Turning The Construction Industry’s Carbon Intent Into Built Reality

From Climate Solutions News by RESET Media

January 7, 2026 · 25 min · Episode 17

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges in the construction industry regarding carbon emissions and the importance of data in improving project outcomes.

In this episode of Climate Solutions News, Dominic Shales speaks with Brittany Harris, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of QFlow, about why construction projects often fail to deliver the carbon and cost savings set out at design stage, and how better data can close that gap. Construction and the wider built environment account for close to 40 percent of global carbon emissions, yet many projects still rely on paper tickets, estimates and fragmented reporting. Harris explains how capturing verified materials and waste data directly from construction sites can prevent rework, reduce embodied carbon and improve financial performance. Drawing on her background as a civil engineer, she describes how seemingly minor material substitutions can trigger delays, cost overruns and avoidable emissions. The discussion examines whether these failures stem from mistakes, broken information flows or structural incentives within the construction supply chain, and why technology works best as an early warning system rather than an automated decision-maker. Harris also discusses the impact of regulation, including sustainability reporting and building safety requirements, and how different…

People in this episode

Host: Dominic Shales

Guest: Brittany Harris

Topics covered

construction
carbon emissions
data management
sustainability
technology
financial performance

Keywords

construction industry
carbon savings
data visibility
embodied carbon
sustainability reporting
financial performance
material substitutions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: QFlow