Construction industry accounts for less than 1 % of annual greenhouse emission

Environmental Protection Agency, according to an April 22 release from the Associated General Contractors of America, Arlington, Va..

The AGC of America found that all equipment used by the construction industry contributed less than 0.95 percent of all U.S. manmade greenhouse gas emissions in 2007. The newly released data shows the relative efficiency of a construction industry that currently accounts for more than 5 percent of the U.S. workforce and over 800,000 small businesses, the association noted.

“This data shows that we aren’t just constructing cleaner projects, we’re building a cleaner construction industry,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer, AGC, in the release. “As good as our accomplishments are, we can do even better.” Sandherr said contractors around the country are taking steps to further reduce their emissions and urged other companies to follow suit.

Construction contractors are, for example, turning equipment off instead of letting it idle; maintaining their equipment; using equipment that is properly sized for the specific job; using lower-emitting fuels; and finding local sources for building materials to cut shipping-related emissions. In addition to curbing emissions, Sandherr noted that the construction industry recycles more than any other industry.

For example, the industry recycles 97.5 percent of structural steel, 65 percent of reinforcement steel and 80 percent of asphalt. Together that amounts to almost 180 million tons of material recycled and 75.7 million tons of CO2 emissions avoided each year, Sandherr said, in the release.

The association also urged construction companies nationwide to review a recent EPA report for additional suggestions on ways to reduce emissions. The report, titled “Potential for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Construction Sector” can be found online.