Sectors → Construction

    Carbon consultancy for UK Construction

    From PPN 006 on £5m+ public contracts to RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment on planning applications, UK construction firms are being asked for verified carbon data on every major bid. We make sure yours stands up to evaluator scrutiny.

    Why construction can no longer ignore carbon measurement

    These are the regulatory and commercial pressures already landing on businesses in your sector. Carbon measurement is no longer a marketing project — it is a procurement and compliance requirement.

    PPN 006 on every £5m+ public contract

    Procurement Policy Note 006 requires a compliant Carbon Reduction Plan with verified Scope 1, 2 and selected Scope 3 emissions for any central government contract above £5 million. Most main contractors now cascade this requirement down to Tier-1 and Tier-2 subcontractors as a pass/fail at PQQ stage.

    GOV.UK – PPN 006

    RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment

    The RICS WLCA Standard (2nd edition, 2023) is now referenced by the GLA London Plan, Part Z amendments and most local authority planning policies. Developers, architects and contractors are increasingly required to disclose embodied and operational carbon at planning and on completion.

    RICS – Whole Life Carbon Assessment

    Building Safety Act & client demands

    Tier-1 contractors (Balfour Beatty, Kier, Skanska, Mace, Wates) now require Scope 3 supplier emissions data as part of pre-qualification. Without it you are screened out before the commercial team even sees your bid.

    Building Safety Act 2022

    Typical emissions hotspots in construction

    In construction, embodied carbon in materials and Scope 3 categories 1 (purchased goods) and 11 (use of sold products) typically dwarf direct fuel use on site. A credible footprint has to capture both — most off-the-shelf calculators don't.

    Scope 1 — direct

    Diesel for plant, generators and site vehicles; gas for site cabins; refrigerants in cooling units.

    Scope 2 — purchased energy

    Electricity drawn from the grid for site cabins, tower cranes, welfare units and temporary lighting.

    Scope 3 — value chain

    Concrete, steel, aggregates, timber and bricks (Cat 1); subcontractor travel and HGV deliveries (Cat 4); waste-to-landfill (Cat 5); operational carbon of the completed asset (Cat 11).

    Read our full guide to Scope 3 emissions for UK businesses.

    How we help construction companies

    1

    Carbon Footprint Assessment

    We measure your full Scope 1, 2 and 3 footprint to GHG Protocol — including embodied carbon in materials and subcontractor emissions — and produce a verifier-ready report.

    Carbon Footprint Assessment
    2

    PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan

    We build a CRP that follows the official Annex A template exactly and survives evaluator challenge — the document the buyer's evaluation panel actually wants.

    Carbon Reduction Plan
    3

    Supplier engagement at scale

    Use our Supplier Engagement Portal to chase Scope 3 data from hundreds of subcontractors and material suppliers without spreadsheets or manual follow-ups.

    Supplier Engagement Portal

    Recommended tool

    Supplier Engagement Portal

    Construction firms typically have 200+ active suppliers. Our portal automates the chase so you actually get the Scope 3 data your CRP needs.

    Explore the Supplier Engagement Portal

    Or explore our full toolkit for SMEs working towards net zero.

    Construction clients we've worked with

    Real construction achieving measurable carbon reductions and net zero compliance with our expert carbon consultancy.

    J Hopkins Contractors Carbon Impact Report 2025 — PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan

    J Hopkins Contractors

    <2 weeks
    From data to signed CRP
    PPN 006
    Annex A template compliant

    Highways maintenance and civil engineering contractor delivering road surfacing, kerb repairs and small-scale civils across the UK. We delivered a fully compliant, audit-ready PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan in under 2 weeks for their National Highways tender submission.

    Key Results:

    • National Highways — Tender submission accepted
    • Scope 1, 2, 3 — Full GHG Protocol footprint

    Construction carbon FAQs

    A consultant-led approach for construction

    We work with UK SMEs across construction on consultant-led Carbon Footprint Assessments, PPN 006-aligned Carbon Reduction Plans and ISO 14068 carbon neutral certification — every output reviewed by our team, not auto-generated.

    Ready to Start Your Carbon Journey?

    Contact our team today and join hundreds of organisations already reducing their carbon footprint and achieving net zero compliance with expert guidance.

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