12 months working towards net-zero construction: More steps forward, more to be taken

December is always a moment to take stock. On a personal level, 2022 marked 25 years together with my philosopher and guide – my wife. Professionally, I have focused less on absolute goals and more on the direction of travel and velocity towards them.

Have we moved in the right direction and with momentum versus what we set out to do this year? What’s on the agenda for the next? For me, and my team, our goal is working towards net-zero construction. And, sure enough, that will be our goal next year too.

The journey of decarbonising a hard-to-abate sector like construction means the first thought is to look to the destination, and the road left to travel to get there. That’s key, but what is sometimes lost is the importance of reflecting on the progress made towards our goal.

This year, my team has taken some significant steps forward – from landmark MoUs with industry leaders across the construction sector to bringing new decarbonisation solutions to market. Thank you to all the customers and partners we have worked with – it has been so positive to see first-hand your willingness to be bold, to embrace innovation and new ways of doing business in order to tackle the construction’s twin challenges of cost and carbon.

So, as my first full year as Vice President of Shell Construction and Road ends, I wanted to share three things that I have learnt – about the sector, my team and myself, and reflect on the steps needed to help decarbonise construction.

The construction sector matters!

First was the scale and importance of the construction sector. It employs 255 million people and accounts for 13% of the world’s GDP, and is a growing sector.[1]

But it has a carbon footprint to match. It accounts for almost one third of global carbon emissions. Half of this comes from the operational running of a building, and half accounts for embodied carbon – the materials and processes – in constructed infrastructure. This is often surprising to many as construction is not visible like other hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy-duty road freight, marine or aviation.

When people do think of construction emissions, it’s usually construction sites – hardhats and excavators – that come to mind. Decarbonising site operations is important, but it is other parts of the value chain, such as materials and logistics, that account for the majority of construction emissions, and which also happen to be the most challenging aspects of construction to decarbonise.

But although the scale and challenge of decarbonising construction are significant, it is possible. With a combination of technology, solutions and supportive regulation, we can and will accelerate progress to net zero.

Team and the power of shared ambition

A thank you must also go out to the whole Shell Construction and Road team. When it comes to keeping a business running effectively, we all know that there is often a lot more than meets the eye - with people working hard behind the scenes to make everything run efficiently, especially in a year that was marked with significant global uncertainty and change.

From those who work in roles that are purely focused on the energy transition, to those who are working hard to keep their current business running to deliver for our customers, everyone across the Shell Construction and Road team shares the goal of a decarbonised construction sector and is united in achieving this.

When the size of the task is this big, every contribution marks a valuable step forward. And when the journey is long – a clear shared ambition to reach the destination, underpinned by a positive mindset and strong motivation, is key.

A personal mission

On a more personal level, one learning that really sticks out this year was recognising the importance of creating a platform to help and enable colleagues and customers alike to achieve their aspirations.

By focusing less on delivering results through managing others, and more on building a deeply connected family of colleagues, customers, and partners we can share and own a collective vision for today and tomorrow.

Going further, faster

Shell Construction and Road was established last year with an ambition to help the construction sector on its decarbonisation journey: coming together as a team, within Shell and with partners from across the sector, to develop and implement innovative solutions that can contribute to that aim.   

The sector has taken some important steps this year, but more must be done. We must work together to build yet more momentum in 2023 and push forward with stronger and more concrete actions.

My personal mission will be to continue working with colleagues and customers to shape both the ambition and actions needed now for a net zero future for the sector – taking and encouraging more steps towards that goal.

Through deep collaboration across the value chain, we can maximise learnings and foster innovation, and go further, faster, on our journey to net-zero construction. The Shell Construction and Road team will be right there with our customers to help make this ambition a reality.

[1] Oxford Economics (2021) “Future of Construction” Oxford Economics (2021) “Future of Construction”