MABEY Hire has ramped up its commitment to sustainable construction by including embodied carbon calculations on every quote it issues.
The provider of temporary works solutions said embodied carbon is a ‘critical but often overlooked’ contributor to the built environment’s carbon footprint. Unlike operational carbon, embodied carbon is locked in once materials are manufactured and installed, meaning early-stage design and procurement decisions are vital.
Mabey Hire’s embodied carbon assessments are aligned with PAS 2080 and guidance from institutions such as the Temporary Works Forum (TWf), ICE, IStructE, and RICS. With over 3,000 products assessed, each estimate includes emissions data across three key phases:
- Product (A1–A3): Embodied carbon per item, based on lifetime hire use
- Transport (A4): Emissions from both vehicle manufacture and mileage
- Installation (A5): Emissions from site activity, tailored per project
Mabey Hire revealed it has based its calculations on the duration each product will spend on hire during its lifetime, rather than the number of hires per product lifetime, enabling the provider to calculate an estimate of embodied carbon per week on hire for each item.
Johannes Whittam, engineering director at Mabey Hire, said, “We have always endeavoured to lead the way in terms of innovation and engineering excellence, and now we’re putting that same drive behind sustainability. Proprietary temporary works are already inherently sustainable, featuring at the top of the Waste Hierarchy, with the equipment reused time and time again.
“Now, by providing detailed embodied carbon calculations for every quote, we’re helping our customers and the wider supply chain to make more informed decisions and reduce the environmental impact of their temporary works. We’re proud to do this in a transparent way, with the full detail of our approach in the whitepaper available for download from our website. For us, sustainability isn’t just about compliance, it’s about smarter construction.”
