Developers can donate to the GQCF fund at any stage in their project's life cycle and top up contributions as the volume of RMX becomes better known. During the initial stages, contributions will be limited to developments / Infrastructure projects who anticipate to use in excess of 1500m3 of RMX as these projects represent the majority of the UK market by volume.
During the planning approval process for a project Developers can donate to the GQCF based upon an estimate of the volume of RMX likely to be utilised within the project. By way of acknowledgment the Developer will receive:
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A project specific certificate of donation that can be utilised as supplementary information with the planning application process.
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A GQCF logo and hoarding graphic that is tied to the certificate number. The company can use this on its web site and construction site hoardings.
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Green Quarry Concrete Fund Donor
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The site will be listed upon the GQFC web site
During the construction phase of a project Developers can donate as per the pre planning approval stage outlined above and will receive the same outputs by way of acknowledgement.
Once the construction process is completed the Developer can make a top up donation based upon the actual volume of RMX used (if this were in excess of the estimated volume of RMX). By way of acknowledgement the Developer will then receive a wall mountable GQFC Donor Lobby Plaque.
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Developers can also make initial donations for previously completed developments (subject to the 1500m3 minimum and actual volumes of RMX used). By way of acknowledgement they will receive the plaque as well as the same outputs as projects within the construction phase.
The suggested donation metric is £1 per m3 of RMX, This is approximately 1.5% of the current cost of RMX.
Ecological impact is an important issue challenging the UK Construction industry with environmental regulations influencing construction consents, construction practice, asset valuation and occupiers use. Acknowledged donation to the Green Quarry Concrete Fund in connection with a project can support Developers improve all four of these critical aspects of their asset's life cycle. Within a short time, it is intended that GQC will become a de facto expectation within UK contractor specifications, as much as FSC certification has become for the supply of timber.
Value to a Donor Developer
Ecological impact is an important issue for construction consents, construction practice, asset valuation and occupiers use.
With regards to local and national development consent. Environmental responsibility and credentials form part of Stakeholder Judgement as to who will be thought of as a Responsible Developer or Infrastructure provider. The Green Quarry Concrete Fund (GQCF) will provide donors with site specific certification acknowledging their donations in support of mitigating the off-site ecological impact of the UK construction industry. GQCF will also provide donors with acknowledgement graphics for construction site hoardings and for use on their web sites.
Regulations are set to increase as environmental externalities such as climate change and biodiversity loss escalate, with a raft of schemes such as BREEAM, CEEQUAL, LEED and Biodiversity Action Plans already in place. The scope is not just site specific, supply chain impacts have become equally important, with schemes such BRE's BES 6001 Standard for Responsible Sourcing entering their third generation. The Green Quarry Concrete Fund directly supports the certification of ecological enhancement at UK quarries providing a key enabler to the recognition of Responsible Sourcing by Developers.
However, it is not just regulation that is driving change, policymakers, developers, architects and occupiers are all striving to create ever better environments not just within their structures but also through connection to wider eco systems and communities. This is continuing to raise the bar of expectation of what is the scope of a development. Meeting this expectation does not necessarily create a green premium (though in future there maybe scope to connect occupiers with the green spaces where their structure's concrete was quarried) but it does give the room for a brown discount. The Green Quarry Concrete Fund will provide full donors with a Lobby Plaque for each of their donor developments acknowledging their donation.
Quarrying to create Ready Mix Concrete (RMX) aggregate is one of the principal off-site ecological impacts associated with UK Development and usually occurs with 30 miles of the development site. This is discussed further here. Quarry operations are also at the top of a competitive (according to 2014 Competition Commission report) RMX supply chain and separated from clients by only four or five levels that include RMX suppliers and main construction contractors. The Green Quarry Concrete Fund, through its 'Fair Trade' approach enable developers to bypass the supply chain and directly influence the ecological issue but it also ensures they do not disrupt procurement processes and continue to source competitively priced RMX.
The Green Quarry Concrete Fund is focused on raising funding such that the majority of RMX supplying UK quarries can transition to operational biodiversity enhancement that is independently verified by 2018. Thereby enabling the non-price nor carbon premium specification of this by contractors beyond this date.
Example wording for use within contractor specification from 2018 might be:
"Where virgin aggregate from UK land based quarries is used within the production of Ready Mix Concrete it is only obtained from quarries that have active, externally certified, biodiversity enhancement plans in operation. (Active certificates may also be lodged with a nominated 3rd party e.g. the Green Quarry Concrete Fund)"
The Contribution Process
Benefits to Developers
