Turner Makes Progress in Reducing Carbon Footprint of Operations

Underscoring Turner's proactive approach towards sustainability, Turner adds electric vehicles to fleet and pilots use of electric equipment. 

Turner Construction Company is actively testing new to-market equipment and innovative processes to drive transformational change in construction operations and achieve commitments to reduce its environmental footprint. As part of Turner’s commitment to achieving Net Zero Emissions by 2040 across all reporting scopes, the company has taken significant steps including implementing a pilot on the use of a wide range of low emission equipment on a data center project, piloting the use of electric and hybrid heavy equipment on various projects, moving toward fully electrifying its fleet of vehicles by 2028, and using zero-carbon cement on a project.  

On the data center project, electric and hybrid equipment in the pilot study realized both fuel and electricity savings.  For example, they saw a 27% savings on with electric temporary heat and as much as 100% savings for all-electric equipment. Utilizing a propane generator saved 33% total energy use as propane has less energy per gallon than diesel. Mike Bahr, Sustainability Manager at Turner said, “We estimate that this pilot avoided more than 100,000 gallons of diesel and 12,000 gallons of gasoline in 2023 alone.” Bahr continued, “There is a significant safety value proposition both for workers and the community. The electric and hybrid equipment vibrates less than diesel and therefore is easier on operators, and tailpipe pollution on site is eliminated or reduced which is a great benefit to worker health.” 

Turner deployed an all-Electric Track Skid Steer on the Gateway Project at the University of California-Berkeley. "As we focus on reducing our carbon footprint the transition to clean equipment is necessary,” said Manu Garg, Project Executive, Turner Construction Company. “In the spirit of innovation, we are piloting the use of electrical equipment. It is thrilling to be a part of that push for a lower-carbon jobsite.” 

As part of Turner’s program to fully electrify its fleet of vehicles by 2028, Turner recently received ten all electric pickup trucks in Alabama. “The company is working with multiple EV manufacturers to update its fleet nationwide,” said Emily Rogers, Business Development Manager, Turner Construction Company. “Our teams in the region are excited to put these trucks to work building the future of our communities!” 

On a project in the Boston area, Turner used innovative zero-carbon cement from Sublime produced through a process developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sublime's technology can be fueled by renewable electricity and its processes allow electrons to break the ingredients down at room temperature. David Robb, a Turner preconstruction manager says, “This is a huge step in terms of our embodied carbon reduction goals that we're striving toward in the future here at Turner.” 

Turner’s commitment to Net Zero emissions by 2040 is a part of Turner’s Building Today to Transform Tomorrow commitment. The steps taken to honor this commitment will help sustain our planet in our projects and our operations. “We will work with our business partners and clients to influence decisions about the sourcing, resiliency, and sustainability of building materials and systems for each project,” said Julia Gisewite, Vice President of Sustainability, Turner Construction Company. “We will also protect the environment in our operations by reducing energy, water, and waste, while committing to mitigating impact on biodiversity and ecosystems. These steps are just the beginning of our work to increase sustainability in the industry and help protect the planet.” 

The implementation of these innovative practices is part of Turner’s comprehensive ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Strategy and Commitments, which can be found in greater detail at the following link: https://www.turnerconstruction.com/commitments/esg.