CSR increasingly important in construction procurement, survey shows

25th May 2017


Transform web

Related Topics

Related tags

  • Business & Industry ,
  • Built environment ,
  • Construction ,
  • Corporate governance ,
  • Management

Author

Martin Churley

Almost half of tenders for electrical work in the construction industry require contractors to submit corporate social responsibility (CSR) information, particularly on the environment.

A survey by trade body the ECA and the Considerate Constructors Scheme, found that 48% of invitations to tender, contracts or pre-qualification questionnaires ask for information on CSR issues.

One in four (24%) reported that they had never seen CSR mentioned in a procurement document, however.

More than half of businesses (53%) with turnover above £5m ask suppliers about their CSR policies and activities, the poll revealed.

Some 53% of respondents said they expect CSR to become more important to their organisation in the next five to ten years. Just 10% said they did not foresee the issue becoming more influential, with 37% unsure.

The top five CSR issues identified by survey respondents were: the environment (63%); health and safety (55%); employee welfare (50%); ethical behaviour (43%); and supporting local initiatives (37%).

ECA director of business and IEMA Fellow Paul Reeve said: ‘In addition to better company engagement with buyers and others, continual development in CSR can help companies, and the industry within which they operate, to be more attractive to prospective employees.’

Around 150 members of the ECA with turnover above £1m completed the survey.

Subscribe

Subscribe to IEMA's newsletters to receive timely articles, expert opinions, event announcements, and much more, directly in your inbox.


Transform articles

The time is now

Dr Julie Riggs issues a call to arms to tackle a modern-day human tragedy

15th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) strategy is based on optimistic techno-economic assumptions that are now outdated, Carbon Tracker has warned.

13th March 2024

Read more

Multinational corporations are undermining their net-zero commitments with excessive air travel and no plans to reduce ‘the low hanging fruit’ of carbon footprints, a study by Transport & Environment has found.

13th March 2024

Read more

Large businesses across the world are avoiding climate action due to fear they will be called out for getting their work wrong, according to a new Carbon Trust report.

29th February 2024

Read more

A thought-provoking discussion on how storytelling can change the world took place in Central London last night, alongside an exclusive sneak preview of an upcoming IEMA film series.

29th February 2024

Read more

The UK’s net-zero economy grew 9% last year while delivering higher paid jobs than average and attracting billions of pounds in private investment, analysis by CBI Economics has uncovered.

28th February 2024

Read more

A consortium including IEMA and the Good Homes Alliance have drafted a letter to UK government ministers expressing disappointment with the proposed Future Homes Standard.

26th February 2024

Read more

IEMA and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) have today published up-to-date guidance to help companies and individuals understand climate-related financial information.

22nd February 2024

Read more

Media enquires

Looking for an expert to speak at an event or comment on an item in the news?

Find an expert

IEMA Cookie Notice

Clicking the ‘Accept all’ button means you are accepting analytics and third-party cookies. Our website uses necessary cookies which are required in order to make our website work. In addition to these, we use analytics and third-party cookies to optimise site functionality and give you the best possible experience. To control which cookies are set, click ‘Settings’. To learn more about cookies, how we use them on our website and how to change your cookie settings please view our cookie policy.

Manage cookie settings

Our use of cookies

You can learn more detailed information in our cookie policy.

Some cookies are essential, but non-essential cookies help us to improve the experience on our site by providing insights into how the site is being used. To maintain privacy management, this relies on cookie identifiers. Resetting or deleting your browser cookies will reset these preferences.

Essential cookies

These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website.

Analytics cookies

These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors to our website and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works.

Advertising cookies

These cookies allow us to tailor advertising to you based on your interests. If you do not accept these cookies, you will still see adverts, but these will be more generic.

Save and close