Can sustainability increase profit in construction? open panel summary

We had a vibrant talk with our guests at our open panel event about sustainable profitability in construction. Participants posed many important questions about sustainability and profitability in construction. Here are our favorites:
 

What is the status of sustainability in construction today?

Luca: Everybody started paying more attention to sustainability, especially in the last few years. Storms are getting stronger each day and people are starting to realize that these events are connected to our actions. In construction, there are still a lot of raw materials and CO2 emissions, but even the countries that were until recently neutral in this regard are starting to work hard in this field.

Global warming is increasing the rainfall and water-related damage. Is Geoplast considering the alternatives to the unsustainable traditional systems?

Luca: Yes. We have been investing a lot of resources into water management for different parts of the buildings. We developed a lot of green roof solutions that reduce the amount of water released to the sewer. We also studied blue roof solutions. We have a lot of collaborations, especially in Northern Europe, for delivering turnkey solutions. The news is filled with stories about flooding and storms, and we are working hard to solve this problem.

Mirco: There is an increased need for big underground rainwater tanks. Last year we produced a new solution – Aquabox. I designed Aquabox because stormwater management is an emergency and the market is in need of new water solutions. This is a very big issue.

Is the construction industry doing enough to fight climate change?

Mirco: Not enough. We are at the point where public opinion is forcing the industry to change course in this direction, but not enough.

What are the common errors in the design of projects?

Mirco: Architects and engineers are not aware of the sustainable solutions available right now. There are a lot of products out there, not only by Geoplast, that can help architects and engineers build more sustainably. It is only a question of having an open mind.

Luca: We need to explain where the real profit is. The architects, engineers, and builders are often unaware of the savings in time and material reduction. Sometimes they are convinced that the solutions they are applying are the best, but that is not always true. They are free to make their own choice, but they also need to know which opportunities are available.

Soon we will organize another open panel webinar. Keep in touch.