We want to take an active part in tackling the environmental crisis by reducing the impact of our operations and supply chain, enabling customers to live more sustainably and by collaborating across our industry to support positive change.
Our Environment Strategy, Building a Better World, sets out how we will play our part in creating a greener, healthier future for our customers, colleagues and communities, while reducing and mitigating environmental risks to our business. It includes ambitious targets up to 2030 and we have committed to achieve net zero emissions by 2045, five years ahead of regulation.
In 2023 we published our updated Environment Policy which includes our biodiversity policy and updated policies on waste, water, sustainable timber and climate change.
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 meet with our Champions six times a year to share updates and best
practices.
Incentivising progress at regional level
Each regional
business has annual energy reduction, water efficiency and waste targets up to
2025. Business Unit Management Teams receive a quarterly report on carbon,
energy and resource use which enables them to compare performance between their
sites, and against targets and other regional businesses. They are kept updated about climate-related issues and we build
knowledge and expertise through training workshops, masterclasses and
briefings.
A
scope 1 and 2 carbon reduction measure was included in the incentive plans for
senior management and regional management in 2023 to support progress on our
near term 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:
Clear standards
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).
Risk assessment
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.
Monitor
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.
Audit
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.
We have recently reviewed our site environmental procedures and are rolling out updated guidance and an enhanced training package on site environmental management for our teams with a focus on preventing silt pollution and managing soil movements on site.
We are also strengthening our approach to categorising and addressing environmental incidents and near misses. This means that 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.
Collaboration
Many environmental issues for our sector are systemic and require collaboration among regulators, industry organisations, housebuilders and the supply chain. We work with others to tackle industry-wide challenges including through the Home Builders Federation, the Future Homes Hub (FHH) and the Supply Chain Sustainability School. We chair and are involved in a number of FHH working groups including those on metrics, embodied and whole life carbon and zero-carbon ready homes. 85% of our priority suppliers were registered with Supply Chain Sustainability School and attended over 826 hours of CPD virtual training on sustainability topics such as waste, modern slavery, sustainable materials, biodiversity and climate.
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 we therefore conducted the required audits of the energy used by our buildings, industrial processes and transport, as well as identifying energy saving measures. We notified the scheme regulator the Environment Agency that we had met our ESOS obligations. You can download our ESOS Compliance Strategy:
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