Construction minister confirms consultation on initiative to launch in May

The government has thrown further support behind plans to share quarterly data on the industry鈥檚 progress towards net zero with the public.

Construction minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said it was 鈥渃rucial鈥� the government and the public had a way of measuring firms鈥� progress on cutting carbon from projects and confirmed that a formal consultation on the metrics would be launched in May.

Anne-Marie Trevaylan

Anne-Marie Trevelyan wants to measure the industry鈥檚 net zero progress

The initiative, known as CO2nstruct Zero, was announced by the Construction Leadership Council last month.

The group鈥檚 co-chair Andy Mitchell said the sector is 鈥渘ot moving at the speed it needs to鈥� on net zero, with a 鈥渉uge programme of industry change鈥� now needed to tackle the industry鈥檚 contribution to carbon emissions 鈥渂efore it is too late鈥�.

Speaking at the NBS鈥� Construction Leaders鈥� Summit on Wednesday, Trevelyan said: 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 crucial that we have a set of evidence-based metrics so that we can measure the improvements that we can and we should be making, so they鈥檙e going to be formally consulting on these metrics in May of this year.鈥�

She added: 鈥淚鈥檇 be really grateful for as much input as all of you can give, because I think we need to build this together.鈥�

The CLC has also called on firms to use zero emission vehicles and onsite plant, champion infrastructure projects which support low carbon modes of transport and prioritise low carbon materials as part of the CO2nstruct Zero programme.

Trevelyan鈥檚 comments came the day before US president Joe Biden鈥檚 virtual summit with 40 world leaders on addressing climate change.

The meeting, informally known as 鈥楨arth Day鈥�, will be attended by prime minister Boris Johnson and is being seen as a precursor to the COP26 climate change conference being held in Glasgow in November.

At the NBS Summit, Trevelyan also said that the new 黑洞社区 Safety Bill which will overhaul the industry鈥檚 regulatory framework will come into force 鈥渘ot before too long鈥�.

She said it will be introduced to parliament 鈥渙nce government has fully considered the recommendations of the [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government] committee in its scrutiny of the draught bill鈥�.

Trevelyan was appointed construction minister in January this year after her predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng was promoted to business secretary after just a month in the role.

Topics