Executive Vice President Paul Chandler addresses hundreds of delegates at the Base London conference.
Paul spoke about the commercial arguments in favour of green. He told the assembled audience that he believes the best way out of a financial crisis is to make smart business decisions, drive out cost and improve efficiency.
Paul cited Skanska's waste programme as an example. With 96 per cent of all waste from Skanska UK's project sites reused or recycled, significant landfill tax savings have been achieved.
He also talked about some of Skanska's internal activities, such as the green retrofit of its offices, where the company is investing its own money to improve energy performance.
In 2008, Skanska introduced a green car policy. Today, 97 per cent of staff drive a green car with low carbon emissions. Reinforcing his argument that green makes good business sense, Skanska has achieved more than £1 million fuel cost savings since the policy was launched.
Paul finished by telling the crowd that for Skanska green is not just important, it has become an essential ingredient in how the company is run, driving strategic direction, profitability and people engagement.
Held at the University of East London Sportsdock, Base London is the capital's leading low-carbon built environment and infrastructure event.
The day covers many sectors including construction, property, transport, energy, water and resource management. The full programme includes a wealth of sustainability and low-carbon topics such as green retrofit, waste management, green funding and sustainable transport.
As a key sponsor, Skanska also has a booth and a number of delegates at the event.