Building a Sustainable Future: Reflections on Environment, Social Value, and Sustainable Development in Construction

Hannah Leggatt, Head of Environment - Delivery at Clancy

Hannah Leggatt, Head of Environment - Delivery at Clancy

I was recently asked to speak at the UK’s leading construction and design show, London Build Expo. While planning what I’d like to include in the panel discussion titled “Learn from the Past for a Greener Tomorrow”, I reflected on what I learnt throughout my career. Having spent many years in the construction industry, I am aware of the challenges of keeping environmental impact at the forefront of the decisions needed to be made in the industry.

First, it is about ensuring that environment and sustainability (E&S) are included in the concept and/or design stage of any project. It doesn’t just have a place at the table; it has a voice when decisions are made and ensures that the right people are invited and included in these decisions. It is critical to embed and consider E&S options at the outset, and it is only by doing this that its complete value and benefits are recognised and realised. Trying to retrofit it later drives up costs, increases risk and adds complications that can be easily avoided. We can see this ideology's incredible examples being successfully applied in the UK on high-profile projects, including Crossrail and High-Speed Two. 

These programmes are celebrated for their successful delivery of the highest standards of environmental and sustainability excellence and for setting a new bar that other projects will have to meet or exceed. This is positive news for E&S professionals as we approach a new era in the industry.  

Second, we must ensure we learn from the past regarding how we approach and deal with climate change, sustainability and environmental impacts. It is about ensuring things are done better going forward, which means moving away from saying, thinking and doing things the same as we have always done. We need to challenge that thinking and drive toward a fundamental shift in our mindset on how we approach dealing with and considering the environment. It is only by doing this we can ensure the same choices and mistakes are not repeated in the future. We can also ensure that we develop robust mitigations that are sustainable, adaptable and sensitive to the environment—appreciating that we owe it to our planet and home to make choices that work harmoniously. We all have a part to play; even the smallest action one person takes results in a significant positive impact. 

Finally, it is around social value work, as only by addressing environmental and social inequality can we successfully create a more sustainable world. The United Nations recognised the importance of this in their document, “The Future We Want,” which directly addressed this issue by stating, “We reaffirm the need to achieve sustainable development by promoting sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth, creating greater opportunities, reducing inequalities, raising basic living standards, fostering equitable social development and inclusion, and promoting integrated and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems that supports, inter alia, economic, social and human development while facilitating ecosystem conservation, regeneration and restoration and resilience in the face of new and emerging challenges.” (United Nations, 2015)

We must remember that the sustainable development goals are at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This is directly linked with social value and social mobility, affirming the importance of the role that they play in achieving a sustainable future. This is because when you directly consider social value, you also start to consider how you can be more socially conscious by focusing on how your actions impact society, both for yourself and future generations. This thinking is also at the core of sustainable thinking and sustainable development; it is about looking after the planet now, ensuring we do things in an environmentally sensitive and sustainable manner so we and future generations can enjoy it for years. 

For myself, I have been honoured to partner with the Social Mobility Foundation in the UK, which do incredible work to create a society where talent from all social backgrounds can be nurtured, harnessed, and rewarded (Social Mobility Foundation, n.d.). They work with individuals, businesses and organisations to advance social mobility because they believe success shouldn’t be determined by factors like where you live, where you were born, or what your parents do. For those readers who reside in the UK, I would highly recommend getting in touch to understand how you can get involved in helping to advance social mobility and support reducing the equality and equity gap. 

I would like to end by leaving you with a final comment from the United Nations “The Future We Want” document that perfectly describes why environment, sustainable growth and social value are so vitally important and why you cannot consider one without the other. “We recognize that people are at the centre of sustainable development. In this regard, we strive for a world that is just, equitable and inclusive. We also commit to work together to promote sustained and inclusive economic growth, social development and environmental protection and benefit all.” (United Nations, 2015)

Construction