Walls Construction CEO and IGBC #BuildingLife Ambassador Eugene O’Shea discusses the contractor’s expanding portfolio of work and the steps it is taking to reduce the carbon footprint of its projects, particularly in data-centre construction. The full interview is available in Irish Construction News September 2023 (Housing Special).
Walls Construction CEO Eugene O’Shea led the team that completed an investor-backed management buy-out of the company in 2015. He has since overseen the company’s expansion into new sectors and the introduction of modern and sustainable construction practices and processes, and, under his leadership, the company is on target to achieve a turnover of over €550m this year.
ESG strategy
Walls embarked on a focused ESG strategy at the end of 2021, which includes a sustainability policy and an environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) action plan for 2022 to 2025, which aligns with UN Sustainability Development Goals.
“Our ESG action plan focuses on some key areas in which we know we can make a positive impact with respect to our responsibilities under ESG,” he comments. “These include looking at how we manage waste, water, carbon, the natural environment, social engagement and contribution, and corporate governance.”
He adds, “Actions are taking place across all our construction projects and at a corporate level to make good on sustainability commitments and to educate all Walls personnel and our supply chain partners. Our 2022 ESG report summarises how we did this in 2022 and what we achieved so far, setting the foundation for more work in the coming years.
#BuildingLife campaign
Eugene O’Shea is an ambassador for the Irish Green Building Council’s #BuildingLife campaign. To date, the campaign has produced a science-based and industry-backed national decarbonisation roadmap for the built environment, and its ambassadors, who are key figures from across the construction sector, are pushing for the industry to move to a more sustainable footing.
He comments, “We are keen to work with industry leaders and expert groups or associations to get on board with sustainable construction techniques and practices, and we have started working with various leading specialists to enhance our knowledge and get involved in sustainable construction solutions and initiatives.
“The construction industry as a whole should be endeavouring to examine elements of the circular economy and design best practice in terms of the life cycle perspective of a project, with project design specifications that take account of sustainable construction techniques and material selection that aligns with the circular economy concept,” states O’Shea.
The new EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) legislation, scheduled for national implementation in May 2024, will require companies, as well as their suppliers, to provide audited reports on their environmental and social impacts and sustainability practices for construction to be prepared for the future and future requirements.
“Getting on a more sustainable footing includes carbon management, green procurement, material optimisation, off-site construction techniques, as well as considering material flexibility and deconstruction in the future. It means working with all parties to address all aspects of sustainability in the life cycle of a building. Walls is fully committed to doing all that we can at an industry level and within our own operations to achieve this.”
Community engagement and EM Ireland membership
Eugene O’Shea expands further on Walls ESG commitments by adding, “Our ESG strategy and objectives include considerate neighbour policies and plans, social contribution and value and various governance actions, including communications, employee wellness, inclusion, and fairness, in tandem with a range of health and safety policies and initiatives.”
Walls has also invested significantly in various sponsorships and other support initiatives. It has worked with the charity DePaul since July 2022, helping to upgrade and refurbish its various facilities and providing financial support, advice, management and access to contractors.
In December 2022, Walls Construction began a partnership with TU Dublin for Design+Construct, Ireland’s first Centre of Excellence for Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) education and research.
Earlier this year, Walls announced its membership of the European Movement Ireland (EM Ireland). This is an independent, not-for-profit, membership-based organisation working to develop the connection between Ireland and Europe.
Being a corporate member of EM Ireland enables Walls to gain access to programmes, expert insights, networking, and team development. The membership also grants access to EM Ireland’s researchers and staff for organisational training and events, as well as guidance and facilitation on interactions with local authorities, large multi-national companies and government bodies across the EU.
Modern methods of construction
Eugene O’Shea stresses that it is vital that the sector embraces the rapidly evolving technological advantages associated with modern methods of construction (MMC), which are essential for enhancing not just efficiency and productivity but also sustainability and all-round quality.
“Journey to Our Digital Transformation is an in-house document developed to review how the company has progressed with these technologies and what future opportunities are available, including the training and development of staff members. Developments in areas such as BIM-aided project planning, while also reducing health and safety risks, are improving overall quality and delivery timelines. We can now quickly and easily gather data on a project in a way that would simply not have been possible previously, resulting in real-time performance feedback.”
Skills and diversity
Eugene O’Shea says that Walls has been very active with various employee recruitment initiatives to attract the right people to secure the company’s future.
“From graduate recruitment programmes to attendance at overseas recruitment fairs and other events, Walls has had a strong attendance on the ground at key recruitment events. We have significantly increased our social media presence in the past 18 months, with a deliberate focus on quality over quantity, leading to a corresponding increase in the number of direct job applications received.
“However, skills shortages continue to exist, both in Walls and throughout the sector, and we have vacancies across all disciplines, including engineering, quantity surveying, building services and site management,” O’Shea adds.
Speaking about diversity, he explains that Walls works with the Irish Centre for Diversity for guidance and support to enhance its equality, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) policies and processes in the company.
“Following the achievement of our ‘Bronze’ award in 2022, this year, to broaden our knowledge, we’ve held leadership training for our senior teams focusing on ED&I. This includes ‘Lunch n Learn’ sessions covering topics such as Inclusive Language, Unconscious Bias, and Creating a Culture of Dignity and Respect at Work. Feedback was excellent, and further sessions are planned for the final quarter of 2023. As our goal is to progress to a ‘Silver’ award, we have also completed a staff survey asking for their feedback on how they think we are doing. The Irish Centre for Diversity will use this feedback to help us continue our ED&I journey.”
The full interview is available in Irish Construction News September 2023 (Housing Special).
#BuildingLife is a project led in Ireland by the Irish Green Building Council. The initiative aims to achieve the mix of private-sector action and public policy necessary to tackle the whole-life impact of buildings. Learn more here.
