Concrete Sector Sustainability Working Group (CSSWG)

Throughout the concrete industry sustainability is measured in many ways. It is measured upstream during the manufacturing process and downstream in how construction projects are built and operated. This website provides, or links to, information for both the upstream and downstream.

 

Information is available for those who want to know more about the performance of the sector in manufacturing its products. For instance, how much carbon dioxide emissions are associated with the manufacture of the products, how much land is used for quarrying in the UK, where do my products come from, do the companies have environmental management systems, etc? Statistics on these issues can be found in the KPIs section.

 

The website is also tailored if you want to know how to make the most of concrete in sustainable design, following a Life Cycle Approach. Information is available for those who want to know what thermal mass is, or for those who want to know how to maximise credits in schemes such as The Code for Sustainable Homes, BREEAM, EcoHomes or CEEQUAL. You can find out how concrete can contribute to sustainable construction and to a project achieving excellent performance on these assessment schemes. 

 

The website also offers an insight into the extensive legislation and high manufacturing standards to which concrete is produced. The UK is highly self-sufficient in concrete.  For aggregates, including crushed rock and sand and gravel, the UK produces 99.99% of its annual requirement. In the case of cement, imports represented just 11.6% of the country's total production in 2002.

 

This is an enviable position to be in, with average concrete delivery distances being about 10 miles.

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