Last month, Green Badger and Jenn Taranto from STO Building Group gave a presentation on ESG in construction, covering important topics.
The Construction Managers Association of America (CMAA) organized Focus 24, held in the vibrant city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from March 10-12, 2024. CMAA Focus 24 serves as a premier platform providing construction professionals with invaluable insights into leadership, innovation, tools, trends, and best practices essential for the successful completion of construction projects across various industries. With ESG being a leading trend in sustainable construction, we were excited to have an opportunity to participate in the CMAA Focus 24 event.
The presentation started with an introduction to ESG in construction. Because attendees at Focus 24 had different levels of understanding about ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance), the session began with a general introduction to the topic. At it’s core, ESG is a business strategy that helps businesses become more profitable, attract and retain talent, and it serves as a guideline to making the organization better. The presentation centered this theme and revisited it throughout.
Next, the presentation went deeper into the intricacies of the topic. This included driving forces, the important role of forward-thinking clients in advancing construction ESG, and the practical steps for integrating ESG in construction companies, particularly when starting from ground zero. This section had many examples showcasing a variety of construction ESG metrics, ranging from the ones that are most readily collectible and trackable to the more challenging ones. Some metrics discussed include carbon emissions and DEI.
The final part of this section included a lively discussion on the most common roadblocks encountered during ESG implementation, accompanied by an exploration of the inherent risks associated with the absence of a robust ESG framework – notably, the loss of future construction projects.
The second part of the presentation highlighted real-life examples that illustrate the implementation of ESG in both corporate offices and construction sites. This section was led by Jenn Taranto of STO Building Group. STO has been leading the way on construction ESG and the case studies shared were valuable for the participants at Focus 24 that are at different stages of their ESG journey.
The session ended with an active Q&A, where participants discussed Green Badger’s inventive ESG tracking solutions for construction, ways to involve trade partners in ESG efforts, and explored financial challenges and rewards related to ESG in construction.
Green Badger will also be participating in a Continuing Education Credit webinar for CMAA on April 25, 2024! If you are a member of CMAA, you can register for that webinar here.
For more information about ESG in Construction, please check out our ebook titled “The General Contractor’s Roadmap for ESG Implementation”. If you have questions or would like to see a demo of our ESG tracking software, please reach out to Kristin Brubaker.
