Setting out the business’ vision to become the UK leader of innovative and sustainable building solutions, Aggregate Industries has launched its new sustainability strategy – Building Progress for a Sustainable Future.

The strategy is central to driving business by setting ambitious goals to accelerate the transition to a Net Zero and Circular economy, bringing together former management plans and policies into a more holistic framework.

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The blueprint focuses on five key pillars that are aligned to its business operations: climate, people and communities, nature and environment, circular economy and sustainable solutions.

Against each pillar, Aggregate Industries has identified key areas of focus, alongside specific performance targets to be achieved by 2025. The business has committed to reviewing these targets annually.

Climate

  • Net CO2 emissions: down to 500kg CO2 net/t cementitious
  • Downstream transport CO2 reduced by 5%
  • 100% zero carbon electricity
  • Climate resilience risk assessments at 100%

People

  • Health & safety culture maturity to be “proactive” or “generative”
  • Improve Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate by 25%
  • 200 new opportunities for apprenticeships
  • 33% female leaders, and 30% overall female representation in the business
  • All high-risk suppliers assessed via code of conduct

Communities

  • Positively impact 50,000 people in local communities
  • Culture of community service and 3,000 volunteer hours an annum
  • £50,000 an annum fundraising target
  • All major sites to have a community engagement plan

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Nature and environment

  • Reduce freshwater withdrawal intensity by 30% for cement and 12.5% for aggregates
  • 100% of water discharged to meet environmental quality standards
  • 100% of quarries to have biodiversity plans
  • 200 sites to have a ‘place for nature’
  • Establish a biodiversity baseline following the Biodiversity Indicator Reporting System for all managed land for cement and aggregates sites by 2024

Circular economy

  • Increase use of recycled materials from 1.5m to 3m tonnes
  • Reduce waste to landfill to zero
  • Embed a circularity collaboration action network

Sustainable solutions

  • Deliver reporting tool to provide accurate carbon information
  • 25% of revenue from green products and solutions
  • Expand our portfolio of sustainable products and solutions

“We’re already making progress” says Kirstin McCarthy, Sustainability Director at Aggregate Industries. ”Over the last 12 months we have delivered the UK’s first carbon neutral road scheme, invested over £13m in an alternative fuels recycling plant to reduce annual CO2 emissions by 30,000 tonnes, recycled close to 1 million tonnes of asphalt planings, and sold enough ECOPact low carbon concrete to save over 142,000 tonnes of CO2.

“However, it’s important to recognise that while we have our own journey to go on, the issues facing our planet are truly global. That’s why we have structured our strategy around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as well as key UK policy and industry standards,” she adds.

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Postscript

Aggregate Industries are at the frontline of the construction and infrastructure industries, producing and supplying an array of construction materials. With over 200 sites and around 3,700 dedicated employees, they’re home to everything from aggregates, asphalt, ready-mixed concrete and precast concrete products. For further information, visit www.aggregate.com.

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