THE Quarry Products Association has released its second Sustainable Development Report, continuing the process that began with the launch of the Association’s Sustainable Development Strategy in 2005 and the publication of its first report in 2006, and further assisting the quarrying industry in understanding its footprint.
The new report features operational data from 2005 and marks an improvement in industry coverage, with the results now accounting for 71% of primary aggregate production (2004 data in the first report accounted for 64% of primary aggregate production). As such, the QPA says it is the best indication yet of how sustainably the industry is operating across a range of indicators. Nevertheless, the Association says it will continue to raise the profile of the reporting process, with a view to further improving coverage.
Headlines from the latest report include:
- A 20% reduction in the number of reportable injuries between 2004 and 2005;
- 25% of the aggregates market in Great Britain is supplied by recycled or secondary sources;
- On-site energy use in the sector accounts for 0.52% of UK carbon emissions;
- Per capita use of aggregates (primary, secondary and recycled) in Great Britain is 4.7 tonnes annually, compared with the EU per capita volume of 7.1 tonnes;
- Land quarried is equivalent to 0.12% of the land area of the UK;
- The area of quarried land restored in the year exceeded that of land prepared for new quarrying;
- The average road delivery distance for aggregates is 24 miles, with the average load amounting to 19 tonnes.
Commenting on the release of the latest Sustainable Development Report, QPA director general Simon van der Byl said: ‘I’m delighted that commitment to this reporting process is increasing among our membership, a clear indicator that the industry is keen to understand as fully as possible its sustainability footprint. This update report refines and builds upon the data we collected for our first report, and we are beginning to generate meaningful information for our industry, regulators and stakeholders.’
The QPA’s second Sustainable Development Report is exclusively available as a PDF download and can be obtained by visiting the QPA website and clicking on ‘Sustainability’. The Association is welcoming feedback on the new document, which will be circulated widely to industry stakeholders.
