A £6m grant has been given to small construction companies to help them widen sustainable building and to lower their carbon emissions.

The grant, pushed forward by the University of Salford, will make sure small businesses in the North West get the necessary expertise training it takes for them to use a smaller amount of concrete in buildings, squander fewer resources, construct walls which retain heat better and use recycled materials.

“There is a real need for this type of initiative at the moment, but it will form part of a longer term strategy that will enable companies to succeed not just this year, but well into the future,” said the university’s vice chancellor, Professor Martin Hall.

The project is important as the built environment is accountable for 45% of UK carbon emissions, where a major part of the pollution comes from the construction stage. A building’s construction is responsible for the resident’s carbon footprint depending on whether solar heating, gas or electricity is installed. The £6m awarded to small construction companies will also help them through recession and create more jobs.

“Often companies can’t afford to invest in high quality advice that will see them through the years to come, because the industry is so competitive that they can only concentrate on the short term. This project means they can take advantage of university-level knowledge that they would otherwise have had to spend a lot of money on,” Prof Hall continued.

The grant was provided by a range of institutions like the University Centre for Construction Innovation, University of Liverpool, University of Central Lancashire, Urban Vision, the Northwest Regional Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund.

“It will allow them (construction companies) to keep an eye on the future, even though times are hard,” Prof Hall added.