Carbon calculators won't solve construction's carbon problem says Soben

GLASGOW, Scotland, Nov. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global construction consultancy, Soben, is calling for industry-wide improvements to how carbon is calculated and reduced, as it launches a new Carbon Cost Management service. Led by ex-Bouygues Energies & Services UK sustainability lead, Dr Bonahis Oko, Soben's challenge comes at a time of increasing pressure on the industry to focus its net zero efforts on reducing emissions from embodied carbon.

The construction industry will face renewed pressure to support the transition to net zero following the meeting of world leaders at COP27 this month. The industry's role in meeting global goals has the potential to be significant, with construction remaining one of the world's leading polluters, responsible for 39% of global CO2 emissions. Developers may be ahead of the curve, but increasingly contractors are coming across sustainability clauses, and incentivization to encourage carbon reductions. While there have been advancements in reducing operational emissions, a lack of consistent benchmarking and reporting are hindering progress around embodied carbon.

Soben Carbon Cost Management is a response to the need for more accurate baselines to demonstrate the impact of carbon savings. It is designed to provide contractors and developers with transparent, strategic advice around carbon emissions. Soben combines industry-leading sustainability insights, with experienced cost management to go beyond carbon accounting and provide practical carbon cost management advice – promising greater granularity than the basic carbon calculators on the market.

A Chartered Environmentalist, keynote speaker, and environmental thought leader, Dr Oko joins Soben from Bouygues Energies & Services UK, where she held the role of Environment, Carbon and Sustainability Lead, managing delivery of their net zero carbon policy and sustainability strategy.

An expert in designing and delivering net zero strategies, Dr Oko will lead Soben's Sustainability offerings, focusing on helping organisations achieve net zero carbon affordably and sustainably. Her team will help organisations identify greener alternatives – building carbon considerations into cost plans to reduce the overall carbon footprint of construction projects and reduce the cost of carbon offsetting.

Scott Smyth, Soben Founder & CEO said: "There's an urgent need for industry-wide transformation to improve carbon performance – something the basic calculators currently available won't solve. Soben is investing in sustainability to lead the way towards greater clarity and consistency in how carbon is monitored, calculated, and reduced, across the supply chain."

About Soben 

Soben offers something different - a combination of the best consultancy practices, with hands-on commercial experience delivering major construction projects. Founder Scott Smyth started in private practice, before moving to work for contractors as a commercial manager. Scott found that he struggled to identify organisations to support him that understood the commercial reality of being a major contractor working on high-risk projects with low-profit margins.

As a result, Scott founded Soben. Since 2011, we've been supporting some of the world's leading organisations, increasing certainty for their construction investments through cost, project, programme, and risk management consultancy - proudly shaping the future with integrity.