The SmartCarbon team exhibited and presented at NEEOneVoice on 18th October – the Summit and Innovation Showcase hosted by Constructing Excellence in the North East (CENE). Commercial Director, Lee Jackson, presented to delegates on the importance of supply chain as part of any organisation’s Net Zero ambition, and joined a panel discussion on wider climate considerations for the sector.
This year, the region’s biggest annual construction industry conference was back bigger and better than ever. Aimed at building a successful, sustainable and inclusive construction industry in line with the OneVoice campaign, the CENE’s Construction Summit is a fantastic opportunity for organisations to come together to share experience, best practice and discuss the issues of the day.
Not surprisingly, sustainability is becoming a more pressing issue than ever before and this year’s summit reflected the increasing urgency around the climate emergency. At SmartCarbon, we were delighted to be asked to exhibit and contribute at this year’s Summit – with Commercial Director, Lee Jackson contributing to a session focused around the regional push towards Net Zero.
Reflecting on the event, Lee said:
“This year it was encouraging to see that decarbonisation initiatives were prominent not only in the dedicated Climate session but also within the Value, People, and Innovation sessions at the summit.
“We had the opportunity to speak with many regional businesses who are passionate about reducing their carbon footprint and environmental impact.”
Within his own presentation to delegates, Lee evidenced the value that SmartCarbon is adding to organisations working towards Net Zero by moving from initial supply chain screening into a deeper engagement exercise with suppliers. In particular, SmartCarbon’s work with Newcastle Hospitals on reporting supply chain emissions resonated with organisations looking to measure their own Scope 3 emissions.
Other areas of interest
Commenting on other areas of interest at the 2023 Conference, Lee said:
“I was fascinated to hear about progress being made in the region in relation to Low Carbon Materials designed to significantly reduce the impact of concrete in construction. And the message I took clearly from the Innovation Showcase was that the construction sector needs to embrace an element of risk in bringing new innovations and processes to the market if we are to make progress towards addressing the climate emergency.
“It is through events like the Construction Summit that the region can pull together and make meaningful change. I hope that delegates took away a lot from the event and have a clearer picture of how they can play their part in addressing the Climate issues that face not just the industry but also society more generally.”
Looking to find out more about the work SmartCarbon has done with Newcastle Hospitals? Click here.