{"id":16486,"date":"2024-06-06T15:25:21","date_gmt":"2024-06-06T13:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsegroup.com\/?p=16486"},"modified":"2025-04-14T14:45:43","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T12:45:43","slug":"together-towards-a-future-of-sustainable-construction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gsegroup.com\/en\/articles-en\/sustainable-articles-en\/together-towards-a-future-of-sustainable-construction\/","title":{"rendered":"Together towards a future of sustainable construction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The climate emergency has become critical, calling for a fundamental rethink of our industrial practices \u2013 not least in construction. Often singled out for its environmental impacts, the construction industry must explore new ways of reducing its carbon footprint. Fortunately, new technologies and approaches are emerging, offering effective solutions to minimise our buildings\u2019 impacts. Among these advances, the use of low-carbon concrete and biosourced or geosourced materials stands out as a major step towards greener construction. Let\u2019s take a closer look at these trends and their implications for the future of the construction industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Low-carbon concrete: the way ahead?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our aim is to reduce the carbon footprint of the buildings we design and build. With this in mind, we have systematically replaced conventional concrete by low-carbon concrete in the slabs of all our logistics and service sector projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Concrete, which is ubiquitous in the construction industry, is the main source of our CO2 emissions. 94% of concrete\u2019s carbon footprint comes from cement, which is itself heavily impacted by the production of clinker. Indeed, clinker production involves firing at very high temperatures, resulting in a process called \u201cdecarbonation\u201d, which emits CO2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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However, thanks to technological progress and a growing awareness of the climate emergency, low-carbon concrete is now a tangible reality. Reducing the amount of clinker in cement, modifying the fuels used in kilns, adjusting the share of cement in concrete, using recycled materials and other innovations have made it possible to shrink concrete\u2019s carbon footprint considerably. By systematically offering low-carbon concrete paving (as defined by concrete manufacturers\u2019 union SNBPE), we cut slabs\u2019 carbon footprint by 20% versus conventional paving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Biosourced materials make buildings green<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Beyond concrete, we are seeing a return to traditional building materials such as wood, stone and clay. In addition, a new trend is emerging with the rise of biosourced materials, including glued laminated timber, compressed straw, hemp and coconut fibre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Biobased materials deliver many environmental benefits. Their production often requires less energy and generates less waste than traditional materials. What\u2019s more, they can store atmospheric carbon throughout their life cycle, helping to combat climate change. By using them in construction, we not only reduce our carbon footprint, but also promote a circular and sustainable economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These materials are suitable for a wide range of construction applications, including the structure, cladding, coating, partition insulation and flooring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Geosourced materials: a value opportunity to reduce your carbon footprint<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Using geosourced materials can significantly reduce the construction industry\u2019s carbon footprint. Here are a few examples of these materials:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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