Cutting Carbon in Construction, inCREDIBLE ! A Case Study  

                           

   

Introduction Castle Group considers environmental responsibility to be a core business principle and since 2009 we have demonstrated our commitment by obtaining certification to IS0 14001:2004 for our Environmental Management System (EMS). Our employees and subcontractors have been key in achieving this by embracing the change in attitude towards environmental matters, no mean feat in the construction industry! Although price will remain a key factor, we are aware clients will place greater focus on a supplier’s carbon credentials and will start to influence their procurement decisions. With this in mind we wanted to achieve credible carbon reductions that would add value to our tender applications. But was this achievable in such a challenging industry?

Castle Group has established a reputation for high quality and innovative civil engineering works, specialising in bridge repairs. Our projects often take place in some of the most environmentally sensitive areas of Scotland, as well as working over or near water. The very essence of our expertise is sustainability, through repairing structures rather than complete replacement, and looking at problems from different angles. This approach often reduces the financial and environmental impacts.

A large proportion of our work is for public organisations and utilities where demonstrating sustainable business practices is becoming more important for successful tender outcomes

Call to SOS SOS has been guiding the implementation of our EMS since 2008, and inspiring our staff to get on board. So, we naturally turned to them for guidance and expertise.  How did SOS help? We had three key objectives  1) Utilise the EMS to achieve Carbon

reductions 2) Simple, cost effective process to

demonstrate our carbon credibility 3) Achieve a recognised Carbon

Certification

Here are some of our key highlights

Saved over £18,000 from reducing our carbon impacts. About £500 for every

tonne of carbon saved.

Carbon Emissions fell by 18% or 35.7TCO2e since 2009.

Reporting our Carbon Statement to our stakeholders and engaging our staff to be part of the carbon journey.

Punching above our weight Despite the challenges and with a small team, the high level benchmarks provided by the Carbon Trust Standard indicate that Castle Group’s performance is above average for Scotland, for our organizational size and even for our industry sector! Business Benefits of the EMS Although the system may require a little extra input when setting up the contract, sites are now tidier and as a result a more efficient and safer workplace. With a certified ISO14001 EMS in place it was easy to meet the requirements for the Carbon Trust Standard. With the support of SOS, we have all the data to hand, are actively managing the sources of our carbon impact, achieving reductions in

Highlights:

Cutting Carbon in Construction, inCREDIBLE ! A Case Study  

                           

   

energy and fuel use, and auditing our system during the year. All that was needed was a Carbon Accounting and Reporting procedure and to audit the data. SOS implemented the requirements within EMS and their expertise in financial auditing certainly ensured we had robustly checked our numbers before submission. We passed first time ! Credibility For our business we felt the certification to the Carbon Trust Standard was most appropriate as its aims are similar to ISO14064 standards, and using the Carbon Trust’s online application tool is straightforward for SME’s, saving us time and money.

The logo assures our stakeholders that we have achieved credible carbon cuts. Beyond the Numbers Carbon and Environmental management is an important part of Castle’s business strategy, given the sensitive environments we often work in. Our projects aim to deliver environmental and business benefits not just numbers.

Innovative Solutions for a bridge replacement which saved destroying

about 200 mature trees, avoided road widening in an area of natural beauty. This saved our client money and reputational risk.

Diverted 93% of our office and project waste from landfill for recycling.

Managing our sites so the public may continue to have safe access and

enjoyment of the countryside

A more competitive business, enhanced staff motivation, improved

client relationships, & reputational gain

Key Learnings n Communicate and Educate your

workforce to overcome initial scepticism of the EMS and Carbon Management – “just another certificate to hang on the wall”, and an unnecessary burden imposed by management.

n Build into staff appraisal process to

understand their views. A once resistant foreman, now feels that the EMS is improving the workplace and efficiency.

n Share Success from our projects, feedback from clients and environmental agencies, to illustrate that their efforts are making a difference.

n Estimate the financial savings to demonstrate to your board that EMS and Carbon management delivers ROI.

Challenges There are challenges in maintaining motivation and continually finding areas to improve, but this provides opportunities for innovation and competitiveness. By engaging with our prospective clients and evaluators of public sector tenders, we hope that they too will view that our carbon management is not a tick box for a PQQ, but along with our solutions, deliver long-term financial and environmental benefits that in the short-term may cost slightly more.  

Summary EMS and Carbon Management gives you tools to look at your business & operations differently. Yet, it is important to put into practice what you say, and at Castle we are proud to say we are doing just that.

For further information please contact, Paul pauladderley@sos4business.uk.com

 “EMS  and  Carbon  Management  can  be  seen  as   a   daunting   journey,   but  with   SOS   as   our  guide,   our   team   has   achieved   impressive  results   in   just   3   years.     Engaging   our  workforce,   supporting   our   strategy,   they  have  kept  us  on  track  to  deliver  ROI  .        Karen   Ogilvy:   Administration   Director,  Castle  Group  Limited.