Sustainability – A Contractors
Perspective
Paul O’Connell,
Abigroup Environment
& Sustainability Manager
National Local Government Asset Management & Public
Works Engineering Conference 2010
Overview
• Business Drivers
• Embracing Sustainability – ‘Ability’
– 5 Dimensions of Sustainability
• Sustainable Construction & Innovation
– 5 Key Examples
• Where to from here?
Abigroup
• Abigroup is one of Australia’s
leading national contractors,
with 50 years of experience
delivering works in:
– building
– roads
– rail
– water
– mining services, and
– telecommunications
Sustainability - Business Drivers
• Reputation and social licence
to continue to operate
• Strengthened relationships
with clients and other
stakeholders
• Stimulate internal innovation
and learning
Business Drivers continued…….
• Climate change and carbon
compliance
 Energy Efficiencies Opportunities
Act 2006 (EEO Act)
 National Greenhouse Emissions
Reporting Act 2008 (NGERs Act)
 Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
2012? (CPRS)
• Improved energy efficiencies and
cost savings
GHG emissions
now have a cost
Energy costs
increase
considerably
$ Carbon
Carbon Regulation = $$$$
Electricity
Transport
Freight costs
increase
Waste
Waste costs
increase
Gas
Fuel
Raw material and parts costs will go up
as manufacturers pass on their cost increases
Business drivers continued......
• Rating schemes and tools eg.
Australian Green Infrastructure
Council (AGIC)
• Employer of choice
• Increased employee morale,
motivation and productivity
• Corporate values “its just the right
thing to do”
• Over 80 actions
identified
• 5 Dimensions of
Sustainability
Ensuring a
Strong, Healthy
and Innovative
Workforce
Making a
Difference in our
Community
Leadership
Driving
Performance
through Culture
Minimise our
Impact on
Resources and
Biodiversity
Building a
Strong, Stable
and Profitable
Business
Leadership in Focus
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Company values
Sustainability Champions and Panel
Policy and Strategy
Communications Plan
Training
Compliance
Financial Performance
Our People in Focus
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Safety – Pulse Program
Women@Abigroup
Employee Wellbeing
Graduate Programs
Learning and
Development
– Leadership Training
– RTO
Society in Focus
• Community Partnerships and Legacy
– National Stakeholder Forum
• Corporate Social Responsibility
– beyondblue partnership
• Indigenous Relationships
– Structured Training & Employment Project
(STEP)
– Red Dust Partnership
Business in Focus
• Internal Innovation and
Systems
– National Innovation
Capture and Rewards
Scheme
• R&D Programs and Strategic
Business Partnerships
• Guideline for the Set-up of
Sustainable Compounds
Environment in Focus
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Environmental Leadership
Biodiversity
Water Conservation
Waste Minimisation
Energy Efficiency
Sustainable Construction &
Innovation
5 Key Examples
Abigroup GHG Reporting
Tool
• Developed in partnership with
Ndevr and fits in to existing financial reporting
system (JDE)
• Meets legislative reporting requirements
• Ability to provide reports to key stakeholders
and clients
• Ability to accurately assess carbon footprint
and set company targets
• Ensures auditable and high integrity of data
and emissions reports
• Reports Scope 1
(Direct) and
Scope 2
(Indirect)
emissions
separately or in
any
combination
GHG Reporting Tool
GHG Reporting Tool
Note: Energy and emissions data not
accurate. Example data set created for the
purpose of presentation
Abigroup Wins Global
Sustainability Award!
• Winner Oracle’s “Enable
the Eco-Enterprise”
award. This
international award
was presented at the
Oracle Open World
Conference on 12 October
2009 in San Francisco.
TPAR Ecoflex Platorms
• Townsville Port Access Road (TPAR)
Project
• Client: Department of Main Roads
• heavy vehicle corridor linking the existing
Flinders and Bruce Highways with the Port
of Townsville
• Two Stage project – approx 9.5km two
lane road
• 5 bridge structures allow for design flows
• Construction of pile driver and crane
platforms during bridge works at Stuart
Creek.
• Structure was used to form engineered,
structural platform to support a 110T
piling rig
• Ecoflex platforms constructed from 2200
recycled truck tyres
• Ecoflex are placed on geofabric laid on Pad
surface and arranged in honeycomb
pattern
• Each tyre is butted up to adjoining tyres
• Tyre void filled with recycled crushed
concrete
• Topping layer is applied
• Alternative options involved greater
disturbance to creek banks
• Platforms were also to be exposed to
seasonal flooding
• Abigroup first contractor to receive
‘Beneficial Reuse’ Approval from DERM
SLU Low Emissions Lighting
• Southern Link Upgrade (SLU)
• Client: Transurban
• One component of the overall MonashCityLink-West Gate (M1) Upgrade project
in Melbourne
• Investigated opportunities to minimise
GHG emissions during operation of the
freeway
SLU Low Emissions Lighting
• Trial of Low emissions lighting technology – Lighting
Energy Controllers (LECs) – 12 Month
• Trial Section - controlled 16 light poles and 32 luminaries,
that included a combination of 400, 250 and 150 watt
globes.
• Involved SLU, Saving Point, CityLink & VicRoads
• Objectives included:
• GHG Reductions during operation
• Extended luminaire life & reduced maintenance costs
• Ease of installation and retro-fit
• Voltage reduced by 33v, directly leading to a 26%
reduction in energy consumption and GHG emissions.
• Simple and inexpensive installation at virtually any
location
• Integrated automatic bypass that disconnects the LEC
without extinguishing lights in case of failure
• Increased life expectancy of lamps – approx 10%
• Permanently installed along CityLink – data collection
ongoing
PenLink Eco-Operator
Training
• Peninsula Link Project
• Client: Linking Melbourne Authority
• Provides for a dual carriage way freeway from the
Eastlink in North Frankston to Mount Martha
PenLink Eco-Operator
Training
• Abigroup partnership with Caterpillar Institute
• Provides machine operators with knowledge, skills &
techniques to operate plant and reduce fuel
consumption
• All plant operators will be required to undertake Eco
Operator Training on the Peninsula Link Project
• Potential savings include:
• Saving of approx 4 litres per hour
Business as Usual
Materials in Construction
• Reuse of asphalt profilings for access track stabilisation
and dust suppression
• Use of Recycled Asphalt Pavement where within
specification (typically 10-30%)
• Reuse of demolition concrete as Cement Treated
Crushed Concrete used in pavement sub-base layers
• Hollow trees felled placed into adjacent land as habitat
• Alternative water use – reducing potable water use
• Mulch used for Erosion and Sediment controls
Where to from here?
• Want to see clients continue to encourage
innovation on projects
• Contracts/specifications to lean toward
recycled or reused materials
• Project delivery models that push beyond
compliance or business as usual practices
• Shared risk in product performance
driving innovation
Questions, Queries,
Comments...