Page 41 - The Constructor 2017

Scholarships and Awards

awards to Sustainability Scholars. This year’s awards were to Anthony Hull of Network Rail and Holly
Gregory of Atkins, and their work is reported elsewhere in this edition.
However, whilst their subjects may indicate a root in sustainability it may not be clear to all what
sustainable development really is, since there is no universally agreed definition of what
sustainability means.
The idea of sustainability stems from the concept of sustainable development which became
common language at the World's first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. The original definition of
sustainable development comes from the Bruntland Report for the World Commission on
Environment and Development (1992), and is usually considered to be: "Development that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs."
Since then, there have been many variations to and extensions of this basic definition. Many have
argued that sustainability has been hijacked and twisted to suit government and business that really
want to continue with “business as usual”. There is also much confusion with the concept of
“recycling” and also apparent conflicts of purpose with the modern concept of globalised sourcing,
where the lowest cost of production is king.
To comply with the definition given above, we in the construction industry need to reflect on the
overall cost to society of our actions, be that in terms of the global footprint of our construction
activities or their long-term impact on human life whether sociological or environmental.
Our two scholars this year have addressed both these issues – one has looked at the carbon
footprint of a construction project in both construction and the eventual de-commissioning phase
whereas the other has looked at the potential sociological issues surrounding a new railway line and
its potential to encourage urban development. So, each scholar has addressed not only the short-
term impact of the construction activity but also the longer-term aspects of the project, be they
environmental or sociological.
The fact that there is no “one size fits all” solution to the issue of sustainability – even if we could
achieve a consistent view of what “sustainability” means – is why we look to our scholars to present
papers that explore the issues as they see them. There is no doubt that these views may change as
time goes on and the world’s view on the concept of “Sustainability” develops, but through the
medium of these scholarships the Sponsors hope to encourage responsible debate amongst the
construction industry.
Scholars 2017/18

Sir Ian Dixon Scholars (“SIDS”)
The SIDS Scholars are Alexander Stephens of Bouyges and George Holder of Costain. Alexander is
progressing well on his scholarship, which is focusing on “Additive Manufacture in Construction”.
George is also proceeding well with his Scholarship, which is focusing on “the Impact of Innovation in
Construction”.

Sustainability Scholars
There are 3 Sustainability scholars for 2017/18,
Hannah Clement from Kent County Council is proceeding well with her Scholarship, which is studying
Science Based Sustainability Targets

Autumn 2017 | The Journal of the Worshipful Company of Constructors | 41