Net Zero International’s David Hawes on the business case for sustainability

Why construction firms that embrace carbon reporting now will be best placed to win work tomorrow.

For many construction businesses, sustainability is still viewed as another compliance requirement. Carbon reporting, emissions data and net zero targets are often seen as time-consuming obligations rather than opportunities to improve competitiveness.

David Hawes, co-founder of Net Zero International, believes that mindset is changing. As environmental reporting becomes increasingly embedded in procurement and supply chain requirements, contractors are under growing pressure to demonstrate how they measure, manage and reduce their carbon emissions.

Speaking to BritBuild, David discusses why better data is becoming essential, how collaboration across the supply chain will shape the future of construction, and why he believes businesses that act now will be best placed to win work in the years ahead.

Q: Can you start by telling us about Net Zero International and why you founded the business?

David Hawes: We launched Net Zero International in August 2021, just before COP26 in Glasgow. At the time, the Government had made net zero a legal commitment, and it was becoming increasingly clear that businesses, particularly SMEs, would need support understanding and managing their carbon emissions.

From the outset, our focus has been helping organisations measure their carbon emissions, report their progress and produce the information increasingly required for frameworks and tenders.

If you’re bidding for work with organisations such as the NHS or across the public sector, having a Carbon Reduction Plan has become essential. We recognised there was a gap in the market to help businesses navigate that process, particularly those without dedicated sustainability expertise.

Q: What are the biggest challenges businesses face when they begin their sustainability plans?

David Hawes: The biggest challenge is data. Carbon accounting depends entirely on having accurate information, and many businesses simply don’t have systems in place to collect it because, until recently, they haven’t needed to.

For construction companies, fuel use and energy consumption are usually relatively straightforward to obtain. The real challenge is gathering emissions data from subcontractors and suppliers.

Businesses now need information from across their supply chain, so they have to establish clear processes that identify who is responsible for collecting data and how it will be reported.

The second challenge is ownership. Most SMEs don’t employ a sustainability manager, so someone within the business has to take responsibility for collecting information, overseeing reporting and driving carbon reduction. Those two things, data and accountability, remain the biggest barriers.

Q: Has the industry’s approach to sustainability changed over the past few years?

David Hawes: Absolutely. Awareness has increased significantly and we’ve seen some organisations begin offering carbon reporting services without specialist expertise.

The challenge is that carbon accounting isn’t currently regulated.

That’s why we are involved with the Carbon Accounting Alliance, which is working to establish a professional body for carbon accountants, similar to those that already exist for finance or health and safety.

Businesses should be confident that the people preparing their carbon accounts are properly qualified. Carbon reporting is becoming just as important as financial reporting, so professional standards and independent verification are essential.

Q: Construction is under increasing pressure to reduce emissions. How do you see that evolving?

David Hawes: We’re seeing a real move towards whole-life carbon assessments.

Historically, businesses focused on operational emissions such as fuel and electricity. Increasingly, clients want to understand the carbon associated with an entire project, from embodied carbon in materials through to operational performance over the building’s lifetime.

They’re also asking contractors to demonstrate how much carbon a project will save through measures such as improved insulation, heat pumps or renewable technologies.

The built environment contributes roughly a third of UK carbon emissions, while around 80% of the buildings we’ll still be using in 2050 (the legally binding date for Net Zero) already exist.

That makes retrofit one of the industry’s biggest opportunities. The challenge isn’t simply delivering retrofit projects, it’s measuring the long-term carbon benefits they create.

Q: Does that present opportunities as well as challenges?

David Hawes: Absolutely.

The UK’s carbon budgets are legal commitments, and construction will play a central role in achieving them.

Retrofitting buildings, improving energy efficiency and adopting low-carbon technologies all create demand for new skills, innovation and collaboration.

Sometimes people hear the phrase “net zero” and immediately think about extra cost or regulation, but I genuinely see it as one of the biggest commercial opportunities construction has seen in decades.

Businesses that embrace the transition will be better placed to win work, strengthen their expertise and improve their long-term competitiveness.

Q: Where do you see the biggest opportunities for innovation?

David Hawes: People often think first about low-carbon materials such as green steel or low-carbon concrete, but innovation extends much further than that.

Circular economy principles are becoming increasingly important. Rather than demolishing and rebuilding, we’re seeing far greater emphasis on refurbishment and reusing existing assets.

Off-site manufacturing and prefabrication are reducing waste while improving efficiency.

Logistics is another area where relatively small changes can make a significant difference. Better coordination of deliveries, fewer unnecessary vehicle movements and shared transport between contractors can all reduce emissions.

Businesses sometimes believe sustainability requires one revolutionary

breakthrough. In reality, it’s often hundreds of practical improvements that collectively create meaningful change.

Q: Net Zero International has worked with the National Federation of Builders for several years. What makes that partnership successful?

David Hawes: We’ve partnered with the National Federation of Builders for around four years.

From the beginning, the relationship has focused on helping members understand what net zero means in practical terms.

We’ve delivered webinars, produced guidance, contributed articles and now support the NFB Academy through dedicated training programmes.

The partnership works because we share the same objective. The NFB wants its members to build stronger businesses and secure future work. That’s exactly what we’re trying to achieve.

Our philosophy has always been simple. We help businesses become stronger by viewing their business through a lower-carbon lens.

Q: What concerns do construction businesses raise most often?

David Hawes: The first questions are always practical. How much time will it take? How much will it cost? Who is going to manage it?

Those are understandable concerns, particularly for SMEs where people already have multiple responsibilities.

Another challenge is inconsistency. A contractor might report carbon information one way for an NHS project and then be asked to provide exactly the same information in a different format for another client.

That creates unnecessary work.

Our aim is to help businesses build capability internally rather than becoming dependent on consultants. During the first year we work closely with clients to establish systems. As they become more confident, our role shifts towards verification and independent advice.

Ultimately, businesses are stronger when they develop those skills themselves.

Q: Are reporting standards becoming more consistent?

David Hawes: Thankfully, yes.

We’re seeing what I’d describe as a convergence of standards.

Historically there have been multiple frameworks that didn’t always align particularly well, but that’s beginning to change. New ISO standards are being developed, reporting protocols are evolving and organisations such as the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) continue to update their guidance.

At the same time, the Carbon Accounting Alliance is helping establish professional standards for carbon accountants.

Those developments need to happen together.

I often compare it with financial accounting. Everyone trusts financial accounts because qualified accountants work to recognised standards.

Carbon reporting needs to reach the same level of maturity.

Q: How important is collaboration across the construction supply chain?

David Hawes: It’s absolutely essential.

The only way we’re going to solve many of these challenges is through collaboration rather than competition.

We encourage businesses to develop sustainable procurement policies and ask suppliers straightforward questions. Do they have a Carbon Reduction Plan? What are they doing to reduce emissions?

Those conversations create opportunities to improve performance together.

Sometimes the solutions are remarkably simple. If your employee and a subcontractor are travelling to the same site, could they share transport?

Small changes repeated across thousands of projects create significant emissions avoidance.

We also work with larger contractors to support their supply chains because if everyone improves together, we all benefit.

Q: How important is company culture?

David Hawes: In my view, it’s the single biggest factor.

Whenever we develop a Carbon Reduction Plan, staff engagement is the first thing we discuss.

I often compare sustainability with the evolution of health and safety.

There was a time when wearing hard hats on site wasn’t universal. Today, nobody questions those behaviours because safety has become embedded within construction culture.

That’s exactly where sustainability needs to go.

If Directors genuinely believe it matters and make it part of everyday decision-making, employees will follow.

If it’s treated purely as a compliance exercise, it will never become part of the culture.

Q: Have you already seen sustainability become a commercial issue?

David Hawes: Definitely.

We’ve worked with businesses that have lost contracts because sustainability wasn’t properly embedded within their organisation.

Increasingly, clients want to see that environmental responsibility forms part of a company’s culture rather than something introduced simply to satisfy procurement requirements.

We’ll also continue to see more regulation, whether through reporting requirements, taxation or legislation.

That might sound like a stick, but there’s also a carrot.

Businesses that embrace sustainability early are winning work, attracting investment, improving efficiency and strengthening their reputation.

Those are genuine commercial advantages.

Q: Finally, what advice would you give builders and contractors beginning their net zero plan?

David Hawes: My favourite phrase is, don’t try to eat the whole elephant all at once.

Start with the basics. Measure fuel use and energy consumption, establish a baseline and build from there.

Don’t let the scale of the challenge stop you taking the first step.

At the same time, identify someone within the business who will take ownership of the process and focus on creating a culture where sustainability becomes part of everyday decision-making.

Do it because it makes business sense, not simply because a client has asked for it.

The businesses that treat sustainability as part of who they are, rather than another compliance exercise, will be the ones that thrive over the coming years.