By Iwona Hutyra, Environment & Green business team manager, Skanska Central Europe
In the face of growing climate challenges, Skanska is acting systematically and consistently to achieve decarbonisation. Our target is to reach net-zero emissions by 2045 by implementing the Skanska transition plan ACT strategy (Awareness, Customer, Transformation), which redefines the way we design, build, and use spaces.
As part of our transformation plan, Skanska has implemented climate strategies tailored to each market in which the company operates. These strategies focus on three key areas: efficient design, material management, and energy management.
In the early design phase, we incorporate sustainable solutions that have the potential to reduce both emissions and costs. Digital tools enhance our efficiency and further reduce emissions through optimised design and planning, as well as digital carbon-dioxide emission calculations integrated with our ERP system. We use BIM models in our projects to improve coordination and collaboration with clients. This helps identify opportunities and risks early in the design process, reducing errors and rework during construction, thereby avoiding emissions and resource consumption.
Proper procurement planning in the early stages of construction creates opportunities to select and use low-emission materials. We focus on products with longer lifespans, products that can be reused, or products that can ultimately be recycled.
We strive to reduce waste and improve efficiency through appropriate design, planning, procurement, and logistics. In the area of the circular economy, we aim for our projects to follow the 3R principle: reduce, reuse, recycle. The circular economy assumes that raw materials and products remain in circulation as long as possible. This means our demand for natural resources decreases, we reduce extraction, generate less waste, and use materials more efficiently—bringing significant environmental and financial benefits.
We continue to purchase electricity from renewable sources and to install renewable energy systems (such as photovoltaic panels and heat pumps) on our projects. We are exploring alternative low-emission fuels such as HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil), a renewable, high-quality diesel alternative made from waste vegetable oils.. We are also analysing the potential for electrifying our machinery fleet, and striving to improve the efficiency of equipment, machinery, and logistics.
Energy optimisation of buildings, environmental certifications (LEED, BREEAM), procurement of low-emission materials, and waste management all have a tangible impact on reducing emissions and operational costs.
