Bechtel joins the sustainability movement

Construction company Bechtel has joined the multitude of compaies who are adopting sustainable policies by developing a number of key targets to deliver a number of long-term targets to increase the company’s contributions within global sustainability. These goals and targets are part of Bechtel's ongoing, comprehensive strategy to integrate sustainability within their construction operations.

Tam Nguyen, Bechtel's global head of sustainability said: “As an industry, we must continue to challenge ourselves to design, source materials, and build projects that are more resilient, safer, smarter, greener, and more cost-efficient for our customers and society. These goals make sense from a business point of view as sustainability measures can increase the financial bottom-line of a company."   

To this effect, Bechtel has created a patent pending technology for gas-fired power plants that can reduce the power lost during carbon capture – the process of removing of carbon emissions by almost 65 percent, while lowering capital costs by more than 30 percent.

The company has established four long-term sustainability goals, encompassing energy, infrastructure, water, and worker welfare. This will drive sustainability in project development and delivery; strengthen the resilience of communities and leverage supplier engagements to catalyse sustainable opportunities.

By 2030, Bechtel aims to:

• Contribute 100 ideas to help achieve the United Nations Global Sustainable Development Goals.
• Improve the resilience of five million people to natural hazards through our voluntary initiatives
• Use sustainable alternatives to reduce our environmental footprint on 100 percent of our key projects and non-project facilities.
• Engage 100 percent of our key suppliers to promote sustainability in the delivery of materials and services, and prevent modern-day slavery, including within their own supply chains.

Bechtel has also released three annual sustainability reports, which measure the company's sustainability achievements and successes globally. The fourth report, to be released in June 2017, will start measuring the implementation progress of Bechtel's 2030 goals and targets. 

Follow @ConstructionGL

Read the April 2017 issue of Construction Global