What challenges does sustainability pose for companies?

For the first time this year, ÉVOSZ conducted a sustainability survey among its member companies. Respondents cover the entire value chain of the construction industry, from contractors to building materials manufacturers and engineering firms, according to a statement from the trade association.

Companies are actively addressing the issue

The results show that 75% of large companies have an environmental management system in place and 62% have a sustainability strategy. More than half of the respondents have a designated person responsible for this area.
The majority of companies measure energy consumption (92 %), waste generated (77 %) and water use (72 %), but monitoring of indirect emissions such as transport and travel is much less common (42 and 371 % respectively).

Steps towards carbon neutrality

In terms of emissions reductions, the picture is mixed: 42% have a specific carbon reduction target, 15% already have a carbon neutrality plan, while more than a third of companies have no target at all.

The principles of the circular economy are widespread: 82% of respondents are involved in recycling and waste reduction, while 62% take sustainability into account in their purchasing.
There is also progress in the social area: two thirds of companies measure employee satisfaction, 70 percent have provided sustainability training and 85 percent have a complaints handling system in place.

Micro and small enterprises need professional support

However, there are gaps in governance: only 32% of companies assess the sustainability of their subcontractors and less than half have a risk management system that takes sustainability risks into account.

The market experience is that in the micro and small business sector, there is a serious lag in sustainability issues compared to large companies. There is also a need to share knowledge and practices of larger market players. The main challenges are lack of capacity, administrative burden, high costs and difficulties in data collection.

The role of sustainability in the construction industry and the results of the latest survey are discussed in the ÉVOSZ podcast, the Spakli’21’s latest episode also touched upon this, where János Bene spoke with Péter Kálmán, chair of the ÉVOSZ Sustainability Section and CEO of Óbuda Group.