Our environment policy
Our Environment Policy guides our approach to environmental issues including those relating to climate change and energy use, biodiversity policy, resource use and waste, water, and responsible timber sourcing.
Our planet
We want to play our part in creating a greener, healthier future for our customers, colleagues and communities, while reducing and mitigating environmental risks to our business. Our Environment Strategy, Building a Better World, includes ambitious targets up to 2030 and we have committed to achieve net zero emissions by 2045.
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Embedding our approach
Responsibility for achieving our environmental targets starts the top of our organisation with our Chief Executive and Group Management Team.
Read more in Responsible and resilient business
We have a Sustainability Sponsor in each regional business management team who helps to ensure focus on our targets. Each regional business also has a Sustainability Champion to engage colleagues on resource efficiency and monitor progress at the regional level. Our Group Sustainability Team holds webinars with our Champions six times a year to share updates and best practices.Incentivising progress at regional level
Each regional business has annual carbon, energy reduction, nature, water efficiency and waste targets up to 2025. Regional business management teams receive a quarterly report on carbon, energy, nature and resource use which enables them to compare performance between sites against targets and against other regional businesses.
A scope 1 and 2 carbon reduction measure was included in the incentive plans for senior management and regional management in 2024 (performance share plan and medium term incentive plan), to support progress on our carbon reduction targets.
Environmental management system
Our Health, Safety and Environmental Management System (EMS) covers all site activities and helps us to keep noise, dust and disturbance to a minimum, to prevent pollution incidents and to protect biodiversity. Each site has an environmental action plan and its approach is subject to internal and external audits.
Our environmental management system includes:
- Our Site HSE Manual covers all relevant procedures and is regularly updated. Our manual can be viewed via a mobile or tablet while on site.
- All operational sites must carry out mandatory environmental checks and have a Site Specific Environmental Action Plan (SSEAP).
- LEADR our digital platform for assessing and managing sustainability and technical risks associated with land. Any risks identified must be managed and mitigated through the SSEAP.
- Site management teams are trained on our EMS and everyone on site completes an HSE induction.
- Training by our external advisors on Environmental Management Controls covering topics such as managing slit, dust, mud, and protecting watercourses.
- Employees, contractors and site operatives can use our Environmental Advice Line to get advice or, in the case of an incident, obtain specialist environmental support immediately.
- A quarterly environmental checklist for production teams which is reviewed by the technical team to ensure action is taken to address any identified issues.
- A review of environmental checks and SSEAP during monthly site visits by local management team directors, including unannounced spot checks.
- Annual internal audit of our EMS by our regional Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Advisers.
- Independent, unannounced HSE audits at every operational site at least once a month by our external site HSE advisers.
- External assurance of our carbon footprint data by the Carbon Trust to a limited assurance level.
In 2024, we have been rolling out updated guidance and an enhanced training package on site environmental management for our teams, external principal contractors and sub-contractors. This includes a focus on preventing silt pollution and managing soil movements on site. During the year, we also introduced an updated process for material movement (spoil) to ensure permits are in place and checked by our site management team and the relevant contractor.
If a serious near miss or potential breach of our environmental management standards (Category A) is identified on one of our sites, work must stop immediately and cannot recommence until the Managing Director of the regional business has visited the site and confirmed that the issue has been addressed. All Category A incidents are reported to the CEO and GMT within 24 hours. They are also reported to the Board of Directors.
We support the principles of the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) and over 1,000 of our sites have registered with the CCS since the scheme began in 1997. We won the Considerate Constructors Gala Housebuilders award in 2024.
Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)
ESOS is a mandatory energy assessment scheme for large organisations in the UK. Taylor Wimpey UK qualified for ESOS and, in 2024, we complied with ESOS Phase 3 by conducting audits of the energy used in our buildings, industrial processes and transport, and identifying potential energy saving measures. We have also submitted our ESOS Action Plan which shows how we plan to reduce energy consumption over the next few years.