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director Caron Dunlop believes that, in a world of overlapping and equally important parameters including health and wellbeing, greenhouse gases and governance, social value has emerged as a ‘golden thread’, tying all of them together (Environment Analyst, 6 May 2021). In the UK, revisions to the government's procurement framework, the green book and new accounting guidance PPN 06/20 that came into effect this year, mean that a minimum 10 per cent weighting must now be given to social value in procurement contacts. The significant new policy lever, which has its roots in the 2012 Social Value Act, has been designed to assist in reducing social inequalities, tackling climate change and promoting equal opportunities, as the UK recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.


Mott MacDonald is one of the largest employee-owned companies in the world, with 16,000 staff working in 150 countries. Its website says: “Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in all we do. We improve society by leaving a positive legacy or making a positive difference in the communities in which we work."


Developers must now acquire competence in social value to win both public and private sector contracts, investors value it highly and its metrics are increasingly being incorporated into environmental impact assessment.


While many software products and other assessment tools are available, the Social Value Portal which is supported by the Local Government Association’s social value taskforce is widely used.


Dunlop observed that the 10 per cent social value threshold specified in PPN 06/20 is only a recommended minimum. “I’m aware of some councils putting up to 25 per cent weighting on social value. It’s not one size fits all, it’s a framework." She added: "Also, the pre- construction and construction phases are only the beginning. The bigger story comes when you look at the asset over its lifecycle."


She believes that social value will come more and more into its own, in the post-COVID-19 recovery across the world. "Right now, it’s moving faster than anything else in the built environment. The door is open and everybody in the industry wants to do good things. Social value is about improving people’s lives and allowing them the space and opportunity to thrive and grow. It cuts across lots of elements of the built environment and weaves them all together, creating a wonderful tapestry."


Stellar examples in the industry Trenchless pipe rehabilitation has contributed


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enormously to protecting the environment for decades, by reducing sewer exfiltration and infiltration and removing the need for open trenches. GRP liners were invented in 1971 by Eric Wood so have been in service for 50 years this year. German company Saertex multiCom provides an example of sustainability in action within this industry. By improving its resin manufacturing processes to reduce CO2 emissions by 45 per cent it made its GRP liners more sustainable. It did this by making the use of materials more efficient with reduced wall thicknesses (which saved 25 per cent in raw materials), a lowered energy rate through less energy required to manufacture and cure thinner liners and less energy required on site. It also initiated high levels of training to maximise installation efficiency, quality control and monitoring tests to optimise technical quality (with a predicted life of up to 100 years), the use of UV radiation instead of hot water or steam (up to 66 per cent lower CO2 levels), UV lamps with higher outputs to shorten curing times, an increase in pull- through speeds to reduce energy used on site, and a 45 per cent reduction in CO2 during the resin manufacturing process.


And here’s a great idea: Saertex multiCom customers receive certificates every quarter showing what CO2 savings they have made by using the UPgreen product. Companies serious about improving their own sustainability and engaging with customers at the same time should watch and learn.


Let’s also look at ACO Technologies, from an article in LABM on 26 May 2021. ACO was among the first 14 companies selected by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) as a Business Champion. The initiative enables companies to be role models in the construction industry’s change programme, demonstrating a commitment towards the sector’s drive towards reducing carbon emissions in the delivery and operation of the built environment. ACO was also the first construction products manufacturer to join the CO2instructZero initiative aimed at reducing carbon emissions to meet the Government’s target to be net zero by 2050. ACO reduced its carbon emissions by 31 per cent between 2015 and 2019 through new product developments with more eco-friendly materials, sustainable business practices compliant with ISO 14001 and UN sustainability goals, as well as electricity, gas and vehicle fuel use and recycling.


Dr David Smoker, Technical Director at ACO Technologies, said there was no magic bullet for construction products manufacturers to


| July 2021 | www.draintraderltd.com


reduce their carbon emissions. “The objective of Net Zero will be achieved by a focus on every aspect of a business. This includes business vehicles, plant and equipment, employee behaviour, changing working practices, manufacturing processes and new product development. Added together these can make a major contribution to reducing carbon emissions.”


He concluded: “The objective of Net Zero by 2050 is a goal which will determine the built environment for generations to come and shape the future of the construction industry. We are particularly excited that CO2nstructZero will be bringing people together to share best practice, provide support and agree collaborative action plans that will be fed back to the Government as we work towards a low carbon future. Our primary hope is that the initiative will help deliver a more formal consolidation of approach across the construction industry, helping to stimulate collaborative behaviours across supply chains and a cohesive mindset across all disciplines. It is only through working together that we can achieve Net Zero. While there is still work to be done to achieve targets, CO2nstructZero is a major step in achieving this most important of goals.”


In summary


How do we conclude on a massive subject like sustainability and drainage, except to say that there are many different journeys being taken by many different people and organisations? The most successful routes appear to be those where small, incremental changes are initially made, building up into much greater impacts on what a company makes, uses and disposes of. There are also as many questions as there are answers to the subject, evidence that it is an evolving topic – as it probably should be.


It has taken humans a long time to acknowledge the damage we are doing to the planet and its resources; now perhaps the tide is turning as awareness increases, helped no doubt by severe and dramatic weather events, natural catastrophes, manmade disasters, and all those things that make us think and think again before we casually throw away that plastic wrapper or waste precious energy. Everyone can make a positive impact in a small way, adding up to a massive global impact if we all work together. The legacy we leave behind for those who follow us depends on it.


Thanks to all who helped contribute towards this article and congratulations to those in this industry who are already on their sustainability journey. Keep up the good work!


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