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home > good practice guidance > sustainable development > material sourcing
There are a wide range of issues influencing sustainable development in construction. More information on these issues can be found in the Government’s strategy for more sustainable construction, Building a Better Quality of Life.
However there are certain issues that are particularly relevant to the sourcing of materials within the construction industry. This guidance has been developed to increase the awareness of these issues and to demonstrate how material sourcing impacts upon the sustainability of development.
Selecting one material over another for a construction application can influence a wide range of issues that feed into the sustainable development agenda. For example, the transport mode selected to deliver materials impacts upon pollution, energy consumption, congestion and road safety. Similarly, a material from a supply site that has Investors in People certification (IIP) compared to one that comes from a site that doesn’t have IIP will have different impacts upon employee welfare.
This guidance has been developed specifically with the construction industry in mind, to assist practitioners in making more balanced decisions when sourcing materials. In particular, it allows those involved in the construction industry to increase their knowledge and awareness of the key sustainable development issues in relation to procurement of construction materials.
It should be noted that this is not a definitive list of the sustainable development issues influenced by material sourcing, but a list of those issues that are considered by stakeholders in the industry as being particularly relevant.
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published.