Dorset entrepreneur to change carbon footprint of construction industry

A Dorset entrepreneur is hoping his dream of reducing the environmental impact of the construction industry will become a reality after successfully becoming part of the Aster Group social incubator, inc.

Tom Scott, 42, who lives in Poole with his wife and 11-month-old son, formed his social enterprise, Construction Carbon during lockdown in 2020 with partner Gilbert Lennox-King from Kingston-upon-Thames. Both have worked in construction and real estate and their idea, to make the assessment of carbon emissions for construction projects accessible to everyone, was borne out of a frustration, that the issue of carbon emissions from the construction industry had been largely ignored.

Tom said: “Construction Carbon ensures that carbon emissions associated with the entire lifecycle of a building are assessed and reduced at the design stage and residual upfront carbon emissions from construction are offset providing a net-zero enabled building.

“Net-zero buildings reduce harmful emissions, energy usage, and unnecessary waste, easing our carbon footprint and impact on climate change.”

Applicants from all over the UK applied to be part of the Aster Group inc. programme delivered by the Aster Foundation, a part of the housing association that invests in projects that aims to improve lives by providing opportunities in local communities. Its aim is to develop businesses with a social purpose such as those tackling homelessness, mental health, financial exclusion, unemployment, and the economic recovery from COVID-19.

Tom added: “Being part of the inc. programme is hugely exciting for us. It means working with an organisation with similar values and looking at how our work can make a difference to future developments, social housing and local communities.”

The pair have now started the inc. 10-month business development programme, designed to bring their ideas to market and connect with potential partners and investors. The programme draws on the resources and expertise of Aster Group and its people, with mentoring and additional guidance being provided by established social entrepreneurs. It is the first scheme of its kind to be created by a housing association in the UK and is now in it’s second year.

Cam Kinsella, Aster Foundation director, said: “Social innovation, community and collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we created our social incubator, and we are so excited that Construction Carbon is part of it. By working with our team of experts and colleagues, we hope that Tom and Gilbert will be able to take their business to the next level and support our work around sustainability, driving environmental changes in our homes and across our communities.”

Aster is committed to delivering sustainable homes and is working towards all properties having an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of ‘C’ or above by 2025. Currently 85% meets this benchmark.

Construction Carbon is regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, is  a member of the UK Green Building Council, supported by The Imperial College’s Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment’s Greenhouse programme, and is part of London’s new Centre for Climate Change Innovation.

For further information about the Aster Foundation, visit www.aster.co.uk/foundation

For more information about Construction Carbon, visit www.constructioncarbon.com