Contributions of environmental management systems (ISO 14001) towards the delivery of sustainable development goal 12

Training is fundamental to provide the necessary skills to deliver on the SDG challenges through awareness creation and the promotion of actions to reduce societal impacts on the planet. SDG-12 is focused on responsible consumption and production, with many industrial sectors such as construction taking steps to address this matter by reducing, reusing, and reclaiming materials. However, it is essential that more efficient ways of using materials become business as usual and carbon impacts are reduced. This can be guided by policy and legislation but, within organisations, there are opportunities using ISO 14001 for improvement, such as sustainability reporting, closed loop operations, efficient waste management, renewable energy production, reduced material footprints and net zero carbon opportunities. This chapter will explore the benefits and barriers of implementing environmental management systems in the construction sector and demonstrating how skills and ISO14001 are key in facilitating the delivery of SDG-12.