Spec Finish

Feature www.thefis.org 25 experiences and sustainability knowledge and I have joined the sustainability working groups for The Tile Association and Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS). If you get the chance to attend, I highly recommend it!” www.telling-finishings.co.uk “I was fortunate enough to be offered a place on the course through the University of Birmingham. This was due to the embodied carbon tracking I was undertaking on the Molecular Sciences project which Morgan Sindall were constructing for the university, said Zach.” He continued by saying: “I was intrigued to understand what other businesses in the industry were doing in the fight against climate change which made this a really interesting group project. “During the project we looked at how to incorporate all the different partieswithin a project which could impact the embodied carbon of a newbuilding.Themain conclusion was by bringing all parties into the design process earlier this could lead to amore carbon friendly design as everyone’s expertisewere put into the design prior to any limiting factors such as a tender sumor specific design features”. Zach concluded by saying: “We also looked and developed how a construction forum for the industry could be beneficial in sharing best practice. This is as we collectively look to improve our new projects from a sustainability point of view and aim to achieve the government reduction targets in 2030 and 2050”. www.morgansindall.com Fatema said: “The Net Zero Course was presented to me as an opportunity to learn and work to implement more sustainable practice within my company. “As a fresh graduate I hoped to be taught about working towards net zero and what steps can be taken withinmy business to reach net zero goals. Through the course I learnt what sustainability and net zero is, as well as about life cycle assessments that can be completed to assess the running of a business”. She explained that through completing the group project, she was able to learn about gaps within the construction sector that is hindering productive progression into becoming more sustainable, the key factor being engineers and contractors aren’t as involved in earlier design stages which could reduce waste and result in more environmentally conscious end designs. She said: “After completing the course, I have been able to identify where the business can improve, and we have started working on life cycle assessments on the products we manufacture. While encouraging the supply chain to develop less carbon intensive raw steel, we can also start by focusing on our office sites within the UK and around the world, ensuring they are run more sustainably and begin work towards procuring steel in a more sustainable way”. She finished by saying: “The course was a great experience, and I am enjoying working in implementing what I have learnt into the business”. Stephen Hall , Principal Engineer at the Hadley Group attended the presentation, discussion panel and networking event and said: “We were thrilled that Fatema was able to join the University of Birmingham’s Net Zero Together Bootcamp and it was fantastic to see the cohort’s development and their projects at the end of the course. So many amazing ideas were presented which could have a real impact on carbon reductions today”. He explained that since completing the course, Fatema has presented what she has learned to the Hadley technical team, which has elevated the net zero discussion within group. Sustainability focused decision- making is now even more embedded within our design processes and quality procedures and is a key topic for us as we aim for continuous improvement in decarbonising both our operations and specifications. www.hadleygroup.com Flavie Lowres , FIS Sustainability Champion, who worked with the attendees on the course said: “As the UK target is to become net zero by 2050, the importance of measuring the carbon footprint of organisations has grown. “It is important that businesses start to engage in the conversation no matter where they are in their journey of measuring the carbon footprint of their organisation. “Not all organisations have sustainability champions so, when the FIS was made aware that the University of Birmingham was developing a free-to-access training course on sustainability, it decided to let its members know”. She went on to explain the course is not specifically designed for the construction sector, but the principles of understanding sustainability and creating a net zero plan for an organisation are the same for all sectors. Flavie said: “Sharing expertise and experience are useful to support organisations in theirjourney. “I am glad that some of our members have managed to take advantage of this course. I hope we can identify more similar in the future to support members in their sustainability journey”. To locate upcoming Skills Bootcamps at the University of Birmingham visit: https://tinyurl.com/mppv74pn Sustainability in the Finishes and Interiors Sector FIS is committed to taking a pro-active lead, not just in supporting the UK ambition to net zero carbon by 2050, but delivering profound transformation within our supply chain on all aspects of ethical and environmental sustainability. In our Sustainability toolkit we look at some of the key actions that you can take and also some of the wider sector initiatives that can support your business in setting a sustainability strategy. The aim is to support businesses in meeting the ethical and environmental aspects of sustainability considered from the three dimension of planet, people and profit across the entire construction supply chain. Definitions of sustainability do vary, but focus is on where our sector can make a positive impact in line with the UN Sustainability goals and the Net Zero agenda in the UK. To find out more visit: www.thefis.org/knowledge-hub/sustainablility