Our Movers and Shakers series is spotlighting Aotearoa's leading sustainability professionals transforming the way we design, build and operate our buildings and homes. These are the people leading the charge for a more sustainable built environment throughout Aotearoa.
Ben Cannon
Armed with a background in marketing, construction, carpentry and sustainability studies, Ben brings big strategic insight to his role as sustainability manager with LT McGuinness. Working alongside suppliers, contractors and clients he’s pushing for smart green thinking, low carbon materials and construction waste minimisation.
From a marketing degree to a carpentry apprenticeship and more – what inspired your pathway?
I can’t claim this was a strategic route planned from the start!
My marketing studies at the University of Canterbury inspired my desire to work in sustainability. It sounds cliché but I took a paper about business, society and the environment which changed my whole perspective on the world and opened my eyes to sustainability. But it was 2014, sustainability was just in its infancy in New Zealand and there weren’t many jobs as a result. Instead, I worked in the construction sector during the Christchurch rebuild and took the opportunity to do my carpentry apprenticeship. Along the way I worked as a quantity surveyor too.
Around 2020 it was a bit of a chicken and egg situation – there were now sustainability jobs, but experience or qualifications were needed. Fortunately, I found a great graduate diploma at Lincoln University specialising in business and sustainability – at the end of which I was lucky enough to get my current role with LT McGuinness.
How does your carpentry know-how shape your stance on sustainability?
My carpentry knowledge is very useful in understanding the practical side of sustainability and has highlighted the significance of buildability, durability and the importance of making sure sustainable ideas are able to be implemented on-site.
Working on the ground opened my eyes to the massive volumes of materials we deal with in construction and unfortunately the large quantities sent off-site in skip bins. A lot of people talk about the days when nothing was wasted on-site, when it was all repurposed or taken to the next site or taken home for a project. Whilst some people might do that these days, it isn’t standard practice. I think tight deadlines, small sites and high labour costs relative to materials, all play a part in this. Seeing it first-hand has given me an understanding of the industry’s issues and why reducing waste needs systemic change.
Are you seeing a growing propensity amongst clients, contractors and suppliers to target low-carbon and low-waste outcomes?
Yes for sure - however this has been somewhat reduced with the recent economic and political environment. There are many great people doing awesome stuff in this space. Though I think there is still a lot of work to do to make sustainability more accessible to smaller organisations. Currently only the larger companies can be active in this space - or smaller companies with passionate people.
How do we improve messaging about the importance of decarbonisation?
I’m not sure there is an easy answer here, but I think it’s very important to link the impacts with people’s everyday lives. The difficulty lies within the lag effect between people’s actions and the impact, along with the sheer scale of the challenge.
Is green washing an issue – if so, is there a solution?
Yes, definitely. We experience this a lot with many different suppliers and manufacturers making bold claims. One way to get around this is trusted sustainability certifications.
I think sending an email or picking up the phone is a good way to investigate claims made on websites etc. I have found out a lot by just talking through the product with people.
Best tip for reducing carbon quickly and cost-effectively in a project?
That’s a hard one - it depends. The earlier you’re looking for low carbon outcomes for a project the better. It will lead to cheaper and more effective results. Some big options might include opting for an adaptive reuse instead of a new build or reducing or removing carbon intensive elements in a building such as basements.
From a contractor’s perspective I think there are big opportunities to be had through working closely with the supply chain during procurement and requesting lower carbon options in materials such as structural steel, reinforcing steel, concrete and timber. All these industries are working hard to reduce emissions - we just need to ask for these low carbon products.
What is the biggest buzz of your job?
It’s being able to work on so many interesting projects and alongside all the different construction and design teams involved. In my time at LT McGuinness I’ve been lucky enough to work on over 20 Green Star projects including new offices, large public buildings and some great adaptive reuse projects. The combination of the sustainability elements with modern methods of construction and tricky elements like base isolators makes these projects awesome to work on.
One change you’d like to see in the construction industry in 2026?
Measuring and reporting on metrics such as carbon and waste becoming the norm.
Your favourite green building?
It’s difficult to make a call but I think 90 Devonport Road in Tauranga – the Tauranga City Council’s new eight storey administration building - would be it.
It’s a really good example of using multiple materials efficiently. It has concrete foundations, steel for bracing and is the largest mass-timber office building in the country. Just walking inside feels great with all the mass-timber and a large portion of its upfront emissions are stored within the mass timber structural frame and flooring system.
If we could replicate this building across the country that would be a huge win!