Skanska joins LeadIT climate initiative

Skanska has joined the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT), as part of its efforts to become carbon neutral across its entire value chain by 2045.

The Sweden-based firm, which operates Construction, Residential Development, and Commercial Property Development divisions across Europe and the US, said joining the organisation would allow it to influence policy and further progress its carbon goal, which “includes suppliers, subcontractors, and end users” of the buildings it constructs.

The LeadIT, which is supported by the World Economic Fund, aims to facilitate the development of “low-carbon pathways” in order achieve the goals set out by the Paris Agreement.

Established by the Swedish and Indian governments at the UN Climate Action Summit in 2019, it uses research analysis and a collaborative approach to support public and private organisations across different industry sectors, as they transition to net-zero operations. 

Anders Danielsson, CEO at Skanska, said, “Joining LeadIT will enable us to further accelerate our efforts toward climate neutrality. We want to take vigorous action in this transition and have reduced our own carbon footprint by 40 percent since 2015.

“For us, this also involves reducing emissions from materials and offering climate-smart solutions that enable our customers to meet their climate targets. LeadIT represents the right forum for us in which to work to disseminate best practices, influence policy and sharpen our own climate efforts our own business.”

A top 10 company on CE’s 2020 list of the biggest construction companies in Europe, Skanska has already rolled out a number of carbon-reducing policies. 

In April of this year the firm issued a “new framework agreement“ that will see all its site plant and equipment use a low-carbon hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel,

In addition, last month saw the firm sign a £95 million contract through Cementation Skanska for the provision of low-carbon piling work to be carried out on UK’s HS2 high speed railway project.

Lena Hök, senior vice president sustainability at Skanska, said, “The construction sector accounts for 40 percent of the world’s energy-related carbon emissions.

“The significant emissions derive from fuel and such materials as concrete, steel and asphalt, as well as from the energy required to operate the buildings during their lifetime.

“To achieve the goal of becoming climate-neutral, we work with partners to drive development and innovation. We also want to see more stringent climate requirements in public procurements.”

The company is currently in the process of having its climate goals verified by the Science Based Target initiative.