Thomson, C S and El-Haram, M (2011) Exploring the potential of sustainability action plans within construction projects. In: Egbu, C and Lou, E C W (eds.) Proceedings of 27th Annual ARCOM Conference, 5-7 September 2011, Bristol, UK.
Abstract
The construction industry has been identified as a key enabler in the delivery of UK national carbon emission targets and the wider principles of sustainable development. Increasingly, the industry is being challenged by evolving policy and building standards to change its product and practices to align with sustainable construction. However, delivering sustainability in practice remains a challenge partly due to a range of traditional cultural/ structural barriers, a lack of integration between the different project stages and professions, and the predominance of the carbon agenda at the expense of a broader coverage of issues. Calls are emerging for a more holistic approach to sustainability, and for this to be reflected across the stages of the project and the resultant building lifecycle. In order to realise this, current project management approaches need to reflect this broader view and to engage effectively with the array of sustainability assessment methods available. Sustainability action plans have been applied in a number of contexts as a means of ensuring that sustainability objectives are planned, measured and achievable in practice. This research considers the potential offered by sustainability action plans within construction projects, by evaluating the experience in its application by forward thinking developers BioRegional Quintain Ltd in the Greater Middlehaven Regeneration Project. The analysis outlines the rational for its application, its structure, the role of sustainability assessment and its contribution to the projects development. Interviews were conducted with five key members of the project team, revealing the benefits for wider practice of providing a framework around which sustainability can be managed and assessed through a series of integrated tailored action plans for each project stage, in addition its role in facilitating the sharing of knowledge, communicating aspirations and in providing the necessary leadership to project team members.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | action plan; case study; project management; sustainable construction |
| Index terms: | project management, project team, construction industry, lifecycle, holistic approach, construction project, profession, integration, sustainable development, carbon emission, regeneration project, case study, sustainable construction, sustainability assessment, interview |
| Subjects: | industry analysis, organizational analysis, sustainable construction, project management theory and practice, health safety and environment, production management, sustainability assessment, economic development, project delivery, institututions, climate science, business, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Urban Studies, Organizational Design, Project Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Health and Safety, Sustainability, Roles and Professions |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here