Description: This guide is intended to help all those engaged in construction projects to improve their environmental and sustainability performance, for both the product and the process of construction. It provides an overview of environmental responsibility and sustainability in construction projects, and offers a wide range of advice for all those concerned with construction at every stage of a project’s life-cycle. The guide summarises the experience of organisations that have dealt with environmental and sustainability issues in construction, in different contexts. These organisations are, therefore, well placed to identify the key issues, the essential legislation, the most useful guidance and the potential pitfalls, as well as various successful techniques and strategies for delivering construction projects that encourage environmental responsibility. The issues raised in the guide are illustrated by case studies. The guide contains background information, advice on key actions to take and routes to further, more specialised, sources of information and guidance.

A paper version of this publication is also available.

Keywords: pollution prevention, environmental good practice, waste minimisation, sustainable construction, site management, project management, sustainable resource use, procurement, construction management, supply chain management, recycling and reclaimed materials

Contents: Introduction to sustainable procurement, 1 Why sustainable construction? 2 The responsible organisation, 3 Preparing for sustainable construction procurement, 4 The feasibility and briefing phase, 5 The design phase, 6 The construction phase, 7 The operational phase and end-of-life, Appendices