- PAS 2080 compliance is now key for winning major projects, but poor data systems make carbon tracking slow and unreliable.
- Qflow simplifies compliance by capturing real-time materials, waste, and carbon data directly from the site.
- On the £85m Melton Mowbray Distributor Road project, Qflow helped Galliford Try track over 11,000 records across 10 suppliers. This helped them meet carbon reporting requirements while reducing processing time.
PAS 2080 – It’s More Than a Compliance Checkbox
PAS 2080 is the global standard for managing carbon in buildings and infrastructure. Developed by the British Standards Institution in 2016 (with a significant update in 2023), the specification provides a clear framework for how infrastructure projects can reduce emissions across their full lifecycle – from design and construction to operation and eventual decommissioning (Institution of Civil Engineers, 2023).
The 2023 Institution of Civil Engineers PAS 2080 guidance document outlines that the standard requires companies to:
- Implement whole-life carbon thinking across the whole asset lifecycle – from design to demolition.
- Prioritise collaboration across the value chain to influence carbon decisions early.
- When making project decisions, apply the carbon reduction hierarchy (avoid, switch, improve).
- Use procurement to drive low-carbon outcomes.
- Ensure data transparency by capturing, monitoring, and reporting emissions data at every stage.
- Include climate resilience and nature-based solutions where possible.
However, PAS 2080 is more than just a compliance checkbox. It signals a shift in how the construction industry thinks about carbon: from reactive, end-of-project reporting to a proactive, data-driven decision-making where carbon is considered at every stage.
Carbon Compliance Could Make or Break Your Next Construction Bid
Carbon accountability is quickly becoming more than just good practice. Construction firms are under increasing pressure to demonstrate real, measurable progress.
Across the UK, major bodies are making compliance a requirement. For example:
- National Highways now requires its Tier 1 and 2 suppliers to have PAS 2080-aligned carbon management systems in place (National Highways, 2023).
- The Procurement Policy Note 06/21 requires suppliers bidding for major government contracts to commit to achieving net-zero by 2050 and publish a carbon reduction plan.
In other words, if you’re not managing carbon, you may not even make it to the shortlist. Miss the mark, and you may miss the work.
Why Pas 2080 Compliance Isn’t as Simple as It Sounds…
While the principles behind PAS 2080 are straightforward – reduce carbon, collaborate early, use data – putting them into practice is harder.
Many construction teams still rely on fragmented systems and manual workflows, making it hard to track materials, waste, and carbon impact across the supply chain. Data is often scattered in PDFs, spreadsheets, or email chains, with no consistent way to capture what’s actually happening on site.
This leads to poor visibility, compliance blind spots, and missed opportunities for early intervention.
Add in multiple subcontractors, changing scopes, and shifting deadlines, and suddenly, carbon tracking becomes a logistical nightmare. The result is often missed opportunities for carbon reduction and compliance gaps that are difficult to resolve.
But the impact goes beyond carbon. Poor-quality data can be costly:
- Poor data management in the construction industry led to a global financial loss of $1.84 trillion (USD) in 2020 (Autodesk, 2020).
- Inaccuracy of just 5% in a dataset can create a risk of £2.1 million in potential regulatory fines from regulators such as the Environment Agency (Qualis Flow 2024).
For teams already working to tight deadlines and budgets, these risks can derail delivery, tighten margins, and damage reputations.
That’s where Qflow comes in…
Supporting PAS 2080 on Live Projects
Qflow delivers the truth on construction sites – connecting what has been designed to what is delivered and disposed of.
We capture real-time data from the site, the moment it happens. No spreadsheets, no chasing suppliers – just fast, accurate data enriched and analysed by Qflow.
By connecting what was planned with what actually arrives and is used on site, Qflow helps teams ensure quality, reduce risk, minimise waste and avoid costly rework or delays. In doing this, Qflow creates a real-time, verifiable data stream for:
- Materials – what was delivered, by who, and when.
- Waste – what left the site, how it was treated, and where it ended up.
- Carbon – the impact associated with materials and disposals.
This data provides the foundations for PAS 2080 compliance, enabling:
- Automated capture of key material and waste data
- A live, auditable trail for every delivery and disposal
- Clear reports to support PAS 2080 evidence requirements
For example, on the £85m Melton Mowbray Distributor Road project, Qflow helped Galliford Try track over 11,000 delivery and waste notes from across 10 suppliers. This enabled the team to meet monthly embodied carbon reporting requirements for their client while significantly reducing data processing time and improving the accuracy of their reporting.
The result? Less paperwork, fewer compliance blind spots – and a clear, data-backed path to delivering both contractor and client carbon targets.
This kind of data supports PAS 2080’s call for structured, collaborative carbon management.
What’s Next: Futureproofing Carbon Management
As PAS 2080 becomes embedded across national infrastructure and planning frameworks, carbon management will no longer be a differentiator – it will be a baseline expectation.
To stay competitive, the construction industry must prepare for a future where carbon compliance is business as usual, not a bonus. That means embedding carbon tracking in day-to-day operations, closing data gaps, and aligning the entire supply chain around shared goals.
Qflow supports this shift by:
- Digitising data at the point of activity
- Connecting carbon insights to decision-makers in real-time
- Ensuring the whole supply chain is aligned, accountable, and ready
If you’re bidding for major projects – or looking to strengthen your carbon reporting and compliance – now’s the time to get ahead.
