Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our age and we are determined to play our part in tackling it.
Committed to net zero
We have set an ambitious target to be net zero aligned in our operations by 2035 and reach net zero across our value chain by 2045 – ahead of the UK’s national target. Our net zero target for 2045 has been independently validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) confirming that it is aligned with the SBTi’s 1.5°C mitigation pathways for reaching net zero by 2050 or sooner. This is currently the most ambitious designation available through the SBTi process. Our near term carbon reduction targets have also been SBTi validated.
We published our Net Zero Transition Plan and roadmap in 2023, setting out the steps we are taking across our business to achieve our targets.
Our approach to carbon reduction encompasses:
Reducing energy use and emissions from our construction sites, fleet and offices
Working towards zero carbon ready homes for customers and supporting sustainable lifestyles
Working with suppliers and others to address embodied carbon in materials, services and products
Collaborating across our industry and beyond on efforts to reduce emissions
Our carbon footprint
We have reduced operational carbon emissions intensity (scope 1 and 2) by 21% against our baseline (2023: 5%) and absolute operational emissions by 47% (2023: 35%). This reflects fewer completions in 2024 compared to 2019 as well as the impact of carbon reduction measures such as our sourcing of renewable electricity and a reduction in the use of diesel due to roll out of hybrid generators and use of HVO.
Our total footprint, including scope 3 emissions, reduced by 9% since 2023. This reflects factors including sourcing of renewable electricity, reduced use of diesel, the roll-out of homes built to our latest specification, a reduction in waste volumes, improvements in our methodology and changes to some of the emissions factors used to calculate emissions. Emissions were 41% lower than in 2019, however this also reflects the lower number of completions in 2024 (around a third less than in 2019).
Further emissions data is published in our Annual Report and Accounts and our Sustainability Summary.
Carbon Trust Route to Net Zero Standard
We were certified to the Carbon Trust’s Route to Net Zero standard, Advancing level, in 2024 and were the only housebuilder to hold this standard.
Reducing emissions from our operations
We are tackling operational emissions by improving our processes, investing in low carbon technologies and buying REGO-backed green electricity.
We purchase 100% renewable electricity for new sites during construction, offices, show homes, sales areas and plots before sale. In 2024 this was around 85% of our total Group electricity consumption (2023: 79%). Our green electricity is REGO backed, confirming it comes from genuine renewable energy.
We have set energy reduction targets for each regional business to drive improvements. Our Sustainability Champions work with our site teams to reduce energy use on site and apply our Energy Use Dos and Don’ts guide.
Switching to hybrid generators
Diesel usage on our sites accounts for over 45% of our operational emissions and reducing this is a priority. We have made it mandatory for new sites to use hybrid generators.
These generators combine a traditional diesel generator with a battery storage unit, similar to a hybrid car. During periods where the load is high, the diesel generator powers the site and charges the battery simultaneously. When loads are lower, the system switches and the batteries power the site, which reduces CO2 emissions compared with a conventional generator.
In 2024, we also trialled use of an LPG (liquid petroleum gas) generator at our Brightwell Lakes site in East Anglia, which demonstrated similar cost and carbon savings. The trial also provided useful insights into the use and storage of compressed gas on site, which will help us to prepare for the potential future use of hydrogen as a low carbon fuel for plant and generators.
Some of our regional businesses are also using HVO as an alternative to diesel for generators and plant.
Company car fleet
We operate two car benefit schemes – one for employees who are entitled to a car benefit as part of their job role and the other is available to all employees on a salary sacrifice basis. Our ‘MyDrive’ salary sacrifice scheme enables employees to have access to a new low emission car, fully maintained, and provided in a tax-efficient way. It incentivises employees to choose electric and ultra-low emission vehicles. Across both car benefit schemes, we now only offer cars with a CO2 rating of less than 110g/km (2023: 110g/km) and no diesel cars in line with our strategy to reduce our fleet CO2 emissions.
By the end of 2024 we had reached 88% EV or hybrid cars (2023: 72%). Many of our offices now have electric vehicle charging points. We have reduced car and grey fleet emissions by 28.2% since our 2019 baseline (2023: 21.1%).
Towards zero carbon ready homes
Our homes are already highly energy efficient and we are investing in R&D to help us further improve energy and carbon efficiency. We expect our homes to be zero carbon ready following the introduction of the Future Homes Standard. In 2024, emissions from scope 3 category 11 (use of sold products) reduced by 16.9% compared with 2023, which reflects the roll out of homes built to our latest specification which is more carbon efficient.
Read more on sustainable homes and places
Tackling embodied carbon
Embodied carbon in the goods and services we buy accounts for around half of our carbon footprint. To meet our net zero goals, it is essential to work with suppliers and the wider industry to tackle embodied carbon.
We are developing our decarbonisation roadmaps for key materials such as bricks and concrete, and engaging our supply base on tackling embodied carbon. We established an internal materials decarbonisation working group in 2024 to help lead this work. We are in the process of calculating the embodied carbon for a sample of our standard house types to help inform future decision-making on materials use and supplier engagement.
To help us identify opportunities for improvement we are asking suppliers to provide Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). These are based on life cycle assessments and include quantification of embodied carbon. However, EPDs are not yet available for all products. During 2024, one focus area has been pre-cast concrete. We integrated sustainability requirements into our tender process, and used EPDs and discussions with potential suppliers to understand the relative carbon impact of different products.
We have also been exploring the potential use of eco bricks and other brick slip systems that can reduce materials use and transport emissions. We are increasing our use of concrete bricks which can have lower embodied carbon than traditional bricks due to not being kiln fired and have introduced a new roof tile range that has 25% lower embodied carbon than alternative products. We are also reviewing the use of block types with a higher air content which can reduce materials use and embodied carbon and can offer better thermal insulation.
Timber frame
Timber frame can reduce embodied carbon in materials by around 15% compared with traditional ‘brick and block’ building techniques.
We’ve established our own timber frame manufacturing facility which delivered its first kits to our sites in 2024. In combination with our existing suppliers, our own facility will help us in our goal to increase timber frame usage to 30% of our completions by 2030 (2024: 16%). The facility is expected to produce around 3,000 kits per year at full capacity.
Our factory building has a BREEAM Excellent rating and Taylor Wimpey Manufacturing has achieved certification to the ISO 9001 quality management standard and the Structural Timber Frame Association Gold Assure standard. Responsible timber sourcing requirements are integrated into supplier contracts and the facility has achieved certification by PEFC.
Going forward, we will be exploring opportunities to develop our timber frame systems to further reduce materials use and embodied carbon and to reduce and reuse wood waste from off-cuts.
Awards and accreditations
We received a score of A- from CDP Climate Change for 2024 (2023: A-). Our latest CDP Supplier Engagement score was A in 2023 for our approach to engaging suppliers on climate change. We were included on the Financial Times Europe’s Climate Leaders list 2024. Our Net Zero Transition Plan was shortlisted in the Edie Awards 2024.
We work with the Carbon Trust on many aspects of climate change. In 2024, we achieved certification to the Carbon Trust’s Route to Net Zero Standard, Advancing level, the only housebuilder to hold this new standard. To achieve the standard our climate change data together with our governance, stakeholder engagement and implementation are reviewed and verified by the Carbon Trust.
Assurance
Our carbon and energy use data is externally assured by Carbon Trust Assurance to a limited assurance level. This includes verification to ISO 14064 for our scope 1 and 2 footprint, and three selected scope 3 categories (Purchased Goods and Services, Fuel and Energy-related Activities and Use of Sold Products).
Read more
We publish a detailed disclosure against the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures in our Annual Report and Accounts covering our climate scenario analysis and approach to climate risks and opportunities. We have published a Net Zero Transition Plan setting out how we will respond to our identified climate risks and opportunities and achieve our net zero target.
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