Environmental Commitment
Our commitment to mitigate environmental impact.
We recognise the impact that our operations have on the environment and we are taking steps to reduce that impact.
The built environment accounts for 39 percent of gross annual carbon emissions worldwide, according to the UN Environment Programme. More efforts must be made to reduce emissions from the demolition and construction sectors if we are to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. And we’re proud to be doing our bit by putting in place some innovative measures to reduce our own emissions.
Colemans is a member of the SME Climate Hub, a global initiative that empowers small to medium-sized companies to take climate action and build more resilient businesses.
We commit to halve our emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050 as part of the United Nations Race to Zero campaign. Our actions will be audited every year under the SME Climate Hub initiative.
By its nature, demolition is not always the most sustainable approach, but not all buildings can be refurbished. Here, we set out some of the ways we are reducing the environmental impact of our business operations.
Energy use
We seek all opportunities to reduce the use of fossil fuels and minimise energy use across the business. This includes:
Waste and recycling
Colemans has always been a pioneer in waste recycling. In 2005, we installed the UK’s first urban quarry ‘washing plant’ to enable better recycling of aggregates and we continue to seek ways to reduce waste and the resulting emissions.
However, it is important to highlight that demolition is harmful to the environment. Carbon is stored in building materials within the structures we demolish, not to mention the inherent carbon used to produce and transport them.
Like many in our sector, we use the Waste Hierarchy to determine our approach to waste management and support the circular economy. This applies to all materials, from demolition waste and aggregates, to site facilities such as lighting, toilets, doors, desks, chairs and much more.
We must reduce waste always seeking ways to reuse the materials that arise from our projects.
For example using materials for re-incorporation into new projects.
If it can’t be reused, we recycle it in the most energy efficient way possible i.e. close to site, using energy efficient plant. This reduces the carbon footprint associated with transporting it from site and minimises the use of virgin materials. It can also include donating items to charitable causes.
We only dispose of waste after all other options have been considered.
STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS
Water is another vital resource used extensively in the demolition and construction sectors, and we are taking proactive steps to reduce water consumption in our processes.
We recognise that the process of cleaning and purifying water is incredibly energy-intensive and we reuse water where possible. For example, we are looking to introduce rainwater harvesting on-site to reduce the amount of water needed for handwashing and toilet facilities.
DATA STORAGE
Colemans is committed to reducing paper use across the organisation, both to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of our operations, but also to support a more sustainable approach. Our target is to eliminate the use of paper from the business by May 2023.
However, complex projects require vast amounts of data to be stored in the cloud and we recognise the impact of data centres on global emissions.
As the business moves towards paperless operations, we will inevitably need more data storage and we are taking steps to maximise the efficiency of this storage requirement. This includes using cloud-based tools to store, edit and access single documents rather than having to store multiple versions. This also reduces email storage and reliance.
A LOWER CARBON FUTURE
Our goal as we head towards net zero by 2050 is to reduce the carbon released from every aspect of our business.
We want carbon reduction to be a core value of the Colemans business, in the same way that we focus on safety and wellbeing.
How can our individual and collective actions help to reduce the impact of our operations on the planet? We need to think about carbon reduction in every tender, ahead of every journey made, every purchasing choice and new site setup. Each individual decision will impact our carbon emissions.
To support this, we are introducing a Carbon Cutting Committee (CCC). Following the proven approach of our successful Safety Reps Committee, we are looking for CCC reps from all areas of the business.
The committee will meet four times a year with the objective to help make our business more carbon efficient, acting as a focal point for individuals from across the business to discuss/propose carbon reduction ideas and techniques.
We’re looking for one individual from each area of the business, at all levels. Please speak to Mark Coleman if you’re interested in getting involved.
How can we help?
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