Ensuring that a business is both ethical and sustainable changes depending on where in the world it operates. For Canadian construction firm Chandos Construction, the pressure is on to demonstrate that alongside sustainability and an inclusive supply chain, reconciliation with Indigenous people is at the forefront of their operations.

Tim Coldwell, the company president says that contractors such as Chandos have a wider responsibility beyond carrying out construction plans:

“Contractors can really move the needle on social issues and we are the world’s largest B Corp certified contractor. We build recreational centers, medical facilities and seniors’ housing projects, closing around $800 million in sales each year. About 80 percent of our work is taxpayer funded, which we like because it’s a real connection to society and the impact that we’re trying to have in the world.”

Jen Hancock, vice president, collaborative construction at Chandos, says that the company has always been a sustainability leader in the construction market:

“When we started in Alberta, we were one of the first contractors to do LEED projects, which is a design and construction method that creates more sustainable buildings. This year, Chandos will be offsetting all of its 2020 carbon emissions and we’ve committed to net zero by 2040 for every project we build.”

Carbon offset is the latest Chandos sustainability initiative: since the early 2000s, the company has diverted more than 80 percent of its waste from the landfill. In an industry that is responsible for some 40 per cent of all landfill waste worldwide, that’s a significant achievement.

Another innovation is Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), a specific contractual arrangement that aligns owners, designers, and contractors signing the same contract. This aligns each part of the team around common project goals and values (such as sustainability) to deliver to a high standard for the owner.

Hancock says that getting everybody on board is essential:

“One of the core problems with building to a zero carbon specification is the cost. It’s just really expensive. So where IPD can help with that is keeping the team focused on driving value into the project. When we can drive value in and be creative and innovative, we get closer to net zero carbon faster and we are then able to deliver that over and over again.”

The approach has seen Chandos appointed to work with the FNTI (First Nations Technical Institute) to deliver a $30 million net zero Indigenous project, making it the first project of its kind in Canadian history.

Suzanne Brandt, president, FNTI explains the purpose of the organization:

“FNTI has been around for 35 years and we’ve been providing post-secondary education in several Indigenous communities. We’ve served over 102 First Nations in Ontario. The project that we’re working on with Chandos will be a 50,000 square foot net zero building. We have a space here where we do flight training, and we also do some programming here, but most of our programs are done in the community.”

Brandt adds that price was not the only deciding factor for FNTI when selecting a construction partner:

Chandos is one of the top IPD providers and its values are aligned with the values of FNTI and those of Indigenous people.”

Alice Liang, Architect at Montgomery Sisam Architects, says:

“This new building is meant to be an education tool. The building itself is going to teach all the students attending all about sustainability, all about what net zero means and all about how we combat the climate crisis. We have the goal of involving training and teaching as many Indigenous traits as possible. I’ve never come across that anywhere else on any of the projects.”

Coldwell says that this project is on trend with the larger values of Chandos:

“Chandos has always been community oriented and for decades we have focused on providing value to the community. Our purpose as an organization is that we exist to build a better world and our vision is to be the most innovative and collaborative contractor in North America by 2030. I think there’s a huge opportunity for us to step up and provide paths to employment for all sorts of folks in Canada – hiring at-risk youth, hiring Indigenous people, being an employer of choice. As an industry, I think this is the direction we all need to go in.

Hancock agrees that being a business that people vye to work for can only happen when the company is looking forward – particularly on the sustainability front:

“Without a doubt, the future of the industry is leading to more net zero buildings and renovating existing buildings that aren’t performing well. Buildings produce a tremendous amount of the carbon that exists in the world right now. Being in construction, we can take the lead in reducing emissions. In offsetting our impact. We have to do better.”