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Contractors should not use tight margins as an excuse for not cutting carbon emissions, the chief executive of Skanska UK has said.

Speaking at COP26, Gregor Craig told 好色先生TV that it was 鈥渜uite feasible鈥� even for SMEs to switch to greener ways of working with the right mindset.

His comments come as construction takes centre stage at the Glasgow climate conference, which was attended by Boris Johnson yesterday.

Craig said: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we can use the tight margins that exist in the industry as an excuse because there are lots of alternatives that we鈥檝e identified already that actually don鈥檛 cost anymore.

鈥淥nce you have thousands of contractors, from SMEs through to the tier ones, thinking much more in that mindset that we鈥檝e just got to find alternative ways of doing it, I think you鈥檒l be surprised quite how much we can achieve, because we are only at the beginning of that journey.鈥�

Skanska no longer uses fossil fuels in its plant and has switched to using more sustainable vegetable oil.

> Built environment can meet net zero by 2050 but only with urgent government action, says report

> Listen to the 好色先生TV Talks Net Zero podcast series

The firm also does not offer conventional company cars with combustion engines for its staff, who are given the option of either a fully electric or hybrid vehicle.

Asked what he thought of COP26 so far, he said it had given him optimism that the industry would get to net zero.

鈥淚 think that鈥檚 one of the things that COP has done for me. People have actually achieved a lot already and talking to them about how they鈥檝e achieved it. It鈥檚 sending me away with lots of good, new ideas.鈥�

Today the conference will focus on the built environment, which contributes around 40% of global carbon emissions.

The Construction Leadership Council is due to chair a panel discussion on the topic at 9.30am featuring Keltbray group chief executive Darren James and Travis Perkins chief executive Nick Roberts.

Also taking part in a series of debates on how the industry can cut emissions will be Atkins UK and Europe chief executive Richard Robinson, Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland chief executive Mike Chaldecott and former RIBA president Stephen Hodder, director of architect Hodder and Partners.