Does remote working improve sustainability for the construction industry?

Flexibility has become the buzzword – and also the goal – for businesses in all sectors in the past year, as all struggled to respond to the challenges of the pandemic. In the construction industry, switching to the model of remote working that was quickly adopted by many businesses has had some successes and failures. It is arguably more of a challenge for construction projects to operate in this way than for accountants or lawyers but could embracing this model of working improve sustainability for the construction sector going forward?

Is the idea of an office outdated?

Flexible working was already on the table prior to 2020 but the pandemic has made it a crucial component in ongoing operations for many businesses. Huge organisations, such as PwC, look set to continue this even as restrictions ease, with the professional services firm announcing that employees would spend just two or three days in the office going forward. But would this work for construction? One recent survey of 20,000 construction employees identified that half had never worked from home before the pandemic, indicating that it’s not a practice the industry has readily embraced.

What do we want recovery to look like?

All the signs seem to indicate that recovery is currently happening, with a 5% growth forecast for construction in 2021, and in March of this year activity levels expanding at the fastest pace in more than six years. But the key question now is what do we want that recovery to look like? Sustainable, is the response put forward by many, not just in the context of sustaining economic growth but also choosing more environmentally friendly paths to project completion. Green project delivery, minimising carbon emissions and improving sustainability could all be supported by remote working, from reducing the emissions from office space required to accommodate a workforce, to cutting down on the transport that is necessary.

Technology supports greater sustainability

There is the technology – in place or in development – to support remote working and its potential to make the construction industry a more sustainable place. For example, cloud-based collaboration tools mean that project managers can work, and manage, from a remote location and also increase the speed and quality of infrastructure designs. Virtual reality tech and drones can be used to offer a real time view of digital assets and to enable remote inspections without any requirement for individuals on site. Digital twin technology is already providing opportunities for remote collaboration and efficient working via remote technology.

Looking at the skills gap

Construction has had a talent and skills gap for some time and one of the big questions is whether more remote working will increase this or reduce it. Many employees – especially younger demographics – may be attracted to a more flexible and tech-driven approach while others may simply not be able to get to grips with this way of working.

Remote working remains the norm for many businesses today – including those in construction. Going forward, there may be opportunities to use this business model to help achieve permanent, sustainability-driven change.

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