CECA has published new guidance to help small and medium-sized businesses in the civil engineering sector to understand carbon reduction and to put the principles of PAS 2080 into practice.
Carbon Reduction and PAS 2080 Demystified brings together two complementary publications: an introduction explaining the terminology and concepts, and a practical how-to guide covering the steps businesses can take to measure, manage and reduce their emissions.
The new guidance has been developed thanks to the expertise of CECA members working in the environment and sustainability space and draws on contractors’ real-world experience to make carbon management more accessible to smaller and specialist firms working in UK infrastructure.
The introductory document explains the relationship between carbon, construction and cost, alongside key terms such as Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, embodied carbon and whole-life carbon.
The accompanying how-to guide takes users through establishing an emissions boundary, gathering data, calculating and reporting emissions, and setting reduction targets. It includes real-world case studies, worked examples, and links to supporting tools and resources, helping businesses seeking either to align with PAS 2080 or work towards certification.
PAS 2080 provides a framework for managing carbon across the lifecycle of buildings and infrastructure. It emphasises collaboration across the supply chain and making carbon reduction part of decisions about how projects are designed, procured, built and operated.
Commenting, CECA Director of Policy & Public Affairs Ben Goodwin said: “Decarbonising the UK infrastructure sector is the most significant challenge facing our members and will only be possible if businesses of all sizes are able to implement the required changes to day-to-day delivery.
“An SME contractor should be able to pick up carbon guidance and understand what to do next: what information to collect, which questions to ask and where changes to its work could make a difference.
“That is what we have set out to provide. These two guides explain the terminology, break down the practical steps, and share experience from businesses that are already applying carbon management to projects.
“Smaller contractors bring detailed knowledge of materials, plant and construction methods, and make up a majority of the UK infrastructure sector.
“Involving them early gives the whole project team a better chance of identifying opportunities to cut carbon, avoid waste and reduce costs.
“Whether a business is taking its first steps or working towards PAS 2080 certification, we want this guidance to give it the confidence to get started and build on its progress.”
The project was led by CECA Sector Group Manager Kate Lloyd. CECA would like to thank the members who took the time to develop this guidance and to those businesses who shared expertise and practical examples.
Both publications can be downloaded below for free and will be periodically reviewed to ensure they remain up to date with the policy landscape. If you would like to input your views, please get in touch at enquiries@ceca.co.uk.
Download the new guidance documents here:
