The Prime Minister’s recent announcement about ‘shifting the goal posts’ on the Net Zero targets for 2050, has left many questions and uncertainty surrounding the policy.

There is a concern that with the government ‘flip flopping’ around the targets, this eases pressure on businesses and may make them more lax in meeting expectations.

The construction and the built environment sector is a major source of carbon emissions, representing around 40% of the UK’s total output. [1] This means those working in the sector have a large responsibility to take actions to combat carbon emissions and keep to targets despite the extensions.

Many businesses are already making changes and moving to greener ways of working. Companies like City TM – who joined Re-flow on the latest episode of The Conversation – are using electric vehicles, considering how they dispose of and recycle their waste product and creating policies to combat emissions.

Re-flow is committed to helping business achieve Net Zero. Not only eradicating paperwork but by making processes more efficient. Streamlining workflows, eliminating unnecessary back and forth to different sites, monitoring available resources and having oversight over all jobs can help towards Net Zero targets.

Managing resources is one of the ways businesses can reduce emissions. With Re-flow’s asset management feature teams have visibility over equipment, plant, vehicles, operatives and more. When there is oversight, it makes it easier to know what resources are where, who is using them and how long for, to more effectively manage and plan. This combats issues with supply and demand, over or under ordering resource or double bookings – maximising efficiency.

This can also help minimise travel time and cut down on fuel usage. Managers can effectively plan the best route if transport in need to different sites and calculate more fuel-efficient routes.

With vehicles and equipment you can also attach safety checks, instruction documents, as well as do’s and don’ts to ensure operatives have the information needed to always use them safely and efficiently. This prevents misuse or breakages in turn offsetting the carbon that may have been emitted by faulty equipment or having to ship a replacement.

There is also the ability to log service dates to automatically schedule routine maintenance. Operatives can note defects as they arise, automatically triggering updates in the dashboard. Automation can then be used to automatically schedule servicing and send notifications.

“Staying on top of your fleet maintenance is an important step in improving its sustainability. Vehicles with under-inflated tyres, faulty engines, or damaged bodywork will use more fuel than those that are in perfect condition…Ensuring that your fleet is always in the best shape possible will improve your fuel economy and reduce your vehicles’ emissions.” 

Making sure all equipment is in optimal condition is just one of the small ways to cut carbon emissions and make businesses greener.

Companies can log and track KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) through the dashboard, so managers can carefully monitor Net Zero targets and trajectories to see if enough is being done to work towards long term goals. Forms could also be created through the builder to calculate carbon emissions and a report created so show areas when they are still high. This will inform future decisions and help keep a record of progress.

Working to Net Zero is something close to Re-flow’s heart which is why they have sponsored the Net Zero Award at the Highways UK Excellence Awards – recognising businesses who have already made impressive efforts towards being greener.

If you are a currently client and looking to optimise how you use Re-flow, book a one-on-one session with one of the support team. At you can experience a demo, make your own Lego figure and learn more about our software. Make sure to pop along to the Technology & Transformation Stage to hear from our CEO and Founder and Sales Manager Dan about using technology in the industry.

To learn more about Re-flow’s award-winning field management software, call 01392 574002 or visit www.re-flow.co.uk.