New building continues apace across the district, but Yorkshire's regional development agency is aiming to help stop global warming by making construction greener, writes DAVID BARNETT.

Cranes and building sites on a city's skyline are good omens. They point to investment, development, confidence and a significant boost for any community.

But such progress does not come without a price. Heavy commercial construction, by its very nature, uses up a huge amount of materials and leaves a massive carbon footprint - something we are all gradually coming to realise is a situation that cannot continue if we hope to preserve the delicate balance of our planet's eco-system.

Thus, Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency for Yorkshire and the Humber, has just signed up to a protocol to try to offset the damage caused by the construction that it, as an agency, is responsible for trying to bring into the area.

Yorkshire Forward has teamed up with Recycling Action Yorkshire and the Waste & Resources Action Programme in a bid to contribute to the region's target of reducing CO2 emissions over three years by ensuring that all new construction projects use a growing proportion of recycled materials.

Tom Riordan, chief executive of Yorkshire Forward explains: "The new office blocks and apartment complexes springing up and changing the urban skyline are a sign of the region's increasing prosperity and growing economy.

"Hand-in hand with this prosperity we must ensure that we protect the environment and our commitment to these important targets underlines how hard we are working to reduce our carbon emissions and make more efficient use of resources."

From December 1, at least ten per cent of the overall value of materials in construction projects it supports or funds must be made with recycled materials.

Andrew Hartley, RAY programme director, said: "Driving recycling through purchasing can be very effective. In Yorkshire and Humber alone, the public sector spends £6.5 billion on goods and services, making it a consumer to be reckoned with.

"This massive buying power gives the public sector the opportunity to set the standard and drive UK sustainability in future years. The choices made by these organisations can create new markets for sustainable products, transform the approach of private sector suppliers and inspire groundbreaking new product development."

Claire Plowright, WRAP construction project officer, said: "By seeking to measure and improve recycled content, construction clients can satisfy their stakeholders, planning authorities and employees and demonstrate a clear contribution to corporate responsibility".

The targets will be promoted in conjunction with RAY, the regional recycling and market development programme, initiated and funded by Yorkshire Forward in partnership with the European Regional Development Fund plus key regional and national stakeholders.

RAY will be working with ten organisations including the universities of Leeds and Bradford, Sheffield City Council and Leeds Metropolitan University. RAY project managers will monitor progress towards the target and have developed an online interactive procurement tool to assess the impact of buying recycled on the region's recycling industry, and ultimately the region's emissions of green house gases. This tool provides valuable data on buying recycled and is an innovative performance indicator.

Mr Hartley says: "Procurement of recycled products provides a powerful incentive for investment in recycling, pulls material through the recycling supply chain and helps make better businesses in the region.

"Participants in this Buy Recycled' initiative, including Yorkshire Forward, also enhance their reputation in terms of corporate social responsibility and experience associated benefits, appealing to new markets and accessing public sector contracts that demand compliance with sustainable procurement objectives."

RAY believes the ten per cent requirement, which covers all physical development projects, can be readily achieved. Although it is already being met by some organisations, this commitment by Yorkshire Forward creates a formal 10 per cent minimum target for all projects.

Mr Hartley adds: "With the help of RAY it is unlikely to place additional burden, either financial or technical, on project managers or partners. However, pilot projects have shown that once these principles have been embedded within an organisation they go on to achieve higher levels and expand into other areas of sustainable procurement.

"Adopting a formal target is a watershed for many organisations and Yorkshire Forward is showing environmental leadership while providing extensive support for regional partners to follow."

Companies have increasingly had to consider green issues as part of their business models, and one Bradford firm, with the help of Yorkshire Forward, is hoping to capitalise on this.

Envirowaste, based on Queen's Road, Bradford, is opening a new £1 million waste transfer station, it was announced this month. The 16-acre site is expected to bolster the firm's recycling rate from 55 per cent to 80 per cent and bosses expect the move will create new jobs.

Envirowaste works with large scale building contractors and construction firms to take away the waste products.

The company then recycles the leftover wood, polythene, plastic, cardboard, paper, metal, brick and concrete into new products which can be sold back to the construction companies and thus help them achieve the new Yorkshire Forward commitment to using recycled goods in construction.

Commercial manager Bobby Barr told the T&A last week: "As a company working in the environmental industry we felt it was important to act now.

"It is expected we will see hikes in landfill tax in the pre-budget report this week and these will come into force in April.

"In Germany, about five or six per cent of waste goes to landfill whereas the average council over here manages a recycling rate of around 23 per cent. We have a long way to go to catch up."

Andy Wallhead, head of strategy with Yorkshire Forward, said: "We are delighted to invest in Envirowaste. It's expansion will create new employment opportunities and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill which is great news for the environment."

With Yorkshire Forward taking a lead role in such projects, it is ensuring that the region also leads the way when it comes to setting the green agenda in business and commerce. It has its own Sustainable Development Team, who say: "In driving forward economic regeneration we will, therefore, adopt an integrated and long term perspective and deliver benefits for people, business and the environment together."

Key elements of their role include working with other public agencies to see land use across the region adapt to the pressures of climate change and finding innovative ways to invest in the region and achieve Yorkshire and Humber's challenging target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent.