Construction can turn green

Emission-free sites have been achievable in Scandinavia

BY RON FREUND: Director, ELECTRIC AUTO ASSOCIATION

Chart showing construction industry contribution to carbon emissions

There’s no doubt that driving electric helps the environment, as does installing home solar panels. But there’s so much more to sustainability than what we can do in our personal lives. As a society, we still have a very long way to go.

It’s pretty much an everyday occurrence for most of us to pass by construction sites teaming with diesel powered loaders, cement mixers, and cranes, or a warehouse site with a few propane powered skid-steers. One has to wonder when that situation will ever change. Upward of 38 new battery gigafactories are to be built in Europe in the next decade, and that’s just to deal with the projected demand for passenger cars and light trucks!

The benefits of electrifying construction sites would be substantial

The use of electric equipment in place of traditional diesel engines would reduce not only carbon output, but nearby air pollution and ambient noise as well. The statistics are similar around the world. As evidenced in this detailed report, the construction sector alone is responsible for more than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

Someone had to be first! This pilot project in Norway is a statement to the industry that an emission-free construction site is indeed achievable, and will probably be the future standard. Oslo has used its purchasing power as a strategic tool. Since 2019, public tenders for construction work on roads, schools, nursery homes, water, and sewage pipes, have been awarded to firms doing the work with zero-emission machinery and trucks.