SECTORS / GICS-201020 / TRANSITIONS

Construction & Contractors · transition pathways

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The recognised primary transition pathway for construction & contractors, plus the upstream sectors construction & contractors firms depend on for their own decarbonisation. A consulting firm cutting business travel still needs aviation to decarbonise; a REIT cutting tenant energy still needs the grid to clean up. These are the rate limiters.

Primary pathway

SBTi 1.5°C corporate + RICS WLCA + LETI + WGBC

RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment (UK + global) is the industry standard for measuring embodied + operational carbon. LETI provides design targets for new buildings. World Green Building Council coordinates national green building councils.

Reference ↗
Decarbonisation pathways
hover to read · click to pin
02550751002020203020402050
Year readout

Hover the chart to read off Best / Realistic / Worst values at any year. Click to pin the readout.

2050 endpoint:
Best 0% · Worst 70%
Corporate Scope 1+2 absolute emissions · % of 2020 emissions · base 2020 · Source: SBTi 1.5°C corporate criteria (4.2% YoY) · Race to Zero · BAU
Dependant pathways· 4

Upstream sectors construction & contractors firms rely on. The faster these decarbonise, the faster the firm can hit its own targets — even when it does everything in its control.

Cement & Steel

Scope 3 · cat 1

Concrete + steel are the two heaviest contributors to embodied carbon. Decarbonisation pace of these sectors caps how fast contractors can cut project-level S3.

framework:GCCA Net Zero, ResponsibleSteel, SBTi Cement + Steel
Decarbonisation pathways
0631252020203020402050
Best0%
Realistic50%
Worst85%
Cement + steel sector emissions · % of 2020 emissions · base 2020
Source: GCCA Net Zero Roadmap, ResponsibleSteel, IEA NZE Industry

Power & electricity

Scope 1 + 2

Site electrification (replacing diesel plant) only helps as much as grid decarbonisation does. Also drives the use phase of every building delivered.

framework:IEA Net Zero by 2050 (Power), Ember Global Electricity Review
Decarbonisation pathways
0501002020203020402050
Best0%
Realistic15%
Worst60%
Grid carbon intensity · % of 2020 gCO2/kWh · base 2020
Source: IEA WEO 2023 — NZE / APS / STEPS

Mining & critical minerals

Scope 3 · cat 1

Aggregates, copper, aluminium, rare earths for finishings. Mining S1+2 caps upstream Scope 3.

framework:ICMM, SBTi Mining (in development)
Decarbonisation pathways
0501002020203020402050
Best15%
Realistic45%
Worst80%
Mining sector S1+S2 emissions · % of 2020 emissions · base 2020
Source: ICMM Climate Change Position, SBTi Mining (in development)

Buildings & Real Estate

Scope 3 · cat 11

Operational performance of completed buildings depends on tenant fit-out + grid mix in the country of construction. Contractors have indirect leverage.

framework:SBTi Buildings, CRREM
Decarbonisation pathways
0501002020203020402050
Best10%
Realistic45%
Worst75%
Building operational emissions · % of 2020 emissions · base 2020
Source: IEA NZE Buildings, SBTi Buildings 1.5°C
Decarbonisation by location — coming soon

Once we have HQ + operations location data per firm in this cohort, we'll overlay Ember grid-carbon-intensity data per country so you can see the geographical decarbonisation tailwind (or headwind) each firm is operating against.

Source: ember-energy.org · Global Electricity Review + per-country grid carbon intensity (gCO2/kWh).