Costain builds carbon tracker to standardise emissions reporting

Costain highlights that the tracker has been successfully implemented across several of Costain’s projects (Photo: Costain)

The platform aims to standardise and enhance carbon emissions reporting across its projects. The company says that the tracker is presented through an interactive online dashboard, allowing project teams to record construction-related emissions, including Scope 3 emissions from the entire supply chain.

The tracker is designed to improve the quality, accuracy, and frequency of data reporting through enhanced data analytics and integration with technical baselines says Costain. The tracker will collect emissions data in real-time from materials and resources used on-site, such as concrete, steel, water, waste, and transportation.

The platform highlights “hotspots” – materials or products that generate a high volume of carbon emissions – enabling project managers to track progress against emissions targets and identify further areas for carbon reduction.

The data is benchmarked against industry and government standards and can be used for broader ESG-related disclosures, including PAS2080 and carbon factors published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Costain highlights that the tracker has been successfully implemented across several of Costain’s projects in road, water, and integrated transport during an initial testing phase. It will be introduced to all relevant projects in the coming months.

Geraint Rowland, group environmental director at Costain, commented, “Environmental data reporting is critical to making net zero a reality, particularly in the construction sector which has a dependency on carbon intensive materials and fuels. It is vital the data we are using is accurate and consistent across our projects and sectors.

“Costain is investing in a visual tracker that aims to standardise the reporting process for our project teams while making it easier for our supply chain to submit the data we need to understand our Scope 3 emissions. Achieving a greater level of accuracy, consistency and granularity will give us a better understanding of how carbon intensive each element of a project is. This means we will be able to make informed decisions that not only reinforce our commitment to delivering predictable, best-in-class infrastructure, but will also improve people’s lives and help protect the planet.”