Date 07 Apr 2022
Galliford Try has been recognised as a ’Climate Leader’ in the Financial Times Statista list, which names the 400 European companies which have achieved the greatest reduction in their Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity over the five years from 2015-2020.
We appeared in the top 10 for construction, and were one of just 120 UK companies to be listed. During the review period, Galliford Try was reported to have the largest reduction in the UK construction sector, the second largest in the European construction sector and thirteenth largest in the UK across all sectors.
The business has voluntarily reported its direct greenhouse gas emissions since 2012 and had them verified to ISO 14064-1, an international standard for the reporting and removal of greenhouse gas emissions that contributes to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for Climate Action. It will report its emissions for the calendar year 2021 in the summer.
Last year, the Group pledged to achieve net zero carbon across its own operations by 2030, and all activities by 2045 at the latest. To provide a clear route to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Galliford Try committed to achieving a verifiable science-based target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). In doing so, the Group joined the Business Ambition for 1.5°C to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees and the UN-backed campaign Race to Zero. It also intends to recommence participation in CDP, a global disclosure system formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project in 2022, to provide more detailed information on its carbon emissions and broader approach to addressing climate change risks and opportunities.
Sustainability, including decarbonisation, is at the heart of Galliford Try’s Sustainable Growth Strategy which targets controlled growth while focusing on a progressive culture, socially responsible delivery and quality and innovation.
Commenting on the recognition, Phil Tompkins, Galliford Try’s Director of Sustainability said: “Climate change is one of the greatest challenges we face as a society. We are determined to play our part by minimising our own carbon footprint as well as working with our clients and supply chain partners to ensure the long-term sustainability of the buildings, infrastructure and services we provide. We are therefore delighted to receive this fantastic recognition of our performance to date, which will provide even greater motivation as we take the next steps on our journey to net zero.”
Galliford Try’s success in significantly cutting emissions to date has been achieved through a focus on the areas that contribute to the majority of its own carbon emissions, including:
- Using renewable energy sources for permanent offices and supporting electric vehicle use with charging points at its workplaces.
- Encouraging the use of electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, which currently represent 43% of the total vehicle fleet and have helped reduce average carbon emissions across the company fleet from 133g/km in 2011 to 67g/km in 2021.
- Promoting the use of electric and alternatively-fuelled plant on sites.
- Earlier grid connections to minimise diesel use on projects.
- Operating an Agile Working policy since 2018 and maximising the use of technology to reduce travel and improve work-life balance.
- An estates strategy that has seen a transition to more modern, energy efficient office buildings.