ethical sourcing: a designer’s guide -...

ETHICAL SOURCING:

A DESIGNER’S GUIDE

VERSION 1.0

Abbreviations & Acronyms 2

INTRODUCTION TO THE GUIDE 3

1. SPECIFYING WITH ETHICAL INTENT 4

1.1 Enhancing the RIBA Plan of Work 2013 4 1.2 Key changes to design process considerations in 5 CDM Regulations 2015 1.3 Protecting specifications 6 1.4 Sourcing Locally 6 1.5 Using Product Data 7 1.6 The role of Digital Design & BIM 8

2. UNPACKING ETHICS AS AN ISSUE 9

2.1 Debating Ethical Sourcing 9 2.2 The Origins of Ethical Sourcing 10 2.3 Ethical Sourcing in other sectors 10 2.4 Product Progress to Date 11

3. UNDERSTANDING ETHICAL AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITIES 12

3.1 Being aware of the ILO: Declarations of Rights of Work 12 3.2 Understanding the ETI- Base Code & Principles of Implementation 12 3.3 Upholding Professional Ethics 13

4. KNOWING YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN 14

4.1 Mapping the Chain of Custody 14 4.2 Improving Supply Chain Transparency 15 4.3 Influencing Procurement 16 4.4 How to interpret ‘Good Governance’ 17 4.5 Using Product Data effectively 19 4.6 Seeking out Certification 20

5. PRODUCTS - UNDERSTANDING TRADE-OFFS 21

5.1 Commonly-specified products 21 5.2 The Challenges with Complex Products 21 5.3 Specifying Recycled and Reclaimed Products 21 5.4 Temporary works 22

6. COMMUNICATING THE VALUE OF A PROJECT 22

6.1 Marketing and Product Labelling 22 6.2 Making Ethical Claims 24 6.3 Conducting Social Audits 24

Summary 25References 26Official: Manifesto for Ethical Sourcing in Construction 27

Case Studies

Simons Group Ltd 28 Buro Happold 29 Crossrail 30

TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS

ETHICAL SOURCING: A DESIGNER’S GUIDE

AESOP An Ethical and Social Portfolio for construction professionals

BBA British Board of Agrément

BES 6001 The Framework Standard for Responsible Sourcing published by BRE Global

BIM Building Information Modelling

BS8902 Responsible sourcing sector certification schemes for construction products. Specification, published by BSi

BS8903 Principles and framework for procuring sustainably. Guide, published by BSi

CARES Certification Authority for Reinforcing Steels

CDM Construction Design and Management

CDM-C Construction Design and Management - Coordinator

EPD Environmental Product Declaration

EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

ETI Ethical Trading Initiative

FSC Forestry Stewardship Council

GRI Global Reporting Initiative

GWP Global Warming Potential

ICE Institution of Civil Engineers

ILO International Labour Organisation

LCA Life Cycle Assessment

PEFC Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification

RIBA Royal Institute of British Architects

SEDEX Supplier Ethical Data Exchange


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Designers, Engineers and Specifiers play a significant role in the construction industry. Often involved from the early stages of projects through to realisation and post occupancy/use. The role of these professionals has evolved over time and there are increasing demands on such individuals to consider non-technical issues. One such issue is that of Ethical Sourcing; the lack of general support and guidance on this topic for the design community was acknowledged by Loughborough University who sought funding for this publication from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The aim of this guide is to improve awareness and literacy on the wider interpretation of ethical sourcing. In this guide we use the term to mean more than standard social issues; there is a moral imperative to consider the ethics of the environment too.

We hope that this guide will be widely used and referenced and help designers better navigate through this emerging and sometimes conflicting subject.

Responsible Solutions Ltd – Research contractor

The various chapters of the Guide follow a simple layout, with a main chapter heading followed by a short introduction and a set of sub-headings. At the end of each chapter there is a Key Actions area (highlighted in a light blue box) which summarises the most significant items to consider in future projects.

The RIBA Plan of Work is a well-established guiding framework for architects and other specifiers. As such we have sought to align the various chapters in this Guide to these plan stages. We have included a copy of the RIBA Green Overlay to the Plan of Work to demonstrate the congruence between this Guide and existing approaches. We envisage that this Guide will add more detailed Guidance to practitioners than currently publically available information.

Industry practitioners helped to create the ‘Manifesto’ for Ethical Sourcing in Construction’ which was co-created

virtually and then agreed upon in a physical workshop. This manifesto consists of ten pledge points covering a range of ethical issues. These have been aligned to the respective chapters to highlight key terms that may be connected to the matters arising from that chapter.

The Manifesto points are highlighted in grey boxes and are embedded into the main text of each relevant chapter.

Towards the end of the guide a full copy of the Manifesto is provided along with case studies from a range of companies across the supply chain demonstrating how they have faced these ethical sourcing challenges and witnessed the business benefits of doing so.

This guide was written by Responsible Solutions Ltd with support and insight from the partners and advocates of the EPSRC AESOP project run through Loughborough University.

INTRODUCTION TO THE GUIDE

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

ACTION PROGRAMME FOR RESPONSIBLE SOURCING (APRES)The Action Programme for Responsible Sourcing (APRES; see http://apres.lboro.ac.uk) has been based at Loughborough University since 2010. It is supported by a number of academic and industry partners and facilitates knowledge dissemination through a community ‘hub’. It aims to stimulate creative thinking on responsible sourcing and develop new research ideas to provide guidance to the UK construction industry. It is free to join as an associate member and holds an annual conference, attracting a diverse range of people from both industry and academia to share perspectives and ideas on responsible sourcing. Following a successful bid by APRES to Loughborough University’s Enterprise Projects Group, further funding was secured to create new resources on ethical sourcing; the AESOP project, which is aimed at a range of industry stakeholders. This guide forms one of the main outputs of this AESOP project.

CONTACT USFor further information on this evolving topic or to discuss any aspect of this Guide please do not hesitate to contact the research contractor, Responsible Solutions Ltd, [email protected] or call 01509 320100.

1.1 ENHANCING THE RIBA PLAN OF WORK 2013

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has a widely adopted Plan of Work. The table below shows the Sustainability checkpoints for each stage as represented by the Green Overlay:

The key part of any design is the product specification; whilst many architects and engineers need to add the line “or equivalent or approved” after any named product, there is an opportunity to specify other characteristics. This chapter also makes reference to changes in the CDM Regulations. There are debates surrounding local sourcing and what the term local actually means. Others support the view that we need to be designing for less products in the project altogether. The digital nature of design and specification is also becoming a popular topic with the requirements of BIM.

A number of issues and topics covered in the Green Overlay are addressed in this Guide; this will improve general understanding on these issues and help promote greater literacy amongst practitioners.

1. SPECIFYING WITH ETHICAL INTENT


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RIBA Stage Sustainability Checkpoints

0 Ensure that a strategic sustainability review of client needs and potential sites has been carried out, including reuse of existing facilities, building components or materials

1 Confirm that formal sustainability targets, environmental requirements, building lifespan and future climate parameters are stated in the Initial Project Brief.Have early stage consultations, surveys or monitoring been undertaken as necessary to meet sustainability criteria or assessment procedures?Check that the principles of the Handover Strategy and post-completion services are included in each party’s Schedule of Services.Confirm that the Site Waste Management Plan has been implemented

2 Confirm that formal sustainability pre-assessment and identification of key areas of design focus have been undertaken and that any deviation from the Sustainability Aspirations has been reported and agreed.Has the initial Building Regulations Part L assessment been carried out?Have ‘plain English’ descriptions of internal environmental conditions and seasonal control strategies and systems been prepared?Has the environmental impact of key materials and the Construction Strategy been checked?Has resilience to future changes in climate been considered?

3 Has a full formal sustainability assessment been carried out?Have an interim Building Regulations Part L assessment and a design stage carbon/energy declaration been undertaken?Has the design been reviewed to identify opportunities to reduce resource use and waste and the results recorded in the Site Waste Management Plan?

4 Is the formal sustainability assessment substantially complete?Have details been audited for airtightness and continuity of insulation?Has the Building Regulations Part L submission been made and the design stage carbon/energy declaration been updated and the future climate impact assessment prepared?Has a non-technical user guide been drafted and have the format and content of the Part L log book been agreed?Has all outstanding design stage sustainability assessment information been submitted?Are building Handover Strategy and monitoring technologies specified?Have the implications of changes to the specification or design been reviewed against agreed sustainability criteria?Has compliance of agreed sustainability criteria for contributions by specialist subcontractors been demonstrated?

5 Has the design stage sustainability assessment been certified?Have sustainability procedures been developed with the contractor and included in the Construction Strategy?Has the detailed commissioning and Handover Strategy programme been reviewed?Confirm that the contractor’s interim testing and monitoring of construction has been reviewed and observed, particularly in relation to airtightness and continuity of insulation.Is the non-technical user guide complete and has the aftercare service been set up?Has the ‘As Constructed’ Information been issued for post-construction sustainability certification?

6 Has assistance with the collation of post-completion information for final sustainability certification been provided?

7 Has observation of the building operation in use and assistance with fine tuning and guidance for occupants been undertaken?Has the energy/carbon performance been declared?

1.2 KEY CHANGES TO DESIGN PROCESS CONSIDERATIONS IN CDM REGULATIONS 2015


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The CDM Regulations 2015 came into force from 6 April 20151 and the key changes include:

• The role of CDM co-ordinator (CDM-C)… removed and a new role of principal designer introduced.

• Responsibility for the management and co-ordination of health and safety issues is placed at the heart of the design team, and the architect or lead designer would appear to be the natural choice for the role of principal designer on most building projects.

• The Regulations apply to all clients, including domestic clients.

RIBA has included exclusive guidance on these changes such as an overview of the new regulations and information on the principal designer1. These are provided in a range of documents on the RIBA website (www.architecture.co.uk); an extract from ‘CDM Regulation 2015: The Principal Designer – Dispelling myths’2 is provided here:

The Principal Designer is not a simple replacement for the old administrative-led CDM-C

The Principal Designer is a new role, with a new design perspective and fewer and different duties. Other previous CDM-C duties have been distributed to the Client and Principal Contractor.

The Principal Designer does not take on more onerous responsibilities than the CDM-C

While the duties are ultimately subject to criminal law and need to be undertaken with professional care, they are straightforward and easily integrated within the ability of an experienced architect or designer. Note that they need to be in proportion to the project being undertaken. The duties are also within the legal principle of “reasonable practicability”; otherwise known as “So far as reasonably practicable” (SFARP).

The Principal Designer is not responsible for all design risks

Design risks need to be reviewed, highlighted and managed by the relevant designers on the project. That said, the Principal Designer will need to coordinate these risks with those of the other designers on the project and should also be a designer themselves.

The Principal Designer is not responsible for performance of the entire construction team.

The Principal Designer is just responsible for the management and organisation of the health and safety aspects and information where there is design work being undertaken. Sometimes the Principal Designer will also be undertaking the role of lead designer or project lead that can attract other management responsibilities.

The Principal Designer is not a heavy-weight administration role

If organised properly and undertaken in proportion to the project, there is no need for the Principal Designer role to be unnecessarily onerous, but it will require additional time and resources for coordination rather than acting simply as a designer, and appropriate fees will need to be charged. The Principal Designer role should be integrated with normal designer activities.

The Principal Designer is “…a person or organisation that prepares, designs and/or specifies products for use in construction”. In the context of the CDM this relates to the Health & Safety of the pre-construction design. Product choices may have to be traded off or decisions made between equally ‘safe’ products that do not adversely impact the environmental and/or the social ethical values being sought after by the project team. Designers need to be aware of this additional role which is intended to be complimentary to the traditional role of the designer.

VII. Optimise social, environmental and economic impacts and opportunities of complex/manufactured products over their entire lifecycle;

#lifecycleassessment #wholelifecosting #socialvalue

Life cycle thinking and having a life cycle perspective is something that designers have been conscious of for some time. The whole life consideration of products is increasingly significant in a resource constrained world.


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1.3 PROTECTING SPECIFICATIONSMost design will start with the client brief; with key aspects of that brief helping to determine how much influence the designer will have on the product specification. There is an opportunity at this early stage to de-risk the project with appropriate design choices.

It is important to identify indicators and metrics for supply chain transparency and ethical compliance with adequate measurement. Some higher profile projects often have clearly defined values for the project and therefore it is easier to understand the product issues for that project.

The contract type can have a significant bearing on the engagement and outcomes of the design. Those projects where the contractor or developer has a longer term incentive to make investments in design will be more inclined to look at whole life cost and value (social, ethical and environmental) rather than simply capital cost.

Through a set of reasonable and agreed assumptions it is often possible to justify more sustainable decisions relating to design and the specification of product choices.

As with any project there will inevitably be trade-offs between the aspirational and practical. The time constraint on projects often means that some more sustainable options are value engineered out of the project. Embedding the core ethical considerations will ensure that this does not happen. Protecting ethical specification avoids risk.

1.4 SOURCING LOCALLYThere are different schools of thought on the definition of ‘local’; some give a distance of 30km, others a time frame of an hour, others talk about the country of operation. Simply choosing to source all products from the local builders’ merchant (whilst clearly good for the very local economy) may not be in keeping with the spirit of the desire to source products locally. There is already documented evidence on the local multiplier effect, (where purchasing locally recirculates business and provides opportunities such as jobs and training) and the value construction generates for the economy.

The construction supply chain is peppered with distributors making it more challenging to truly understand where products have come from. There are also trade-offs to consider, for example, specifying local sourcing may inhibit the use of a particularly innovative system from Germany. Some products are not made in the UK; therefore, does the definition of local then become the EU for that product? A local product may not have a circular life cycle compared to one that does which is sourced from further afield. There could also be some consideration regarding the economic impacts and benefits of procurement from one location versus another. For example, a very locally produced product might be preferable but may pose risks in terms of availability for the asset owner; a regionally sourced product may have lower risk and may help support that business in a different way

An example of a local sourcing initiative is the ‘Grown in Britain’ campaign (www.growninbritain.org), which was borne directly out of a 2012 report submitted to government advising on the future direction of woodland and forestry policy in England. This campaign has resulted in increased efforts from the UK timber sector to promote indigenous wood products from timber sourced from British woods and forests.

VIII. Design, specify and procure materials, products and services with the greatest circular-economy benefits;

#recycled #reclaimed #scarcity #circulareconomy #cradletocradle #startwiththeendinmind

Moving from a linear model of take, make, consume and dispose is not viable in the long term. Designers have an opportunity to specify products and services that have longer term benefits that may be beyond the life cycle of the project itself.


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1.5 USING PRODUCT DATADefining a ‘sustainable’ product is a somewhat subjective exercise; people have their own views on what ‘sustainable’ and indeed ‘ethical’ mean. Some prefer the term ‘less unsustainable’ as the term sustainable product can seem a bit of a stretch for some construction products.

Efficient design and resource efficient design can create the same construction asset with fewer products in the first place. However, the natural extension to this is designing for a circular economy and re-use that brings in a number of other parameters and different business models. In the drive for increased transparency product manufacturers are reporting on life cycle impacts through Environmental Product Declarations (EPD).

Increased transparency of environmental data now gives designers and specifiers more confidence regarding the environmental impacts of that product. Whilst there is still much to do to improve the literacy surrounding the interpretation of these data it is certainly a welcome step forward.

An example of part of the output from an EPD is shown for information. As more data become available it will be possible to benchmark products with similar uses to inform decision making at the specification stage.

IX. Specify and procure using credible and recognised responsible sourcing and certification schemes, where available;

#standards #thirdpartyvalidation #credibility #confidence

The role of standards and accreditation schemes is often debated and the value they can offer to specifiers can be equally variable. Reputable schemes can offer a baseline from which to make general comparisons and estimations of organisational or product performance.

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RESULTS OF THE LCA - ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: per m2 15mm Gyproc SoundBloc

Parameters

Product stage

Construction process stage Use stage End-of-life stage

D Re

use,

reco

very

, re

cycl

ing

A1 /

A2 /

A3

A4 T

rans

port

A5 In

stal

latio

n

B1 U

se

B2

Mai

nten

ance

B3 R

epai

r

B4

Repl

acem

ent

B5

Refu

rbis

hmen

t

B6 O

pera

tiona

l en

ergy

use

B7 O

pera

tiona

l w

ater

use

C1

Deco

nstru

ctio

n / d

emol

ition

C2 T

rans

port

C3 W

aste

pr

oces

sing

C4 D

ispo

sal

Global Warming Potential (GWP) - kg CO2 equiv/FU

3.5E+00 2.1E-01 1.3E-01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.9E-02 0 0 MND

The global warming potential of a gas refers to the total contribution to global warming resulting from the emission of one unit of that gas relative to one unit of the reference gas, carbon dioxide, which is assigned a value of 1.

Ozone Depletion (ODP) kg CFC 11 equiv/FU

1.2E-07 1.5E-07 2.7E-08 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.3E-08 0 0 MND

Destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer which shields the earth from ultraviolet radiation harmful to life. This destruction of ozone is caused by the breakdown of certain chlorine and/or bromine containing compounds (chlorofluorocarbons or halons),

which break down when they reach the stratosphere and then catalytically destroy ozone molecules.

Acidification potential (AP) kg SO2 equiv/FU

1.1E-02 1.3E-03 5.9E-04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.1E-04 0 0 MND

Acid depositions have negative impacts on natural ecosystems and the man-made environment incl. buildings. The main sources for emissions of acidifying substances are agriculture and fossil fuel combustion used for electricity production, heating and transport.

Eutrophication potential (EP) kg (PO4)3- equiv/FU

1.2E-03 3.1E-04 8.5E-05 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.8E-05 0 7.6E-04 MND

Excessive enrichment of waters and continental surfaces with nutrients, and the associated adverse biological effects.

Photochemical ozone creation (POPC) kg Ethene equiv/FU

1.1E-03 2.8E-05 3.7E-05 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.5E-06 0 0 MND

Chemical reactions brought about by the light energy of the sun. The reaction of nitrogen oxides with hydrocarbons in the presence of sunlight to form ozone is an example of a photochemical reaction.

Abiotic depletion potential for non-fossil resources (ADP-elements) - kg Sb equiv/FU

4.7E-07 3.4E-11 5.5E-09 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.0E-12 0 0 MND

Abiotic depletion potential for fossil resources (ADP-fossil fuels) - MJ/FU

5.2E+01 2.6E+00 2.0E+00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.3E-01 0 0 MND

Consumption of non-renewable resources, thereby lowering their availability for future generations.

EPD extract and Life Cycle diagram reproduced with permission from British Gypsum

3BIM Industry Working Group

The levels of BIM are:

0. Unmanaged CAD, probably in a 2D form, with paper (or electronic paper)

1. Managed CAD in 2 or 3D format providing a common data environment

2. Managed 3D environment held in separate discipline “BIM” tools with attached data. Commercial data managed by an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). The approach may utilise 4D Programme data and 5D cost elements.

3. Fully open process and data integration. Managed by a collaborative model server. Could be regarded as iBIM or 6D.

BIM is about developing a network of data relating to the project in a more collaborative and open manner. In time it will be easier to access environmental, ethical and supply chain data via a BIM mechanism. Essentially BIM will support the coalescing of product data into a digital environment that is more open, collaborative and transparent.

An example of digital design incorporating BIM elements is the application ‘Tally’ which quantifies ‘the environmental impact of building materials for a whole building analysis as well as comparative analyses of design options’4, resulting in a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This tool has been specifically designed for architects and designers.


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1.6 THE ROLE OF DIGITAL DESIGN & BIMBuilding Information Modelling (BIM) is less about the software packages designers’ use, but more about the collaborative nature of the data surrounding construction products, materials and systems.

Key Actions

• Understand the values of the project/ client; what is material to them?

• Develop and agree the core suite of measures

• Agree on outcomes – what does good look like

• Have greater awareness on any trade-offs and make appropriate choices

• Embrace efficiencies brought through technology

Image reproduced with kind permission from the BIM Task Group (http://www.bimtaskgroup.org) (Original copyright © 2011 Mark Bew, Mervyn Richards and the British Standards Institute (BSi)).3


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2.1 DEBATING ETHICAL SOURCINGWhat do we mean by ethical sourcing? ‘Ethical sourcing focuses on conducting sourcing activities at the highest possible standards of responsible, sustainable and socially aware business practice. While the primary goal is to ensure that products, goods and services are produced and delivered ethically, responsibility extends beyond the act of sourcing goods and services. It also includes the processes of evaluating and engaging with a supply market through to managing relationships with suppliers’5

What about responsible sourcing? Is this not the same thing? In recent years a driver within the construction industry has been responsible sourcing, and in particular certification to BRE’s BES 6001 framework standard. Responsible sourcing, however, focuses primarily on environmental impacts with elements of social and economic considerations for a product or organisation.

Ethical sourcing for designers should be considered as the stage before responsible sourcing and it considers the environmental impacts as well as the wider social and economic impact on the workers creating, developing and processing the product throughout its journey from production to provision.

For ethic al sourcing, designers should consider both the products themselves and the track record of companies in the supply chain on the following issues:

• Bribery and corruption• Labour and worker’s rights• Sustainable development• Traceability & transparency• Legality of products• Complex/manufactured products• Circular economy• Certification & accreditation• Openness & communication• Health, safety & well-being

This chapter introduces the origins and concept of ethical sourcing and its linkages to design and construction products.

2. UNPACKING ETHICS AS AN ISSUE

III. Evaluate and address together the economic, social and environmental sustainability challenges and impacts of sourcing labour, materials, products and services;

#environmentalimpact #socialimpact #economicimpact #triplebottomline #jobcreation #investment #pollution #resourcedepletion

By evaluating the economic, social and environmental impacts of design and specification decisions there is a greater likelihood that identified risks can be understood and mitigated. Some of these challenges may not be addressed because of a single specification, but the improving understanding of the issues will help to influence future specifications.


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2.2 THE ORIGINS OF ETHICAL SOURCINGThe origins behind ethical sourcing can be readily identified with the formation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO; www.ilo.org) in 1919 as part of the Treaty of Versailles. This brought together representatives from governments, employers and worker representatives to seek implementation of social justice in securing peace and stopping the exploitation of workers. The UK is a founding and current member state of the ILO. However, the idea for an international organisation can be traced further back into the nineteenth century to two industrialists: Robert Owens and Daniel Legrand.

The ILO’s Constitution states that representatives were ’moved by sentiments of justice and humanity as well as by the desire to secure the permanent peace of the world’6.

More recently standards have been introduced containing elements of ethical sourcing, such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI; www.globalreporting.org), SA 8000 (www.sa-intl.org) (both 1997), Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI; www.ethicaltrade.org) (1998) and AA1000 (www.accountability.org) (1999). An example of a company at the forefront of ethics is The Body Shop, first established in 1976. The Body Shop’s ‘Our Values’ states that ‘Ethical Trading is about brands, retailers and suppliers taking responsibility for the working conditions of the people who make the products they sell. It’s about making sure that workers are treated fairly, with dignity and respect’7.

2.3 ETHICAL SOURCING IN OTHER SECTORSIn other sectors ethical sourcing has become a lot more prevalent. In particular, it is commonly associated with the clothing/textile and food sectors.

One of the most recognisable labels for ethical sourcing in the food industry is Fairtrade (www.fairtrade.org.uk). Through work with smallholding farmers and businesses who adopt the Fairtrade Standards, the aim is to provide a better deal from the trade of their goods to the eventual end consumer and also to provide decent wages, allow trade unions, ensure health and safety standards and provide adequate housing where relevant. The Fairtrade programme now covers a wide range of products, including: Bananas, Cocoa, Sugar, Tea, Fresh Fruit, Honey, Juices, Rice, Spices and Herbs and Wine. Outside of the food sector it has also expanded to include: Cotton, Flowers, Gold and Sports balls.

There are a number of other schemes available to help manage and record ethical souring practices and transparency in the supply chain, such as SEDEX (www.sedexglobal.com) and Segura Systems (www.segurasystems.com).

VI. Demonstrate materials are of legal origin;

#mining #extractives #forestry #commodities #rawmaterials

Understanding the true source of materials is becoming more critical for specifiers. High level investigations have drawn much attention on the real source of products and materials. Legislation in some areas such as timber sourcing has been strengthened in recent years.


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2.4 PRODUCT PROGRESS TO DATEThe nature of some construction projects and some of the products used should make it easy to establish ethical sourcing because construction can use raw, recycled or reclaimed materials and/or composite products. However, there are only a handful of truly recognisable construction products that can lay claim to ethical sourcing.

The use of sustainable timber is widely specified and incorporated into construction projects. This is strengthened in Europe through the EU Timber Regulations, which aims to ‘prohibit the importation and use of illegally harvested timber and timbers products’8 in the EU.

The ethics involved in sustainable timber not only covers the workers involved in its harvesting and production but, also those potentially affected through the use of illegally sourced timber, such as indigenous people living within the forests.

There are two approaches in the natural stone sector: the Fair Stone standard (www.en-fairstone.org) developed by WiN=WiN GmbH and a membership scheme: the TFT Responsible Stone Programme (www.tft-earth.org). Natural stone suffers from some negative publicity9, especially when sourced from countries such as India and China, where working conditions have been found to be poor and the use of child labour is not uncommon. The standard produced by Fair Stone aims to improve the working conditions in both stone processing factories and quarries. The TFT Responsible Stone Programme mission is to respect the environment and improve the lives of the people working in quarries and factories.

Other examples of the ethical sourcing requirements sometimes specified in construction contract conditions include, compliance to the ETI Base Code or suppliers being registered with SEDEX. The ETI have also worked closely with a number of stone companies on developing a guide for the ethical of natural stone from Rajasthan, India.10 The guide covers the management of labour standards both within the supply chain and the workplace, as well as an ‘ethical sourcing toolkit’ and ‘labour standards toolkit for stone suppliers’.

Designers should also be aware of a range of construction products that have now achieved certification to responsible sourcing standards such as BES 6001 or other BS 8902 compliant sector schemes. This is a good starting point and certified products include aggregates, cementitious products, concrete, steel products and plasterboard. However, not all products are yet certified under responsible sourcing schemes11, and a full list of those certified can be found on BRE’s Green Book Live website (www.greenbooklive.com).’

The sustainability assessment and award schemes BREEAM and CEEQUAL both recognise and award points for the projects that consider and implement responsibly sourced products.

Key Actions

• Ethical Sourcing = Consideration of all potential economic, social and environmental issues from a product

• Some product sectors have established specific certification schemes; designers need to be aware of these

• Less mature product sectors do not have certification schemes, therefore checks should made against the ILO principles

3.1 BEING AWARE OF THE ILO: DECLARATIONS OF RIGHTS OF WORKThe mission statement from the ILO states that it ‘is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognised human and labour rights, pursuing its founding missions that labour peace is essential to prosperity’ 12. As part of this mission statement the ILO has four main strategic objectives:

1. Promote and realise standards and fundamental principles and rights at work

2. Create greater opportunities for women and men to decent employment and income

3. Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all

4. Strengthen tripartism and social dialogue

The Declaration of Rights of Work from the first strategic objective commits each Member State (regardless of economic development) to respect and promote principles and rights to work in four categories. The four categories are:

1. Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining

2. Elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour

3. Effective abolition of child labour

4. Elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation

3.2 UNDERSTANDING THE ETI- BASE CODE & PRINCIPLES OF IMPLEMENTATIONThe ETI aims to promote improved working conditions through the implementation of codes of labour practice. It focuses on worker’s rights and the responsibility of buying companies for the rights of the workers in the supply chain.

To counter a lack of credibility and verified independence the ETI established the ETI Base Code which is based on the ILO’s Conventions, with a central aim of improving working conditions. There are nine ETI Base Code principles:

1. Employment is freely chosen;

2. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected;

3. Working conditions are safe and hygienic;

4. Child labour shall not be used;

5. Living wages are paid;

6. Working hours are not excessive;

7. No discrimination is practised;

8. Regular employment is provided;

9. No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed.

Membership to the ETI means that members are expected to adopt or incorporate the Base Code and require their suppliers to meet agreed standards with performance measured, transparency and ultimately, a precondition to further business.

Audits against the ETI Base Code can be carried out by independent certification or auditing bodies from the ETI. In addition to the Base Code and the Principles of Implementation (covered in the next chapter) members are required to submit annual reports to the ETI Board regarding their efforts within the supply chain.

3. UNDERSTANDING ETHICAL AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITIES


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This chapter introduces the ETI’s Base Code and its foundations and also the moral considerations of specifying ethically sourced products.

These principles set out what is expected of ETI members and also help to inform what is reported within the annual report. The six principles are:

1. Commitment to ethical trading

2. Integrating ethical trade into company culture and business practices

3. Capacity-building for suppliers and others

4. Identifying problems in the supply chain

5. Improvement actions

6. Transparency

‘The Principles of Implementation define the commitments, management practices and behaviours required of corporate members to implement the ETI Base Code’13 in the company and within the company’s suppliers and supply chain. ETI members are listed on the ETI website. (www.ethicaltrade.org).

3.3 UPHOLDING PROFESSIONAL ETHICSThere is an added dimension to ethical specification that underpins the very professional nature of specification throughout the architectural and engineering disciplines. This is the code of professional practice/conduct whereby the individual is required to act in a responsible (and therefore ethical) manner.

The RIBA state:

“The Royal Institute’s Values – Honesty, integrity and competency, as well as concern for others and for the environment…”14

Similarly the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) state:

“The duty upon members of the ICE to behave ethically is, in effect, the duty to behave honourably…” and in addition “…protect the health and well-being of present and future generations and to show due regard for the environment and for the sustainable management of natural resources.”15

Ethical considerations, such as those highlighted in the above statements, are often biased towards social issues; the authors would offer a view that designers have a moral duty to also consider environmental aspects within their ethical considerations. We are all custodians of the natural environment and so these environmental aspects need to be considered more broadly than from purely a traditional ‘environmental’ point of view.

An individual specifier can design in and specify the need to ‘do the right thing’, but this may not be included within the client’s brief and hence many not be realistic in terms of budgets and other resource constraints. It is the role of the specifier to provide the most ethical and responsible design within these project parameters.

3. UNDERSTANDING ETHICAL AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITIES II. Adopt the Ethical Trading Initiative’s (ETI) Base Code and work collaboratively with all supply chain organisations on its implementation;

#antislavery #forcedlabour #childlabour #exploitation #modernslavery #Health&Safety #freedomofassociation #discrimination

The ETI Base Code is a widely recognised and well established platform to start understanding ethical issues in the supply chain. The emphasis on collaborative working is fundamental to create lasting change; specifiers and designers have a key role to play.


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Key Actions/Considerations:

• ETI Base Code is one of the main drivers for identifying Ethical Sourcing; Designers should make themselves aware of it

• Ethical Sourcing is about ‘doing the right thing’ for both the environment and society and aligns to the code of ethics of the professional institutions

The ability for designers to demonstrate to clients where products are likely to be sourced from is a key feature of Ethical Sourcing and Sustainable Procurement. This chapter highlights some of the processes involved and an overview of schemes, standards and certifications developed to assist organisations in this area.

4. KNOWING YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN


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4.1 MAPPING THE CHAIN OF CUSTODYA chain of custody is used to demonstrate a products’ traceability. It follows and records the route along the supply chain documenting the journey to the end user or owner in order to prove that the product has in fact been sourced ethically.

A product that holds chain of custody certification can provide assurances that it has been supplied from an ethical source and the supply chain (e.g. producers, processors, traders and packagers) also meet accepted ethical practices.

There are two schemes in particular that offer chain of custody certification; these are the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) specifically for timber and timber products. Other certification schemes are available; however, FSC and PEFC are the most widely recognised schemes.

FSC provides certification and labelling for both forest management and chain of custody. Certified schemes are required to meet the 10 FSC Principles, which include a number of ethical responsibilities, particularly within:

• Indigenous peoples’ rights (Principle 3)

• Community relations and worker’s rights (Principle 4)

• Benefits from the forest (Principles 5)

PEFC is focused on promoting sustainable forest management. Just like FSC, PEFC offers both forest management and chain of custody, but it also endorses national standards. Those applying for certification under the PEFC Chain of Custody of Forest Based Products scheme are required to meet the requirements of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

The chain of custody for timber and timber products typically covers manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, sawmills, printers, paper merchants, plantations and forests. FSC and PEFC certification can be checked online via databases on the respective websites (www.fsc-uk.org and www.pefc.org).

There are several benefits for specifying the use of products that have a chain of custody. It provides documented assurances that the product is ethically sourced, which can then be used to satisfy company policies and objectives or meet the requirements of external stakeholders such as clients, contractors, customers, investors and external certifications. Other benefits include the compliance with legislation, such as the EU Timber Regulations.

VI. Demonstrate a traceable and transparent supply chain for labour, materials, products and services;

#chainofcustody #supplychainmanagement #provenance

Product and material supply chain transparency is gradually improving in some sectors. The release of the Modern Slavery Act in October 2015 now forces companies with an annual turnover of £36m or more to report on modern slavery in their supply chain. Labour providers are commonplace in the construction industry and issues such as forced/bonded labour and the legal status of workers will be increasingly scrutinised.


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Supply chain transparency ‘captures the extent to which information about the companies, suppliers and sourcing location is readily available to end-users and other companies in the supply chain.’16

Previously this area has had specific interest in organic foods and ‘conflict-free’ diamonds; however, recent conflicts in Africa have raised the awareness of conflict minerals. Other issues covered under supply chain transparency include; deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion.

Conflict minerals are minerals that are acquired from countries, typically under an armed conflict, through the exploitation of workers usually under duress. The minerals mined deplete a region’s and/or nation’s natural resource for the benefit of others, such as funding smugglers and militant groups. The common conflict minerals are: cassiterite (tin), Coltan (tantalum), wolframite (tungsten) and gold.

As a result, clients, end-users and/or customers of projects are requesting information and evidence on the origin of products used. Designers should be wary and aware of the potential for conflict minerals to be included within specified products. There have been several investigations that have exposed an organisation’s supply chain resulting in the identification of products being produced and sourced in contravention of the ILO Principles and from conflict areas. The issue of supply chain transparency affects all organisations regardless of size.

The not-for-profit membership organisation SEDEX is an example of how organisations can demonstrate supply chain transparency. It provides a database for its members to share information from buyers and suppliers with regards to four key areas:

1. Labour standards;

2. Health & Safety;

3. The environment; and

4. Business ethics.

Gaining certification to BES 6001 also ‘provides a company with the knowledge that constituent materials have been sourced from suppliers where traceability and transparency can be proved.’18

4.2 IMPROVING SUPPLY CHAIN TRANSPARENCY

Cassiterite (Tin) – Often used to coat other metals to prevent their corrosion and to create alloys

Coltan (Tantalum) – Stores electricity and is used in alloys for its strength

Wolframite (Tungsten) – Commonly used in tools, cell phones and high-temperature situations

Gold – Malleable, not high corrosive and highly conductive to electricity and heat

Electronics Electronics Electronics Electronics

Wire and cable coating Capacitors & high-power resistors

Halogen lamps Connectors

Radiator heater tanks Wires Fluorescent light bulbs Wires

Roofing, glass, windows, weather insulator

LED lights Wires Climate controlled buildings

Water purifiers Electrodes

Urethane/Polyurethane coatings

Solar Panels

Examples of conflict mineral usageAdapted from the Conflict Minerals Resources website (http://conflictmineralsresources.com/what-3tg-are-used-for)17


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There is no legislation regarding conflict minerals in the UK, however, the UK Government recommends that organisations whose supply chains involve conflict minerals apply the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas19. The guidance provides a framework for organisations to prevent them inadvertently contributing to the use and supply of conflict minerals through poor supply chain management. It identifies conflict-affected and high risk areas ‘by the presence or armed conflict, widespread violence or other risks of harm to people’19.

Supply chain transparency is important for all organisations as supply chains increasingly come under scrutiny by clients, customers, media, regulation and international organisations. Some of the most well-known examples of this come from the textiles and food industry, such as Nike, Primark and the horsemeat scandal, but how long will it be before the construction industry has a high profile media exposé? The risks are increasing due to the globalisation of businesses and the sourcing of products across different legislative regimes, business and cultural practices.

4.3 INFLUENCING PROCUREMENTThere are a number of misconceptions about sustainable procurement. Some people believe that it will increase costs for a business and, require the provision of considerable resources. Additionally, there are perceptions that ethics does not really affect the business and there are often limited concerns for it.

However, the Flexible Framework, a self-assessment tool, is an example of sustainable procurement and how it can benefit designers who, when writing specifications, form the first stage of the procurement process. Developed by the Sustainable Procurement Task Force in 2011 and funded by the UK Government, it can be used by any organisation irrespective of size or resources available and has been designed so that organisations can track progress over time.

The Flexible Framework is split into 5 sections:

1) People – Focuses on the training and capacity building of employees involved in procurement. Empowerment through training will provide employees with the necessary knowledge in order to correctly carry out efficient ethical procurement as per company policies and requirements. Examples might include what to request from suppliers, what to look out for (pitfalls etc.), what to specify in tenders and how to interrogate the supply chains. The training will help towards creating a culture of ethical consideration within the organisation so that it becomes second nature to employees.

2) Policy, Strategy and Communications – Focuses on ‘embedding sustainability into procurement through policy and strategy’20. The policy sets a statement of intent for where the organisation would like to get to, with the communication and the strategy representing the means of getting there. Both policy and strategy rely on the setting of objectives and the identification of risk. In order to be effective the policy and strategy must be communicated to all those working for and on-behalf of the organisation and regular reviews conducted with published results.

3) Procurement Process – Focuses on ‘embedding sustainability into the procurement process’20. This can be achieved through expenditure analysis, use of key performance indicators, targets, whole-life costing, life-cycle assessment and auditing. The use of these processes will help to provide a measure and hopefully confirm, through audits, whether or not sustainable procurement is being incorporated as described in organisational policy and strategy.

4) Engaging Suppliers – Focuses on communication and engagement with an organisation’s supply chain. Effective communication and engagement means that suppliers contribute to your organisational goals on sustainable procurement and creates business security through long-term relationships.

5) Measurement and Results – Focuses on the measurement and reporting of an organisation’s commitment to sustainable procurement. Without a report on the results it is not possible to judge whether or not a sustainable procurement policy or strategy has been successful. The monitoring and reporting can also enable an organisation to determine which parts of the sustainable procurement process require improvement. Additionally it also shows a commitment to sustainable procurement with interested other parties, such as stakeholders, customers and suppliers.

In addition to the Flexible Framework there is also the framework standard BS 8903 Principles and framework for procuring sustainably. This British Standard defines sustainable procurement as ‘only purchasing goods that


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are really needed, and buying items or services whose production, use and disposal both minimise negative impacts and encourage positive outcomes for the environment, economy and society’21.

‘BS 8903 is closely aligned to the Flexible Framework, so that the two can be used in tandem. The standard provides practical guidance and recommendations on how to adopt and embed sustainable procurement’21. The BS 8903 guidelines can be utilised by all sizes of organisations across all supply chains. The three identified benefits of sustainable procurement are;

• Achievement of a positive change or impact in a specific area;

• Mitigate potential risks; and,

• Support competitive differentiation and advantage.

4.4 HOW TO INTERPRET ‘GOOD GOVERNANCE’Companies may find it very difficult to prove to clients and customers, that a material or product has been produced and/or supplied ethically without evidence of an independent verification. Therefore the governance for traceability and transparency on ethical sourcing can be found through the use of certain certifications and standards.

BES6001

BES 6001 for the responsible sourcing of construction products has four key objectives:

• To promote the responsible sourcing of construction products;

• To provide clear guidance on the sustainability aspects that should be addressed by any certifying organisation;

• To provide confidence that materials and products are being responsibly sourced; and

• To provide a route to obtaining credits within the materials sections of BREEAM and CEEQUAL.

The standard is split into three sections, but the key sections are; ‘Supply chain management requirements’ and ‘Requirements related to the management of sustainable development’. The main ethical areas covered in these sections are:

• Material traceability through the supply chain;

• EMS and H&SMS in the supply chain;

• Employment and skills, and

• Local communities.

There is also a requirement to have Responsible Sourcing policy which makes a commitment to ethics.

The standard is structured so that companies can be rewarded for demonstrating compliance to other certificates or standards to complement the areas covered within the three sections. There are a variety of compulsory and voluntary elements and points are awarded based on demonstrated compliance.

The assessment is carried out via an UKAS certified auditing body. Certification generally lasts for three years, with a series of surveillance audits required throughout this period. Dependent on the number of voluntary points attempted a company can either achieve certification to a ‘Pass’, ‘Good’, ‘Very Good’ or ‘Excellent’ level. In order to achieve the highest ratings third party verification of data is required.

FSC/PEFC

The FSC and PEFC Schemes are explained in the sub-chapter on ‘Chain of Custody (4.1)’.

The certification process for FSC is carried out by independent FSC accredited certification bodies. These organisations issue certificates for both the forestry management and chain of custody schemes against the relevant Forest Stewardship Standards. A certification is only awarded following a certification audit and confirmation of compliance to FSC standards. FSC certificates are valid for five years with annual surveillance audits conducted by the certification body.

The certification process for PEFC forest and chain of custody is very similar to FSC, the main difference being that a PEFC certificate is only valid for three years. PEFC also offer a Project Chain of Custody Certification, which follows the same certification process except the certificate is solely for a one-off production of a specific product and cannot be used elsewhere.

Product Organisational

BES6001 SA8000

FSC/PEFC AA1000

GRI

ETI


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SA8000

SA8000 published by Social Accountability International is a voluntary certification scheme with social accountability requirements drawing on the UN Declaration of Human Rights, other international human rights declarations and national labour laws for decent workplaces across all industrial sectors.

It was one of the first auditable certification standards and is relevant to all employees including those throughout the supply chain, such as suppliers, sub-contractors and sub-suppliers. There are 9 main requirements of the scheme:

1. Child Labour;

2. Forced or Compulsory Labour;

3. Health & Safety;

4. Freedom of Association & Right to Collective Bargaining;

5. Discrimination;

6. Disciplinary Practices;

7. Working Hours;

8. Remuneration; and

9. Management System.

SA8000 requires the Management System to be used to control the other requirements including implementation, monitoring and enforcement.

Certification to SA8000 is carried out by third-party accredited certification bodies. The process for each facility is a 2-stage process involving the auditing and assessment of the management system and every facility seeking certification. ‘The first stage is generally for scoping and planning…and for the certification body to further understand the organisation’22 and the second stage ‘is an objective assessment of compliance practices against’22 the requirements.

‘Certification lasts for three years, with a series of surveillance audits required throughout this period’22. There is a minimum of one unannounced surveillance audit from the Certification Body during this period.

AA1000

AA1000 is a principle-based series of three standards focused on helping organisations become more accountable, responsible and sustainable and complement other principles such as GRI. The three standards are:

• AA1000APS – AccountAbility Principles Standard 2008

• AA1000AS – Assurance Standard 2008

• AA1000SES – Stakeholder Engagement Standard 2015

‘AA1000APS provides a framework for an organisation to identify, prioritise and respond to its sustainability challenges’23. The other AA1000 standards – AA1000AS and AA1000SES - are based on the APS principles and support their achievement. The AA1000APS Principles include:

• Inclusivity – An organisation that accepts its accountability to those upon whom it has an impact and who have an impact on it. This includes the participation of stakeholders.

• Materiality – Determines the relevance and significance of an issue to an organisation and its stakeholders. Materiality influences decisions, actions and performance.

• Responsiveness – An organisation’s response to stakeholder issues that affects its sustainability performance.

Certification is available through Assurance Practitioners collating information to be audited by an Assurance Provider, who evaluate the company against the agreed principles of the standard.

GRI

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a self-declaration on environmental, social and economic performance indicators. The aim of GRI is ‘to help reporters prepare sustainability reports that matter – and to make robust and purposeful sustainability reporting standard practice’24.

GRI requires two kinds of disclosures; General Standard Disclosures and Specific Standard Disclosures. There are 7 types of General Standard Disclosures and the Specific Standard Disclosures are divided into 2 areas.

General Standard Disclosures – These disclosures set the overall context for the report, providing a description of the organisation and its reporting process. The 7 types are:

1. Strategy and Analysis

2. Organisational Profile

3. Identified Material Aspects and Boundaries

4. Stakeholder Engagement

5. Report Profile

6. Governance

7. Ethics and Integrity


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Specific Standard Disclosures;

1. Disclosures on Management Approach (DMA) – These provide the organisation with an opportunity to explain how it is managing its material economic, environmental or social impacts (aspects);

2. Indicators – These allow companies to provide comparable information on their economic, environmental and social impacts and performance. This could include: Procurement practices, energy consumption, emissions, occupational health and safety and supplier assessment of labour practices.

There is no certification to the GRI, only a self-declaration that the organisation has met all of its disclosures as per the GRI’s Reporting Principles. However, it is possible to use an independent organisation to provide a verification and assurance statement that the data being reported are accurate.

ETI

The Ethical Trading Initiative and the ETI Base Code are explained in chapter 3 of this guide.

4.5 USING PRODUCT DATA EFFECTIVELYWe live in an era where data are abundant. A simple web search about any number of construction products can bring up factual, technically accurate information as well as less credible stories, complaints and fictional accounts. Construction products that have a harmonised European standard (member states that produce a product to the same specification) have to comply with the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) from 1st July 2013 (2014 for some other products).

This meant that such products had to provide CE marking and a Declaration of Performance to legally place the product on the market. This has meant that there are even more product technical data available for specifiers. This, coupled with standard product technical data sheets, means that there is sufficient information about the technical characteristics of a construction product. With the increasing focus on life cycle assessment for construction products there is also a growing body of Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for a range of products.

Once the technical data have been digitised to be used in a BIM capacity, they have a more dynamic function; these digital data need not only be the technical, but also the environmental data. The figure beneath summarises how these three seemingly different strands are inherently linked.

From a specification perspective social considerations for products are often built into risk based assessments or due diligence reports designed to give assurance about working practices. Social value is linked more to organisational behaviours and initiatives than the product itself. For instance, two companies may produce the same product, but one may do more with the community, engage with the local school or give staff time to volunteer.

CE

Product Info

Technical Environmental

BIM EPD

Legal


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4.6 SEEKING OUT CERTIFICATION Organisations often use certification as a way to benchmark management and approaches to particular aspects such as quality, environment and health & safety. These act as minimum standards and give those involved in procurement a degree of assurance of reduced risk in the supply chain.

It should be noted that ISO 14001 is an Environmental Management System for the organisation and the certification/accreditation sits at an organisational level. Some responsible/ethical sourcing schemes require that companies have such certifications as it gives a common baseline of understanding and likely compliance to environmental legislation at the location(s) where the product is made. This approach has its critics but it can make certification a more efficient process without duplicating efforts.

The broader responsible sourcing agenda has been built on existing chain of custody type schemes such as FSC and PEFC, sector based approaches such as UK CARES (based on BS 8902) and Eco-Reinforcement (based on BES 6001) and

individual product/company certification to BES 6001.

Whereas some certification schemes are simply pass or fail, the BES 6001 standard has a range of levels achieved through scoring of different clauses. The certification is more transparent as certificates show exactly how an organisation has scored against each clause of the standard.

Information on the current BES 6001 ratings is available from the BRE website.

Schemes for responsible sourcing tend to consider a wider range of environmental and social issues with the aim of stimulating demand for environmentally and socially preferable products, and so incorporate specific ethical issues. A list of ‘good practice’ principles is presented in section 4.1 of BES 6001 and those wishing to engage with responsible sourcing schemes are expected to apply these both within their own organisations and throughout the wider supply chain.

Ethics Resource use

Legal Compliance Site stewardship

Management systems Water

Supply chain management Waste Management

Stakeholder engagement Transport impacts

Complaints and prosecutions Employment skills

Fundamental rights at work Local communities

Health & safety Financial stability

Climate change and energy Contribution to the built environment

Key Actions:

• Specify products with certified chain of custody

• Avoid specifying products from conflict regions

• Understand the sustainable procurement practices of your clients

• Governance schemes can be used to demonstrate traceability and transparency within the supply chain

BES 6001 Good practice principles


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5.1 COMMONLY-SPECIFIED PRODUCTSThere are some construction products that are referred to as ‘commodity’ items; the intention with this term is to group together base products that tend to be used most commonly and often in large volumes. Such products can include aggregates, bricks, blocks, concrete, flooring, glass, natural stone, plasterboard, steel (including re-bar) and timber.

Such products can have shorter and simpler supply chains from source to site and are less likely to involve numerous different stages, be made up of multiple smaller supply chains or be made from constituents where the sources are limited (either through patent, licencing or natural availability).

Common UK sourced products do not necessarily have fewer ethical risks in their supply chains, but the level of risk is likely to be lower due to the known issues and impacts. Products that are imported into the UK, such as natural stone, can potentially have high ethical risks, particularly relating to child labour and human rights abuses in the countries of extraction. However, companies such as Marshalls have been working with their suppliers to improve human rights and support families, so that children can attend school rather than working in a quarry.

Boycotting the specification of products with a questionable supply chain may itself not be the most ethical long term solution. Stopping working with a supplier can create much worse conditions for the workers as they may lose their jobs and not have any alternative employment, thus plunging their family into deeper poverty. Therefore a supplier that understands ethical issues and is willing to improve standards is one worth working with. The supply chain leverage can act as an incentive to improve working conditions and reduce ethical risks for all parties involved.

5.2 THE CHALLENGES WITH COMPLEX PRODUCTSComplex products are those that are assembled from a range of smaller components each with their own supply chain. Products within the mechanical & electrical (M&E) sector are good examples of complex products. Such products have yet to fully embrace responsible sourcing certification largely due to their complex supply chains. Component parts that find their way into construction products such as air conditioning units for example, can equally end up in cars and household goods which makes demonstrating compliance to sector specific schemes more difficult. The potential for the presence of rare earth metals and conflict minerals to be present in circuit boards and conductors is high, but without proper assessment of these supply chains these risks are unknown. Legislation such as the Dodd-Frank Act in the US and the Modern Slavery Act in the UK will help to drive increased transparency and ultimately more ethical management of these risks. Until such a time when the M&E product sector achieves greater supply chain transparency designers and specifiers can only rely on organisational level certification (such as ETI).

5.3 SPECIFYING RECYCLED AND RECLAIMED MATERIALSSpecification of products that contain a high proportion of recycled content is often deemed an environmentally responsible option. However, this may not necessarily be the case, as for example, the sources of recycled materials may be further away from the project or factory than primary material that could be used for the same purpose. For example, a site or manufacturer based in the Midlands may be faced with the choice of sourcing secondary aggregates from Cornwall or virgin materials from another part of the Midlands.

Products with a higher recycled content may be inappropriate for certain projects; for example, some construction products have a defined aesthetic appearance that can be affected by the inclusion of recycled materials. Such materials may be subject to variations in colour that, although itself not a particularly significant issue, the inconsistency of these variations may sometimes prevent the use of such materials. The suitability of recycled content therefore needs to be assessed on a project specific basis.

Specifying products from suppliers who offer a take-back scheme can help the construction works to produce less waste and lead to the recycling of more products. Some products, such as concrete pavers, linoleum and partitions,

The specification of products forms a key part of the design process. This chapter has been written to give guidance on common products, complex products, recycled and reclaimed products and temporary works.

5. PRODUCTS - UNDERSTANDING TRADE-OFFS


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have demonstrated their circular approach to product recycling through certification to schemes like ‘Cradle to Cradle’ (www.c2ccertified.org).

A good example of use of reclaimed material can be seen in bricks. Economic considerations, and on occasion aesthetics can drive their segregation and reuse. In some reclaimed products however, the provenance of the materials used may not necessarily be known and thus there is a choice to be made; does one use products with an undefined supply chain, albeit one that is often freely available and avoids waste disposal, or should a new product be purchased that invariably leads to increased waste through not recycling the previously used material? It may also be the view that the impacts have already taken place and specification of new products will not undo any negative impacts of the reclaimed materials. The other school of thought is that using less ‘new’ products or indeed designing for less product in the construction asset is the best solution.

5.4 TEMPORARY WORKSSpecification for temporary works is not necessarily a key consideration at the design stage. However, impacts still occur and risks are apparent in the supply chain with temporary works such as fencing, site offices, lighting and security.

Timber used for fencing still needs to comply with the EU Timber Regulations and should be legally sourced. Also, any treatments still need to comply with regulations concerning hazardous substances. Site offices can be on site for many months consuming energy, water and other resources. How and where these products are hired from should form part of a wider project specification. Lighting and security are often linked; this is a clear area where there is a trade-off from reducing environmental impact (by turning off site compound lights) and the security risk of theft, vandalism and environmental damage.

6. COMMUNICATING THE VALUE OF A PROJECTThis final chapter introduces how ethical sourcing can be communicated to the wider world, such as stakeholders, clients, customers and the general public, through marketing and product labelling and declarations. It also identifies some of the means for backing up the claims made through the published material.

6.1 MARKETING AND PRODUCT LABELLINGResearch has shown that too much choice can actually hinder the decision making process. Every day consumers are greeted with a range of labels each purporting to be good or better than the norm in some way. We could also be criticised for something similar in construction with initiatives like BES 6001, EPD, Eco-Reinforcement, CARES, Fair Stone and CE marking. Whilst to those in the industry these are wholly different schemes and standards they could be viewed by some as analogous. It is therefore very important for specifiers to gain more knowledge on product labels.

BES 6001 & Eco-Reinforcement (Steel Products for the Reinforcement of Concrete; www.eco-reinforcement.org) operate a sliding scale of performance and rewards organisations that can demonstrate a higher proportion of constituent materials that have certification for quality, environment and health & safety management systems. Some certification schemes are ‘standards centric’ and rely on the presence of other certifications to demonstrate higher levels of performance.

Key Actions:

• Look for certifications for common products to gain assurance on transparency

• Do not discount products coming from outside the UK but acknowledge their ethical risks may be greater and so need more due diligence

• Specify recycled content in consultation with product manufacturers in the context of the project

• Reclaimed products can offer a range of benefits which should be evaluated

• Influence other areas such as temporary works


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Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a traditional scientific method to calculate and report the environmental impacts over a defined period for a range of environmental parameters. There are a range of environmental parameters considered in LCA studies; the most common are identified below with a brief explanation:

CE marking was made mandatory for some construction products in July 2013; the marking itself will accompany many construction products on its packaging. The declaration of performance consists primarily of technical characteristics.

The Certification Authority for Reinforcing Steels (CARES; www.ukcares.com) provides product certification predominately for reinforcing steel and operates a Sustainable Constructional Steel (SCS) Scheme. “The assessment is based on an environmental management system to ISO 14001 and, in addition, the identification, collection, auditing and reporting to CARES of certain sustainability data”26.

The Fair Stone certificates are presented ‘documenting the commitment for better working conditions and listing all registered materials’.27 Only the registered products on the certificate will receive labels and barcodes.

When obtaining certification or labelling for a product, it is advisable to try and use existing schemes and standards where available, rather than introducing new ones. Clients and contractors can often have different requirements, potentially leading to organisations having to demonstrate performance in slightly different ways through different schemes.

Definitions obtained from the OECD Glossary of Statistical Terms (https://stats.oecd.org/glossary/) 25

I. Procure labour, materials, products and services only from organisations demonstrating and implementing zero tolerance to bribery and corruption;

#anticorruption #procurement #governance #transparency

Many organisations already take a zero tolerance approach towards bribery and corruption. The Code of Ethics of the leading design and specification Institutions clearly build this into their own Code of Practice and guidelines on what is to be expected of professionals in this space.

Global Warming Potential

The aggregate measure of the contribution to the greenhouse effect of some gases through their conversion into carbon dioxide equivalent

Acidification Potential

The aggregate measure of the acidifying potential of some substances, calculated through the conversion factor of sulphur oxides and nitrogen and ammonia into acidification equivalents (H+ ion)

Eutrophication Potential

The aggregate measure of the inland water eutrophication potential of some substances, calculated through the conversion factor of phosphorous and nitrogen compounds (waste water discharges and air emissions of NOx and NH3) into phosphorous equivalents

Ozone Depletion Potential

The aggregate measure of the ozone layer depleting potential of some substances, calculated through the conversion factor of halogenated hydrocarbons that contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer into CFC -11 equivalent

Photoxidative Ozone Creation Potential

The aggregated measure of the degrada-tion of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in the presence of light and nitrous oxides; this can cause ‘smog’ at a local level and tropospheric ozone at a larger scale. This can have damaging effects on plants and humans.

Abiotic depletion potential of elements

The aggregated measure of the relative availability and accessibility of elements; the measure is the element antimony (Sb).

Abiotic depletion potential of fossil fuel resources

The aggregated measure of the use of fossil fuels for electrical energy and fuels as MJ.Source: stats/oecd.org/glossary


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6.2 MAKING ETHICAL CLAIMS There are a number of ways to communicate ethical claims about the construction works, asset itself and the products that are specified. These can become a hybrid between organisational values and specific product characteristics.

Anti-bribery and corruption is one of the most significant issues for organisations from an ethical perspective. These issues are usually core parts of company handbooks; there are substantial fines for companies found to be at fault and conviction can even lead to imprisonment for the individuals concerned.

Being socially responsible has a number of strands; this has the perception of being outwardly facing and linked to activities supported by the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012. Community engagement activities can be both short and long term; being more socially responsible may mean specifying organisations commit to providing more social value as the product itself cannot do this. Certainty of specification will help product manufacturers deliver more value than having to expend resources to protect specifications. Designers need to work more closely with product manufacturers and contractors to better understand what social benefits can be connected to the project. Much social value work is site based working with local communities; from a sourcing perspective a good example would be the reskilling and integration of ex-offenders into work.

Better buildings have been proven to support higher levels of productivity for workers and reduced absenteeism; there is an ethical aspect to specifying healthy products and products that contribute to a better built environment for the benefits of the occupiers.

In parts of the world outside of the UK there have been concerns with the rights of indigenous people. Product stewardship schemes such as the Socially and Environmentally Responsible Aggregates (SERA; www.seracanada.ca) programme in Canada have been designed to consider these ethical impacts.

Natural products such as wool for insulation can sometimes offer an alternative to traditionally manufactured products. Whilst some of these products are well established there are certainly some that are more innovative. Designers can be hesitant in specifying such natural, new and sometimes untested (on a large scale or over a long period of time) products especially with regards to BBA certification, insurance, loss prevention council, fire testing and professional indemnity. Natural products often have high levels of traceability in the supply chain, high standards of welfare and some are produced in the UK. Designers should consider the ethical claims of a range of products both natural and man-made. These claims can prove positive for the project as a whole which can sometimes be client driven.

6.3 CONDUCTING SOCIAL AUDITS Approaches to ethical and responsible sourcing are not averse to criticism, whether it be a matter of the scope of assessment, the nature of the assessment criteria or how it is certified. It is therefore important to consider the transparency and credibility of any process that claims a level of ethical achievement.

Credibility implies a level of assurance and accuracy of data. It is increasingly common for clients and contractors to perform audits on their suppliers; this in many cases is a natural extension to annual supplier visits with more emphasis on the non-commercial aspects of the supplier’s organisation.

Social audit requirements can consist of a range of issues. The 4 step process below is an example taken from Crossrail for conducting an audit (something that designers and specifiers might wish to undertake).

Step 1: Who undertakes the audit?

Step 2: When is the audit undertaken?

Step 3: What content is included in the audit?

Step 4: How is the audit conducted?

Part of this increased transparency in the supply chain has stemmed from a desire from clients and contractors to reduce and manage a range of social, environmental and ethical risks. There is a wider cultural shift taking place within the construction industry that is taking a more responsible and ethical view of these types of risks and working to manage and work with existing suppliers rather than moving the problem to somewhere less transparent.

V. Benefit the health, safety and wellbeing of all stakeholders including the natural environment;

#wellbeing, #safety #health #naturalenvironment

The broader benefits of design and specification already consider the health, safety and wellbeing of stakeholders and the natural environment. There is always an opportunity to improve these benefits and communicate them to the client. There can sometimes be a challenge during construction to ensure that these benefits are built in as intended.

Key Actions/Considerations:

• Identify the marketing / product labelling or declaration schemes that are appropriate for the products you are specifying

• Establish a process for verifying the claims published


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SUMMARYThis Guide has sought to educate and raise awareness and inform the design community on the wider considerations related to ethical sourcing.

Designers have a real and significant opportunity to influence and reduce ethical risks through their specification writing and influence on procurement strategies for clients and contractors.

Designers can understand the values of the project/client, what is material to them, and develop and agree the core suite of measures.

This Guide provides guidance to ascertain what good looks like and help the project team agree on outcomes. This is made possible by having a greater literacy and awareness on any trade-offs as well as by embracing efficiencies brought through technology.

The origins of ethical sourcing (in a traditional social sense) were explained and the connections to the ETI Base Code and ILO made. There is a view that ethical sourcing is about ‘doing the right thing’.

Here is a list of practical steps can designers take:

• Specify products from certified sources, looking for certificates giving assurance and transparency;

• Do not discount products coming from outside the UK, but avoid sourcing of products from conflict regions;

• Integrate the principles of sustainable procurement into your specification writing;

• Look for certifications for common products giving assurance and transparency;

• Specify recycled content in consultation with product manufacturers;

• Influence other areas such as temporary works;

• Identify the marketing / product labelling or declaration scheme that are appropriate for the products you are specifying;

• Establish a process for verifying the claims published.

Architects, Engineers and other specifiers have a moral duty to consider the ethical sourcing implications of the decisions they make on a daily basis; no-one would expect every possible consideration outlined in this guide to be thought through every single time. However this Guide can help to identify the significant risks and key questions designers may want to ask of product suppliers and clients.

X. Foster and communicate a business culture of openness, collaboration and accountability in order to achieve and demonstrate the principles of this manifesto.

#governance #CSR #accountability #greenwash #collaboration #accreditation


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MANIFESTO FOR ETHICAL SOURCING IN CONSTRUCTION

With the growing importance of ethical sourcing in construction and in recognition of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights we pledge to the Manifesto principles below, by:-

• Committing to collaborating uptake of this Manifesto for labour, materials, products and services, in UK and global markets and to its goals, through supply chain partners;

• Recognising the need for active due diligence and an approach of continual improvement;

• Cascading this Manifesto to the entire supply chain, including clients, designers, contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, on the issues of:

1. Bribery & corruption;

2. Labour and workers’ rights;

3. Sustainable development;

4. Traceability & transparency;

5. Health, safety & wellbeing;

6. Legality of materials;

7. Complex/manufactured products;

8. Circular economy;

9. Certification & accreditation;

10. Openness & communication.

1. Procure labour, materials, products and services only from organisations demonstrating and implementing zero tolerance to bribery and corruption;

#anticorruption #procurement #governance #transparency

2. Adopt the Ethical Trading Initiative’s (ETI) Base Code and work collaboratively with all supply chain organisations on its implementation;

#antislavery #forcedlabour #childlabour #exploitation #modernslavery #Health&Safety #freedomofassociation #discrimination

3. Evaluate and address together the economic, social and environmental sustainability challenges and impacts of sourcing labour, materials, products and services;

#environmentalimpact #socialimpact #economicimpact #triplebottomline #jobcreation #investment #pollution #resourcedepletion

4. Demonstrate a traceable and transparent supply chain for labour, materials, products and services;

#chainofcustody #supplychainmanagement #provenance

5. Benefit the health, safety and wellbeing of all stakeholders including the natural environment;

#wellbeing, #safety #health #naturalenvironment

6. Demonstrate materials are of legal origin;

#mining #extractives #forestry #commodities #rawmaterials

7. Optimise social, environmental and economic impacts and opportunities of complex/manufactured products over their entire lifecycle;

#lifecycleassessment #wholelifecosting #socialvalue

8. Design, specify and procure materials, products and services with the greatest circular-economy benefits;

#recycled #reclaimed #scarcity #circulareconomy #cradletocradle #startwiththeendinmind

9. Specify and procure using credible and recognised responsible sourcing and certification schemes, where available;

#standards #thirdpartyvalidation #credibility #confidence

10. Foster and communicate a business culture of openness, collaboration and accountability in order to achieve and demonstrate the principles of this Manifesto.

#governance #CSR #accountability #greenwash #collaboration #accreditation


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REFERENCES1 RIBA CDM Regulations 2015 http://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Professionalsupport/CDMregulations2015/CDMRegulations2015.aspx

2 RIBA CDM Regulation 2015: The Principle Designer – Dispelling myths https://www.architecture.com/Files/RIBAProfessionalServices/Practice/CDM2015RIBAbriefingnote3-ThePrincipalDesignerDispellingMyths.pdf

3 BIM Task Group – A report for the Government Construction Client Group – Building Information Modelling (BIM) Working Party Strategy Paper (March 2011). http://www.bimtaskgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BIS-BIM-strategy-Report.pdf

4 Tally http://choosetally.com/overview/

5 CIPS – Ten tips and principles for ethical souring in supplier management http://cips.org/Documents/About%20CIPS/News/ten-tips.pdf

6 ILO Origins and History http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/history/lang--en/index.htm

7 The Body Shop http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/values/EthicalTrade.aspx

8 Forestry Commission http://www.forestry.gov.uk/england-eutr

9 Child labour, Indian Sandstone http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/commentanalysis/fairtrade/indian_ sandstone.aspx

10 ETI: A guide for the ethical sourcing of natural stone from Rajasthan, India http://www.ethicaltrade.org/sites/default/files/resources/rajastan_sandstone_ethical_sourcing_guide_aw.pdf

11 Upstill-Goddard, J., Glass, J., Dainty, A. R. J. and Nicholson, I. (2015). Analysis of responsible sourcing performance in BES 6001 certificates. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 168(2), 71-81.

12 ILO Mission and Objectives http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/mission-and-objectives/lang--en/index.htm

13 ETI Principles of Implementation http://www.ethicaltrade.org/sites/default/files/resources/ETI%20Management%20benchmarks.pdf

14 RIBA Code of Professional Conduct https://www.architecture.com/files/ribaprofessionalservices/professionalconduct/disputeresolution/professionalconduct/ribacodeofprofessionalconduct.pdf

15 ICE Code of Professional Conduct https://www.ice.org.uk/ICEDevelopmentWebPortal/media/Documents/About%20Us/ice-code-of-professional-conduct.pdf

16 Financial Times: Definition of supply chain transparency http://lexicon.ft.com/Term?term=supply-chain-transparency

17 Conflict minerals resources: How are conflict minerals used? http://conflictmineralsresources.com/what-3tg-are-used-for

18 Upstill-Goddard, J., Glass, J., Dainty, A. R. J. and Nicholson, I. (2013). Characterising the relationship between responsible sourcing and organisational reputation in construction firms. In: Proceedings of the Sustainable Building and Construction Conference, Coventry, 3-5 July 2013, 215-224.

19 OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas http://www.oecd.org/daf/inv/mne/GuidanceEdition2.pdf

20 DEFRA Sustainable Procurement in Government: Guidance to the Flexible Framework https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69471/pb13423-flexible-framework-guidance- 110928.pdf

21 BSi Case Study Horizon Specialist Contracting: BS 8903 Sustainable Procurement http://shop.bsigroup.com/upload/Shop/Download/CaseStudies/Sustainability/BSI-Horizon-CaseStudy-EN-UK.pdf

22 SA8000 Certification http://www.saasaccreditation.org/certification

23 AccountAbility AA1000 http://www.accountability.org/standards/

24 GRI: AN introduction to G4 https://www.globalreporting.org/resourcelibrary/GRI-An-introduction-to-G4.pdf

25 OECD Glossary https://stats/oecd.org/glossary

26 CARES http://www.ukcares.com/certification/sustainable-reinforcing-steel

27 Fair Stone: International Standard for the Natural Stone Industry http://fairstone.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/02/fair-stone-standard- english.pdf

WEBSITESAccountAbility (AA1000) – www.accountability.org

APRES – http://apres.lboro.ac.uk

BRE GreenBook Live – www.greenbooklive.com

Building Research Establishment (BRE) – www.bre.co.uk

Cradle to Cradle - www.c2ccertified.org

Eco-Reinforcement – www.eco-reinforcement.org

Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI) – www.ethicaltrade.org

Fair Stone – www.en.fairstone.org

Fair Trade – www.fairtrade.org.uk

Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) – www.ic.fsc.org

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) – www.globalreporting.org

Grown in Britain – www.growninbritain.org

International Labour Organisation (ILO) – www.ilo.org

OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas – www.oecd.org/corporate/mne/mining.htm

Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) – www.pefc.org

RIBA – www.architecture.co.uk

SEDEX – www.sedexglobal.com

Segura Systems – www.segurasystems.com

Social Accountability International (SA 8000) – www.sa-intl.org

Socially and Environmentally Responsible Aggregates (SERA) – www.seracanada.ca

TFT Responsible Stone Programme - www.tft-earth.org

UK CARES – www.ukcares.com

UN Declaration of Human Rights – www.un.org/en/documents/udhr

ETHICAL SOURCING: A DESIGNERS GUIDE

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CASE STUDY – SIMONS GROUP LTD

Cheshire Oaks, Ellesmere Port – Retail store for Marks & Spencer opened 2012

Simons Group Ltd were tasked to deliver a flagship sustainable learning store for Marks and Spencer which demonstrated all of the relevant M&S Plan A commitments. These included targets for recycled content, energy, waste, best practice Considerate Constructors scores, zero waste to landfill, and a BREEAM Excellent rating.

Simons responded with a strategy for every procurement and site management decision. All materials needed to hold at least one of the following ‘Plan A’ attributes;

1. Responsibly sourced using a recognised certification 2. Low carbon or renewable 3. High recycled content 4. Locally sourced

Each product group needed a slightly different strategy depending on the maturity of certification in the sector and the selection process would always favour the product and supplier offering the most Plan A attributes.

Concrete, Aggregates and Cements; Over 60% of aggregates used in the groundworks are from locally recycled sources, but tracing the original location of demolished buildings was not possible. All of the concrete and virgin stone had to hold BES6001 certification.

Timber; Achieving FSC chain of custody certification as a business and project certification (TT-PRO-003615) required Simons’ supply chain partners using timber products to achieve FSC Chain of Custody Certification.

Hemcrete; The limited supply chain options for this renewable plant-based product harvested near the site, transported to Suffolk for processing, Swindon for fabrication then back to Ellesmere Port for construction focused on embodied carbon. Surprisingly the carbon impact of those journeys was significantly less than the impact of the frequent site visits throughout the project by the managers of the supplier.

People – Community, Diversity, Skills and Training; Liaising with the skills and training team in the local council so that main and subcontractor positions were advertised to local people who had been on re-employment courses recently. All subcontractors were presented with a constant stream of Plan A sustainability information to managers and operatives, culminating in a risk review session prior to start on site to assess the aspects and impacts, and identify what could go wrong and to put a mitigation plan in place.

Mapping the locality of the subcontractors and labour demonstrated that local employment was beneficial; operatives need less fuel to travel to site each day, maintain their home and family lives and have an element of ownership and pride in their work knowing that their friends and family will eventually use the store. In total over 200 hours were volunteered to education at primary, BTEC and University level over the two year programme.


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CASE STUDY – BURO HAPPOLD

Westonbirt Arboretum Wolfson Tree Management Centre (Client - UK Forestry Commission)

The Wolfson Tree Management Centre is a large building for storing the equipment and plant for the Westonbirt tree team. When tendering for this project it was suggested to the client that Buro Happold could design a timber building (with a 20m span) for the same price as an ‘off-the-shelf’ steel framed farm shed. It was decided that a timber structure would fit the ethos of the arboretum perfectly.

Buro Happold’s approach entailed designing a building that made use of wood from the arboretum, which was made available through routine management of the tree collection.

A number of large Corsican and Black Pine trees were available, 25m or more in height, so a simple king post truss cross frames was elected, with these pine’s forming the 20m long (325x450mm) tie members.

Sectioning the logs has been completed on site within metres of the location that the trees were felled. This is an exceptional example of sourcing local materials!

The project allowed plenty of scope to employ local labour, and some new and traditional techniques, such as chain-sawing and hewing, which is a traditional craft skill forming sections with an axe. Westonbirt ran a training course which utilised both volunteers and trainees to hew the lengths of pine by hand.

Once the lengths were hewn, all of the structural members were visually graded to confirm they met Buro Happold’s design material grade. All other frame members and cladding are ut to size and processed on site and include Oak, Larch and Douglas Fir.

By utilising wood from the arboretum, Buro Happold have not required transportation of materials keeping the cost to an absolute minimum.

Both Buro Happold, and our project client, The Forestry Commission support the ‘Grown in Britain’ Campaign.


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CASE STUDY – CROSSRAIL

What is Crossrail?

Crossrail is among the most significant infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the UK. From improving journey times across London, to easing congestion and offering better connections, Crossrail will change the way people travel around the capital.

• Crossrail is Europe’s largest construction project – work started in May 2009 and there are currently over 10,000 people working across over 40 construction sites.

• Nearly 70 million working hours have been completed on the Crossrail project so far.

• Crossrail will transform rail transport in London, increasing capacity by 10%, supporting regeneration and cutting journey times across the city.

• The Crossrail route will run over 100km from Reading and Heathrow in the west, through new tunnels under central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

• There will be 40 Crossrail stations including 10 new stations at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, Custom House, Woolwich and Abbey Wood.

• The total funding envelope available to deliver Crossrail is £14.8bn.

• The delivery of Crossrail will create thousands of business and job opportunities including 400 apprenticeships. Over 350 apprenticeships have already been created on the project to date.

Commitment to Ethical Sourcing As a major public sector project which can command significant purchasing power, Crossrail were committed to advancing the ethical sourcing of construction products during its construction. A requirement was included in the works information that all contractors must source materials in accordance with the ETI base code where possible.

The challenge The reality is that with the exception of bulk materials such as concrete and reinforcement used in civil engineering, many of the materials and products consumed have little or no information or certification associated with them that provide any assurance of their provenance or conditions under which they have been processed and manufactured.

Crossrail therefore committed to investigating this through the collaboration of its tier 1 contractors and their supply chains.

The solution Procurement representatives from our tier 1 civil contractors were asked to attend a workshop, during which the major challenges to the industry were discussed and mapped.

It was clear from this that all of the contractors were faced with the same issues and concerns and recognised the many barriers to assuring their materials and products. There was also an immediate recognition that the magnitude of the task could be made easier by taking a collaborative approach.

This led to the formation of the Crossrail Ethical Supply Chains in Construction Working Group, with a formally agreed Terms of Reference and a commitment to work together to get a deeper insight into the supply chain and issues surrounding ethical sourcing in the materials and products used to build Crossrail.

Engagement with the industry & identifying risk The group set out to understand and identify risk by consultation with a number of the main trade organisations & certifying organisations representing the industry such as FSC/PEFC, UK Cares, BRE (BES6001), Eco-reinforcement, The Timber Trade Federation, Construction Fixings Association (CFA) and the British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC).

A risk assessment was undertaken using the Kraljic Matrix. Kraljic (1983)* suggested that purchasing in many companies is based on routine, transactional activities that afford little strategic consideration to potential economic and political disruptions to materials supplies. His 2x2 matrix is set out to provide companies with a way to distinguish between different types of purchasing strategies which maximise buying power while minimising supply risks. The principle was adopted to identify risk in terms of specific materials and commodities and their geographic provenance.

Development of tools and resources One of the key outputs of the group was the creation of commodity/product sheets. These followed a template approach and covered several of the key materials/products that were used on Crossrail as part of the heavy civil engineering works, namely, concrete, reinforcement, timber (temporary works), stone & paving and PPE.

The commodity sheets provide a description of the key materials under this category, the inherent ethical sourcing issues associated with them, the availability of any certifications for the materials, Crossrail contractor processes for mitigating risk and residual risk.

The sheets provide a concise summary for procurement teams and specifiers of the issues they need to consider in procuring these particular materials.

The majority of materials used in construction are not covered by any certification scheme and this is even more problematic in products whose component parts come from a wide provenance. The working group gave consideration


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to how the industry could start to address the inherent risks therein. A collaborative effort led to the creation of the Crossrail Best Practice Audit template that takes a checklist approach to key areas of competency, in-country and industry knowledge, protocols for audits, audit questions, action plans and follow up. Compliance with each aspect is correlated with a score such that increasing levels of confidence can be gained as to the ethical practices employed. The Checklist is divided into primary (mandatory) and secondary elements that allow for an evaluation of an organisation and attributes a level of confidence to their processes for managing social impact. Failure to meet mandatory requirements does not mean that a company should be removed from the supply chain, but a greater degree of commitment would be expected from them to demonstrate that they are addressing the concerns to achieve at least the mandatory level.

Engagement with other stakeholders and reaching out beyond Crossrail The group has reached out to industry and have linked up with the UKCG, Supply Chain Sustainability School, APRES/Loughborough University and the BRE in order to share learning and best practice, in recognition that collaboration is essential in improving ethical practices in our complex global supply chains.

Through this collaboration, the group has worked on understanding inter alia issues associated with the complex area of mechanical & electrical equipment, contributed to a significant review of BES 6001 and disseminated the commodity sheets to a wider audience, the latter of which has been achieved through the SCSS and BRE. The UKCG have adopted the template format for commodity sheets and developed several others for additional construction materials such as glass, plasterboard and carpeting.

“Crossrail made ethical sourcing of construction materials a central part of the procurement process. This involved setting a strong vision, developing challenging sustainability targets with an emphasis on ethical sourcing and engaging early with the reinforcing steel supply chain. The early engagement involved regular meetings with Tier 1 Contractors and other interested parties via the ethical supply chain in construction group. By doing so it made fundamental changes to the way reinforcing steel was procured for a national infrastructure project and rewrote the rulebook so that sustainable procurement was an integral part of the procurement processes. The real legacy of Crossrail will be the extent to which the supply chain has learnt from, adopted and embedded the processes used to deliver the project.”

Lee Brankley - General Manager, UKCARES (2014)

* Kraljic, P. (1983). Purchasing must become supply chain management. Harvard Business Review, 61(5), 109-117.

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