Publication - Advice and guidance

Construction procurement: project initiation and business cases handbook

Published: 2 August 2019
Directorate: Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate
Topic: Public sector
ISBN: 9781839600302

One of three handbooks that comprise the Client Guide to Construction Projects, The Project Initiation and Business Cases Handbook provides guidance to assist contracting authorities to successfully deliver construction projects and achieve value for money.

Part of

Construction procurement: guidance for public sector clients

Supporting documents

Chapter 18: Sustainability in Construction

1. Introduction

2. Team capability

3. Legislation and Policy Context

4. Importance of Good Governance

5. Embedding Sustainability into the Project Cycle

6. Project Planning

7. Development

8. Implementation

9. Operation

10. Decommissioning

11. Summary

12. Annex A: Recommended Further Reading and Support

13. Annex B: Principles and policies in practice - Case studies

14. Annex C: Sustainable Construction Matrix

15. Footnotes

Introduction

1.1 Sustainability is defined as 'meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. Within construction, sustainability includes the impact of construction on the environment and communities, but also the ability of infrastructure to meet the society’s needs of a changing climate.

1.2 Sustainable Construction considers three pillars of sustainability, which are overarching markers of quality: economic, social and environmental. Considering the three pillars simultaneously will assist public sector clients deliver outcomes that are:

Socially sustainable – demonstrating socially responsible leadership through the delivery of healthy and inclusive outcomes
Environmentally sustainable – actively protecting biodiversity and the environment through the adoption of a whole life approach, mitigation and carbon reduction strategies, climate resilience and adaptation.
Economically sustainable – enabling inclusive economic growth through fair and resilient practice, community wealth building, local material and services souring and circular economy.

1.3 This chapter focuses on primarily on environmental sustainability. Other aspects within the broader definition of sustainability such as community benefits, Fair Work First, and business case development (the economic case) are covered in other chapters of the Client Guide.

Environmental sustainability and climate change

1.4 Climate change means that Scotland is wetter in winters, drier in summers. Sea level rise will continue, and our weather will become more variable and unpredictable. Extremes will be more common. Intense, short periods of rainfall are causing increased flooding. Possible extended periods of drought could bring water scarcity. Nine out of ten of our hottest years on record have come this century. Extreme weather events, and the cascading impacts of climate change, are putting more pressure than ever before on lives and livelihoods1,2.

1.5 The Scottish Government is committed to ending Scotland’s contribution to climate change. We will do this by 2045, in a fair and just way. Scotland's Climate Change Plan – 2026-2040 sets out the following average level of emissions reduction stages to enable achieving a 100% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions relative to 1990, which is known as the “net-zero emissions target”3.

57% lower than baseline levels for 2026-2030
69% lower than baseline levels for 2031-2035
80% lower than baseline levels for 2036-2040, and
94% lower than baseline levels for 2041-2045.

1.6 As clarified in Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024-2029 adapting to climate change is at the heart of the Scottish Government’s mission to improve the wellbeing of people living in Scotland, now and in the future. As part of the Just Transition to net zero and a more resource efficient, low carbon economy, there is a need to significantly reduce associated carbon emissions from the built environment.

1.7 This chapter summarises good sustainable construction practice addressing those challenges. Links to a wide set of resources have been provided in Annexes. SPPN 3/2022 reflects additional sources of help and support which have been developed to enable public procurement authorities to use procurement to address the climate emergency.

1.8 Sustainability should be embedded from the beginning of a project. The ability to influence sustainable outcomes is greatest right at the very start of a construction project. Informed early-stage decision making creates maximum opportunity for socio-economic and environmental impacts to be realised at every life cycle stage.

1.9 Contracting authorities should adopt a whole life cost and carbon approach when tackling sustainability issues in the design, delivery, operation and decommissioning of their construction projects.

1.10 Construction projects cannot be procured sustainably by simply looking to address singular issues in sustainability: a collective, integrated and holistic whole life approach, such as the one described in this guidance is required. All projects must prioritise those issues that are most significant to the project and identify where particular opportunities and challenges may arise.

1.11 Due to the risk of triggering climate tipping points, and the fact climate change is driven by absolute and cumulative carbon emissions, the importance of the pathway to the net zero carbon target is equally important to arriving at net zero on the target date. Public bodies should focus on urgent action to reduce emissions as far as possible as fast as possible over the next decade to minimise cumulative emissions, whilst still ensuring the goal of achieving net zero by 2045. Spending effort on actions that result in immediate reductions is important, whilst working on actions for the largest carbon reductions that might take longer to put in place.4

Team capability

2.1 As outlined in Public bodies climate change duties: Statutory Guidance public bodies should train leaders and managers by providing climate, carbon, biodiversity, and sustainability training for all managers, and appropriate climate leadership training for senior decision-makers. It is essential that public bodies embed climate change into decision making, both to comply with the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and to avoid unintended consequences such as increased emissions, lock-in of high carbon behaviour, or maladaptation. Decisions must be transparent and defensible, showing how climate considerations were weighted.

2.2 When building the project team, it is critical that selected team members are suitably qualified, experienced and skilled to deliver project aims. Inappropriately qualified team members weaken project outcomes and can contribute to project failure. This also applies to aspects of sustainability. Due to carbon literacy issues, negligible sustainability gains or basic regulatory compliance may be presented as sustainability wins, leading to poor value for money. Consultants’ ability to deliver evidence-based sustainability value is an important tendering process consideration.

2.3 It is recommended that the Project Owner appoints a suitably skilled client adviser or consultant that will fulfil the role of Project Sustainability Champion advising on whole-life carbon reduction targets, strategies, and wider environmental and climate adaptation and resilience goals. The scope of the role and its place within the design team should be proportionate and relevant to the project specific circumstances, which should be established by the project owner as part of the design responsibility matrix. It is the Project Owner’s role to, in an informed and educated manner, manage the Project Sustainability Champion’s scope of work to ensure alignment with the wider project and organisational strategy. In the day-to-day management of the project this responsibility sits with the Project Manager. Examples of Project Sustainability Champion’s scope:

Net Zero Champion of the Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard – refer to Module 0B Roles and Responsibilities Standard Document Suite
Whole-life carbon consultant’s scope of works – refer to p.24 of the IStructE publication ‘UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard: guidance on embodied carbon’

Refer also to Chapter 3 Client Team Roles and Responsibilities of this book.

2.4 Procurement professionals have a responsibility to be climate literate and to have an appreciation of how commercial and other contracting activity can support net-zero aims for their organisation and Scotland as a whole. The role of procurement is well placed to use professional skills to capture and drive opportunities to contribute to climate change ambitions through procurement activity.

2.5 Scottish Government provide Sustainable Procurement Tools which have been designed to help public sector organisations identify and address how they can optimise the economic, social and environmental outcomes of their procurement activity and are intended for all those involved in commissioning and procurement. Training available via the tools includes Climate Literacy, Introduction to Sustainable Public Procurement and Circular Procurement and Supply eLearning (free registration required) which is intended to give users confidence to minimise risks and maximise opportunities associated with Climate Change. Refer to eLearning section of Sustainable Procurement Tools.

Legislation and Policy Context

3.1 Public bodies climate change duties: Statutory guidance has been issued by the Scottish Ministers to Scottish public bodies under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (‘the 2009 Act’). The 2009 Act requires relevant public bodies in Scotland to meet the climate change duties. The duties are set out in section 44(1) of the 2009 Act require that a public body must, in exercising its functions, act –

in the way best calculated to contribute to the delivery of emissions reduction targets (i.e. mitigation. In the context of the duties, ‘targets’ means both the five-yearly carbon budgets and the final 2045 target)
in the way best calculated to help deliver Scottish National Adaptation Plan
in a way that it considers most sustainable

Under the 2009 Act, public bodies subject to the climate change duties are required to have regard to the statutory guidance. Responsibility for compliance with the climate change duties rests with public bodies themselves. Public bodies must check whether they fall within the 2009 Act definition of ‘public body’ and act accordingly. The Statutory guidance is intended to be useful to all public bodies, not just those legally subject to the duties. The guidance aims to be a potential source of information, tools and support for any public body aiming to contribute to Scotland’s national climate change targets and plans.

3.2 The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 Sustainable Procurement Duty5 requires that before a contracting authority carries out a regulated procurement, it must consider how it can improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the authority’s area. It also requires a contracting authority to consider how it can facilitate the involvement of SMEs, third sector bodies and supported businesses in the process, and how it can promote innovation.

3.3 Section 15 of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 requires contracting authorities to set out in their procurement strategy how they intend to comply with the duty, and also to report annually on progress.

3.4 Climate change reporting duties and public procurement policy expressed in SPPN 3/2022 require public bodies to consider and demonstrate how they use procurement to support Scotland’s response to the global climate emergency and reduce emissions in order to meet greenhouse gas emissions targets.

3.5 Contracting authority should consider including climate selection criteria in the procurement exercise that will result in carbon reduction. This could be done by including climate selection criteria into your Single Procurement Document (SPD) using question 4C7 (Environmental Management)6. Guidance on this can be found What Do I Do on Climate? | Procurement Journey and What Do I Need to Do on Climate? | Supplier Journey. Note that all contracts with a total value of £4 million or greater are considered priority contracts.

3.6 Understanding emission scopes in the context of construction projects is important. A contractor’s emissions are typically a client’s Scope 3 emissions. Consultants’ Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions e.g. those associated with running an architectural practice, are usually negligible compared with their Scope 3 emissions, i.e. the impact of the construction project itself. A client’s Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions are directly influenced by the quality of the design and construction delivery. Bidder’s ability to reduce project-related emissions: construction, embodied and operational, is of great importance. The use of Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLCA) helps to understand the impact of project activities.

3.7 An Investment Hierarchy was introduced in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment Plan. Its aim is to support in-depth analysis of the need, better use of existing assets, and maximising the useful life of those assets, including repurposing or co-locating them, before creating new buildings. Its central principle is to reduce the need for new construction or demolition and, therefore, where possible, to avoid construction impacts.

3.8 National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Sustainable Places policies place significant focus on the global climate emergency through requirements relating to the reduction of lifecycle emissions, future climate change adaptation risks, retrofit projects, biodiversity protection and enhancement, and more. The content of this guide supports compliance with NPF4 requirements.

Importance of Good Governance

4.1 Good governance and the early implementation of a robust governance strategy are crucial in delivering any construction project. A Project Owner is responsible for setting the culture and driving the sustainable construction agenda that applies throughout the life cycle of the project and beyond into use and deconstruction. This approach promotes goal setting, awareness raising and information sharing. At each life cycle stage this decision making needs to consider the identified social, environmental and economic priorities and objectives and be governed by responsible and robust practices. This approach encourages individuals to take appropriate levels of responsibility and provides assurance of sustainability.

4.2 Guidance on project governance can be found in Chapter 2 of the Project Initiation and Business Cases Handbook of the Client Guide to Construction Projects. This emphasises the importance for everyone involved in a project taking individual and collective ownership and being accountable for the conduct and delivery of the project.

4.3 The development of a Sustainability Matrix, such as that shown in Annex C, can be a helpful means of communicating and achieving sustainability aspirations. The tool assists clients in formulating the brief, reviewing and evaluating the project's sustainability, and communicating with the design team. It helps users follow a sequence of steps, summarise various needs and requirements, and track progress against them. It enables clients to intervene, support and encourage optimisation across all priority economic, social, environmental and carbon outcomes.

Embedding Sustainability into the Project Cycle

5.1 As set out in Public bodies climate change duties: Statutory Guidance financial choices (capital and resource budgets, procurement, business cases) must reflect climate priorities if mitigation and adaptation aims are to be credible. Key practices include:

treat climate as a corporate priority – align major investment and resource allocations with climate objectives
involve finance teams early – their expertise is vital in embedding climate into budgeting, reporting, and monitoring.

As low-carbon or resilient options often carry higher upfront costs, a ‘spend to save’ mindset is needed. It is important that carbon and wider sustainability factors are taken into account when making decisions, to ensure that best value over the useful life of the asset is achieved. Decision makers should include carbon, climate risks and potential impacts and co-benefits in appraisals.

A growing body of research and evidence suggests that ‘many early adaptation investments deliver high value for money. The benefit-cost ratios typically range from 2:1 to 10:1 – i.e., every £1 invested in adaptation could result in £2 to £10 in net economic benefits’7

5.2 Sustainable procurement considerations must encompass every construction life cycle stage. However, as demonstrated in figure 1, similarly to cost, the ability to influence sustainable outcomes is greatest at the very start of a construction project in the planning phase.

Line graph showing the relationship between project phase (horizontal axis) and impact (vertical axis), illustrating that changes are easier and have greater impact in early phases, while the cost of making changes increases as the project progresses.

Figure 1: Ability to influence sustainable outcomes over time.

This applies regardless of whether the aim is to reduce impact during construction or gain better performance of the building in use. Therefore, it is important to make this a focus of the procurement strategy, including the conditions and quality criteria for supply chain selection and required relevant technical capability and experience. Collaborative contracts and early contractor involvement (ECI) can be beneficial in drawing in industry knowledge and experience in areas of sustainability at these early stages and beyond.

5.3 One of the ways to build environmental targets into a construction contract is by using specially developed and industry-recognised sustainability focused contract clauses. This enables public bodies to specify the project’s environmental requirements in the scope and can provide for a climate change plan that contractors can use to set out their strategy for achieving the project’s objectives. Implementation of the strategy and/or delivery of environmental requirements during contract performance would then be covered by contract management.

5.4 It is recognised that third-party certification and quality control processes, for both design and construction stages, can simplify governance and help achieve targets and long-term value. This is particularly important in projects involving higher energy efficiency and airtightness levels, energy efficiency retrofits, and listed buildings. Third-party certification and quality control processes can be effective means of achieving projects outcomes and should be considered during the development of the brief and tender documentation.

Several third-party schemes can be considered at the brief development stage. An example list is provided in Annex B.

Project Planning (e.g. RIBA work stages 0-1)

6.1 The project planning stage is critically important in developing all projects and this must include environmental and socio-economic considerations. It requires adequate appropriate resourcing during the earliest planning stages to ensure end user needs are clearly defined and understood and fully integrated into the project brief and plan (see chapters in the Client Guide for developing a Business Case (chapter 4) and Creating the Project Brief (chapter 2).

6.2 As part of this project planning stage, sustainability priorities and performance outcomes should be identified and agreed, providing strategic direction from the very outset and influencing option appraisal activity and helping to inform investment decisions.

6.3 It is recommended that, where appropriate, the Scottish Future Trust Net Zero Public Building Standard process is used from the Project Planning stage to assist in informed brief development, establishing quantitative and qualitive sustainability targets, and effective delivery of those targets.

6.4 Compliance with building standards should generally be regarded as a minimum requirement rather than an assurance that a building will achieve broader Net Zero objectives. This should be considered when establishing the energy efficiency targets. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) and SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) should be supplemented, as appropriate, by detailed, building-specific assessments and measures to minimise the performance gap i.e. the difference between predicted and actual performance. Performance gaps should be avoided to ensure delivery of the required objectives and to keep operational costs and emissions low.

6.5 Place and project specific sustainability should be assessed to understand, summarise and communicate the various needs related to each sustainability aspect mentioned in paragraph 6.8 to assists clients in reviewing and evaluating the project’s sustainability credentials. The Project Sustainability Champion should be the key consultant in the process.

6.6 Sustainability assessments and integrated Whole Life Costing and Whole Life Carbon Assessment collaborative meetings/workshops should be scheduled and carried out at key decision points / at the end of each project phase, prior to progressing to the next delivery stage. A sustainability matrix such as in Annex C can be utilised for this purpose. This allows for collective review and enable clients to intervene, to support and encourage optimisation against all priority economic, social, environmental and carbon outcomes.

6.7 Circular economy principles should inform early conceptual design and construction and deconstruction approaches. The project business case should follow the Scottish Government’s Investment Hierarchy, as shown in Figure 2 below8:

Figure 2: Scottish Government Investment Hierarchy

Inverted pyramid illustrating the Scottish Government Investment Hierarchy, showing preferred approaches to meeting future service needs from top to bottom.

1. Determine future need (largest, highest level): Consider appropriate infrastructure provision in light of changes in service design, availability of digital platforms, technological innovation, and resilience based on population and climate change forecasts.

2. Maximise use of existing assets: Maximise the use and safe operation of existing assets to meet future need.

3. Repurpose and co-locate: Reconfigure or repurpose existing assets, giving preference to co-location or shared facilities where appropriate.

4. Replace or new build (smallest, lowest level): Consider the suitability and sustainability of replacement or new-build assets to meet future need.

The hierarchy indicates that organisations should first assess future needs and make the best use of existing assets before considering repurposing, replacement, or constructing new infrastructure. New build is the least preferred option and should be considered only after higher-level options have been explored.

6.8 Planning the sustainable construction of whole-life built assets requires consideration of many factors across the social, economic, environmental, including carbon-related aspects of the project. To achieve the best results at the lowest cost, clients should work proactively and collaboratively with expert advisers, a Project Sustainability Champion and design teams. The client is key in driving this and must take ownership and lead the culture across the whole project. Key factors to consider are:

Place-Based approach

The importance of understanding, respecting and developing relationships between people and place and the impact of the built asset on the place and the people. Reference should be made to guidance on Place-based approaches. The use of the Place Standard Tool can be helpful in engaging with users and communities to understand existing values and areas for improvement in a given place.

Health and wellbeing

The internal and external environment has a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of occupants. Projects should prioritise physical and mental wellbeing through the creation of healthy places.

Circular Economy

Circular economy principles should be considered and adopted at every stage of the project. This can be achieving through the following:

avoiding construction where the project needs can be satisfied in a different way
prioritising retrofit, conversion and improvement over new build projects
designing out unnecessary components, technologies, materials, floor area and complexities
re-use of existing structures or building elements
use of reused or repurposed materials and components
collaboration with circular construction hubs, salvage yards and similar organisations
design for disassembly, deconstruction and recycling
design for ease of maintenance and flexibility
use of material passports
specification and use of material with high recycled content

Whole Life Carbon Approach

To be sustainable, it is critical that projects adopt a whole life carbon approach, considering both embodied and operational carbon and associated impacts at every life cycle stage, including benefits beyond the project’s end of life. The Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLCA) should also inform Carbon Mitigation Strategy – refer to 8.2.

Whole Life Costing, integrated with WLCA

Integrated Whole Life Cost and Carbon assessments should be used on projects to consider capital and operational costs. The results should be used to inform early decision making and more responsible procurement practices, and improve design, specification, through-life maintenance and operation. Some useful tools and methods include:

carbon budgets (can be used at project, department or organisational level)
including the cost of carbon in business cases
whole life carbon assessment frameworks, e.g. Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard, UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, RICS whole life carbon assessment, PAS 2080 (2023)9
Refer also to Chapter 11 Whole Life Cost of this book.

Climate Adaptation

Projects should include preventative, protective and enhancement measures required to support and enhance environmental security, climate adaptation and resilience. Key hazards: flooding, overheating, storms, drought and wildfires need to be considered at the project planning stage. More information about climate resilience is available in UK Green Building Council’s: Resilience Roadmap.
The list below shows examples of how climate resilience can be incorporated in the project. Relevant aspects should be considered and included in the project brief.

Consideration of climate resilience within procurement strategy e.g. by including whole life cost in cost and quality assessments
Land use strategies and site selection to, for example, minimise risk of flooding, avoid greenfield sites, reduce need or length of new infrastructure, make use of existing public or sustainable transport links, and enhance/develop/connect green and blue networks
Effective reduction of heat and energy demand and on site renewable energy generation and storage to minimise reliance on external infrastructure
Use of future climate datasets for energy performance modelling, cost or risk assessment
Optimisation of glazed areas/shading using evidence-based methodologies and future climate models to mitigate the impact of overheating and/or heat loss
Design for ease of maintenance and alterations e.g. access to services, use of robust and widely available materials
Maximising the use of nature based solutions to reduce the impact of extreme weather events e.g. minimising hard surfaces, maximising soft landscaping, increasing tree cover, incorporating SuDS and more
Adaptability and flexibility of design to address changing needs
Robust, extreme weather resistant design and high-quality delivery
Use of Modern Methods of Construction to reduce exposure and shorten the period of site operations
Maximising the use of local materials to shorten and localise supply chains and support the local economy
Designing for deconstruction and disassembly to facilitate the re use of materials within the local supply chain, reducing reliance on global supply routes

Incorporation of nature

Design, including nature-based engineering solutions, green and blue networks, and biophilic design, helps to address the biodiversity crisis, while also adding value to place based approaches, climate resilience, and the health and wellbeing aspects of projects. The introduction of biodiverse, low or no maintenance habitats should be maximised where possible.

Mobility

Projects should help to prioritise active travel and sustainable transport modes by making these options more accessible, attractive and inclusive to all users. Site selection, together with consideration of local authority active travel strategies, is an important factor in determining mobility outcomes.

Local living

Local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods approach helps to facilitate the application of the Place Principle and create connected and compact neighbourhoods which prioritise environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Development (e.g. RIBA works stages 2-4)

7.1 Following the project planning stage described above, a fully integrated and well-considered project development approach is required by the entire project team. This will ensure the project is delivered in a holistic and sustainable way. It is essential that all time, cost and quality impacts connected to the sustainability targets are allowed for at this point, prior to the implementation stage.

7.2 Sustainability assessments and the integrated Whole Life Costing and Whole Life Carbon Assessment collaborative meetings/workshops should continue as per the schedule established at the project planning stage, and when required due to significant brief, specification or design changes.

7.3 To enable the sustainable delivery and development of all projects, a programme for continued stakeholder engagement and a communication strategy (including the provision of feedback) should be in place throughout the development stage. This should continue to align with place-based principles and allow structured, consistent approach to focus on end user needs and optimised operational requirements from the outset of a project.

7.4 Early supply chain viability testing should be undertaken to consider options and maximise opportunity for specification, procurement and use of lower embodied carbon products, circular products and natural materials. Early supply chain engagement can also help to drive innovation through the supply chain. Care must be taken to avoid these discussions distorting competition to create a violation of the principles of non-discrimination and transparency. See chapter four, Preliminary Market Consultation of the Construction Procurement Handbook of the Client Guide to Construction Projects.

7.5 The use of Modern Methods of Construction, should be explored during early development stages, recognising quality and environmental benefits that could be achieved.

7.6 A Design for Disassembly, Deconstruction and Recycling guide should be prepared by the design team. The guide should consider realistic and feasible project-specific scenarios for the intended / expected future handling of items beyond the end-of-life stage. It is expected that the guide will provide clients with information on the following, where relevant:

Functional adaptation: the likelihood for the asset to support multiple or alternative uses (as informed by client / end user need)
Exposed and reversible connections: more visible connections providing opportunities to optimise material and product reuse. Welded connections can prohibit disassembly and it is preferable to use mechanical fixings to allow for disassembly and material reuse.
Layer independence: designing systems and components in layers so that removal, adjustment or replacement of some elements is feasible, especially when different components have different life spans and maintenance needs
Avoidance of unnecessary toxic treatments and finishes. Some finishes can contaminate the substrate in a way that they are no longer reusable or recyclable (this should be avoided unless finishes serve a specific purpose)
Standardisation can accommodate reuse and upgrading - it involves aspects such as dimensions, components, connections and modularity.

This is important in the context of routine maintenance, as well as within the context of the Circular Economy, the Waste Hierarchy, and the decommissioning stage of the project. Additional guidance can be found in the UK Green Building Council’s publication Design for Deconstruction.

Implementation (e.g. RIBA works stage 5)

8.1 Chapter 3 of the construction phase handbook of the Client Guide to Construction Projects provides an overview of the client’s role in achieving quality, particularly during the construction phase. It provides guidance to assist contracting authorities to successfully deliver outputs and outcomes in their construction projects which meet the requirements stated in the Project brief and business case. Use of third-party certifications and quality assurance schemes, airtightness testing to beyond Building Standards requirements, continuous monitoring delivery and design alignment are the tools to help achieve quality and reduce performance gap.

8.2 A Carbon Mitigation Strategy resulting from WLCA carried out in previous stages should be implemented to mitigate carbon emissions associated with the Construction Stage. This should include e.g.:

Transport of materials to site e.g. prioritisation of local sourcing and promotion of low emission vehicles
Resource efficiency e.g. resource management plans (with industry recognised best practices waste reduction actions and targets) and diversion from landfill strategies and targets
Energy consumption e.g. the use of ‘green’ energy supplies for site accommodation and reduced reliance on diesel generators for plant use (the use of diesel replacement fuels, for example, could be explored)
Choice of materials to minimise embodied carbon impacts and consideration of the carbon impacts associated with where to source materials

8.3 The design for disassembly/deconstruction/recycling guide should be continuously updated to reflect as-built approaches. Final guide should be completed in advance of handover and included in the Operating and Maintenance manuals.

8.4 As part of the implementation phase, prior to handover, project specific user guides / information should be prepared including relevant management and optimisation information. Facility management operators and building users should be trained in use of any technology needed to efficiently operate the building. A “usable technology” approach should be utilised i.e. the design and implementation of technological solutions that are accessible, easily understood, and effectively utilised by diverse populations to address environmental and social challenges. It emphasises human-centred design, ensuring that technologies are not only effective but also equitable and inclusive, promoting sustainable practices and reducing resource consumption. For example, the understanding and optimisation of HVAC controls for a Croydon office has reduced energy use by 28% over nine months, resulting in a £171,000/ 232 tCO₂ saving in operational energy10.

Operation (e.g. RIBA works stage 6-7)

9.1 Once the construction stage is complete it is vital that the built asset is operated in the way it was intended to ensure the economic, social and environmental benefits are maximised. This will require a smooth and supported handover process with provision of aftercare established to support optimisation from day one and to allow for a period of fine-tuning and adjustment as required. Critically, comprehensive operation and maintenance manual(s) and the health and safety file must be completed, handed over and subsequently kept up to date. This will facilitate successful and efficient use, maintenance, and potential alterations to the asset from the cost, carbon and user experience perspective.

9.2 To enable the sustainable management and operation of all projects, the social, environmental and economic aspects of the following issues should be considered during the operation stages:

A qualitative and quantitative Post Occupancy Evaluation programme is necessary to determine if the facilities meets the users’ requirements, are used effectively and function as required. This could include physical monitoring and user consultation exercises.
Annual operating costs, including planned and reactive maintenance and replacement costs and the level of functional adaptation that the project has allowed for should be monitored and reported, allowing a comparison with design stage predictions and for any discrepancies to be analysed.
A strategy for monitoring of impacts should be established with reviews used to inform continuous improvement strategies. This is likely to include carbon footprint, sustainable travel trends, review of management and maintenance strategies and the effectiveness of resilience, pollution control and environmental strategies as well as monitoring initiatives that support Community Wealth Building and inclusive growth.
A post project review exercise should take place to capture lessons learned as a result of adopting a whole life approach to carbon, and to promote wider knowledge share.
Maintenance, replacement and alteration activities to the asset should consider the principles of circularity and WLCA, drawing on the previously developed Design for Disassembly, Deconstruction and Recycling guide.

The relevant project and budget allocations will have to make provision for these issues.

9.3 The project aftercare strategy must be implemented. This will promote activities aimed at supporting optimisation during the Operation stages, for example, seasonal commissioning activity that will support the fine-tuning of systems and services to enhance comfort, efficiency and sustainability, a detailed review of the facilities management strategy and the impact of operations, necessary training and any alterations to the ‘as constructed’ status of the asset on the owner’s wider carbon management plan (CMP).

9.4 The project should continue to adopt a whole life carbon approach during operational stages. The integrated Whole Life Costing and The Whole Life Carbon Assessments activities should continue to support this. It should also aim to inform responsible procurement practices. Consideration should be given to the carbon impacts of hard and soft facilities management and appropriate mitigation strategies adopted.

Decommissioning

10.1 The Scottish Government considers a circular economy as an essential part of the solution to the recognised global climate emergency. This approach requires materials, services and systems to be designed to maximise value and minimise waste in a cycle of disassembly and reuse. To achieve this, the building must be designed for deconstruction and its materials capable of remanufacture and reuse.

10.2 In support of circular economy, the following should be considered during the decommissioning stages:

Investment hierarchy approach should be the basis for any decommissioning considerations. Opportunities to repurpose or convert the building/asset, or parts of it, to a new use should be considered. From a carbon perspective, this often is the most effective approach.
Opportunities to re-use or repurpose the building’s/asset’s components should be considered. Preference should be given to re use within the site or its proximity. The use of material passport, circular construction hubs, salvage yards, and second hand sales and/or storage facilities should also be considered. The design for disassembly/ deconstruction/ recycling guide as described in 7.6 should be used.
A Whole Life Carbon approach will require benefits beyond the project’s end of life stage to be considered.
Circular economy principles and practices should continue to be supported and followed with the extent of any reuse or recycling tracked and monitored, using current data-based digital technologies.
Opportunities to re-use, re-purpose and recycle materials should be considered (Figure 3). According to the Waste Hierarchy principles, recycling downgrades materials and requires additional energy, re use and repurposing are more beneficial and preferable for carbon efficiency.

Inverted pyramid illustrating the Scottish Government Waste Hierarchy, showing waste management options in order of preference from most to least sustainable. The inverted pyramid emphasises that prevention is the most preferred and environmentally beneficial option, while disposal is the least preferred and should only be used when no higher-value alternative is available.

Figure 3: The Waste Hierarchy as described in Guidance on applying the waste hierarchy.

Summary

11.1 Sustainable construction should be embedded from the outset, as early-stage decisions have the greatest influence on achieving strong socio-economic and environmental outcomes across a project’s lifecycle. Contracting authorities should adopt a holistic approach that considers both whole-life costs and carbon impacts throughout design, delivery, operation and decommissioning. Addressing sustainability through isolated actions is insufficient; an integrated and comprehensive approach is essential. Projects should therefore prioritise the most significant sustainability issues and identify key opportunities and challenges specific to each case.

Annex A

Examples of quality, energy and carbon management standards and guidance

UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard

Passivhaus

AECB standards

RICS Whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) for the built environment aligned with cost assessment

Building with Nature

PAS 2035:2023 Retrofitting dwellings for improved energy efficiency – Specification and guidance

PAS 2038:2021 Retrofitting non-domestic buildings for improved energy efficiency. Specification

PAS 2080:2023 Carbon Management in Infrastructure

Delivering Quality Construction & Handover for Large & Complex Low Energy Buildings

Annex B

Principles and Policies in Practice - Case Studies

1.0 Listed below are a series of case studies which evidence sustainable construction principles in infrastructure projects across the public sector. These have been split across various topic headings to assist in navigation to topics of interest or relevance.

1.1 A wide range of case studies published on Sustainable Procurement

1.2 SFT Net Zero Public Sector Building Standard Pathfinder Projects

1.3 Optimisation, investment hierarchy practical examples

1.4 Whole Life Cost and Carbon:

1.5 Energy efficiency

1.6 Biodiversity, green and blue networks

1.7 Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)

Case studies — Built Environment - Smarter Transformation

1.8 Sustainable travel

Annex C

Sustainable Construction Matrix

12.1 The development of a sustainability matrix can help to summarise and communicate the various needs and requirements of a project during early stages. It can also provide clients with a tool that supports review and evaluation during the development stages of a project.

A example of a Sustainability Matrix is available in the supported documents section.