Sustainability strides being taken at Hanson UK
Company refining indicators, objectives and targets to guide the business through the next decade
REDUCTIONS in waste to landfill and mains water use both continue to be ahead of Hanson UK’s 2020 sustainability targets, while environmental training has been developed and widened. Other highlights reported in the company’s 2019 sustainability report include: the completion of a £15 million investment programme to minimize cement dust emissions, and environmental complaints at a five-year low.
The report, which covers the 2018 calendar year, also recommends areas for improvement including the quest for zero harm, energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Hanson UK’s chief executive officer, Simon Willis, said: ‘Sustainability is about more than reducing emissions and protecting the environment. It’s about working efficiently, making a profit and investing in value-creating projects to grow the business; and it’s also about people-related issues such as health, safety and well-being, succession planning, diversity and supporting the communities in which we operate.
‘We are working hard to ensure our employees are fully engaged, properly trained and empowered to drive ongoing improvements. Our One Team philosophy is underpinned by a set of values and aspirations designed to make our people feel connected, involved and valued. This will allow us to deliver an improved service to our customers and strengthen the sustainability of the business.’
Hanson UK are also working with three universities – Reading, Cambridge and Swansea – on carbon-reduction projects for their cement and Regen ggbs plants, which have the potential to save more than 50,000 tonnes of carbon annually, as well as investigating other collaborative research projects to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
Over the last 12 months Hanson UK have been discussing and developing a sustainability strategy that will guide them through the next decade. Following a series of formal consultations involving the leadership team, employees, customers and sector associations, the company is refining the indicators, objectives and targets that will provide it with a firm base on which to build the future of the business.
The sustainability report is published annually and built around six topics that underpin Hanson UK’s performance indicators and targets. They are: enabling sustainable construction, people and communities, carbon and energy, waste and raw materials, water and biodiversity, and quality processes and systems.
The full report can be read at: www.hanson-sustainability.co.uk
