Strength from the depths
Seventh annual Sustainable Development report for the British marine aggregate industry published
THE British Marine Aggregate Producers Association (BMAPA) has published its seventh annual Sustainable Development (SD) report covering the year 2012. This builds upon the wider sustainable development initiative established by BMAPA’s parent organization, the Mineral Products Association (MPA)
The publication of BMAPA’s seventh SD Report follows the launch of the sector’s sustainable development strategy in October 2006. Under this initiative, individual marine aggregate operators continue to report a wide range of data which, when combined, provides a comprehensive record of the sustainable development performance of the sector as a whole.
Although sustainable development initiatives for industry sectors can be particularly challenging, as it can be difficult to obtain enough consistent data from member companies to be representative, the fact that the seventh annual report captures data from 83% of all marine aggregate production activity that occurred in UK waters during 2012, reflects the importance that BMAPA members place on this initiative.
While the performance of the marine aggregate sector showed a welcome upturn in 2011, the latest report shows that this was not sustained in 2012, with landings into the sector’s key markets of the Thames corridor and the near Continent being particularly affected by the ongoing economic downturn. Interestingly, however, there was a strong unforecast rebound in demand in the south-east of England during 2013.
Mark Russell, BMAPA director, said: ‘Despite the challenging economic conditions, the marine aggregate sector has maintained its commitment to transparently reporting its performance across a range of themes. Not only does this report demonstrate the real-world impact of the current economic climate on an important industry sector that provides essential construction materials to support future growth, but it also illustrates the industry’s continuing steps and progress to improve and enhance its sustainable development credentials.’
