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 regions are responding to similar data challenges through the lenses of carbon, cost, resilience and quality.

The episode focuses on execution rather than ambition, and on how making construction data visible and verifiable is becoming central to delivering both climate and commercial outcomes.

Keywords

construction, carbon emissions, sustainability, data technology, Qflow, rework, regulatory pressures, construction industry, Brittany Harris, environmental impact

Takeaways

The built environment is responsible for nearly 40% of carbon emissions.

Embodied carbon from construction materials accounts for about 11% of emissions.

Qflow aims to make construction more transparent and efficient.

Sound Bites

"We founded Qflow to make construction sustainable."

"Data visibility can prevent construction delays."

"30% of rework is due to materials mismanagement."

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