. Adopt circular approaches in new construction, focusing on buildings and infrastructure with a longer lifespan.
Select materials and prioritize circularity by incorporating nature-related criteria into raw material procurement processes. This includes verifying certifications of origin – such as for wood - and the use of recycled and reused materials.
Adopt nature-based solutions (NBS) opting whenever possible for methods naturally used by traditional peoples to build ventilated and lit shelters, taking into account biodiversity and the local ecosystem to integrate
Some concepts about biodiversity
Impacts on biodiversity and planetary boundaries
