Our New Zealand team has a new programme called Smartwaste underway, that uses clever software to track and calculate carbon emissions from our projects. The aim is to identify our baseline emissions and trends across different projects and ultimately to identify ways to reduce our overall carbon footprint. 

Engineers enter data about the construction materials used, water and energy sources etc. into the online tool which calculates the CO2e or carbon dioxide equivalent (how carbon emissions are measured comparatively) for each material, energy source or distance travelled using built-in factors. 

The data collected in Smartwaste over time will enable us to determine the emissions from each project - taking into consideration the scale and the stage of the work. 

Once we have a robust data set, we will use the information to set reasonable targets for CO2e reductions going forward. 

Construction is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, as materials such as steel and concrete use a lot of fossil fuels to produce and transport.  Some of the early learnings we have applied to projects such as the Eastland Port Wharf Upgrade and the Auckland Hospital Plant and Tunnel Build have been to reduce concrete and steel volumes at the design stage wherever possible, reuse materials or find local suppliers. 

More information about our Environmental, Social and Governance strategy initiatives and how by living our five core values we are fulfilling our purpose of 'Providing a Better Life' is available here.