Post on 25-Aug-2018
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 Contents | �
Contents1 Vision and strategy 1
1.2 Missionandvalues 11.1 BREGroupChiefExecutiveStatement 12.1 NewGroupstructure 22.2 Operations 22.3 Stakeholders 2
2 profile 22.3 EnvironmentalPolicy 32.4 HealthandSafetyPolicy 3
3 soCial responsibility 43.1 Staffprofilesanddiversity 43.2 Employeewell-being/healthandsafety 63.3 BREinthecommunity 8
4 enVironmental sustainability 94.1 EnvironmentalKeyPerformanceIndicators(eKPI) 94.2 CommentaryoneKPIs 11
5 deliVery against 2006/07 sustainability targets 13
6 sustainability targets for 2007/08 15
endnotes 16
1.2 mission and ValuesTheBREGroup’smissionistobuild a better worldandourvisionisourunmistakable imprint on a highly regarded and sustainable built environment.
Ourcorevaluesare:
Theauthoritywhichderivesfromknowledge,independence,objectivityandethics
Maximisingclientbenefitthroughadeepunderstandingoftheirneedsandaspirations
Makingadifference
Enjoyingwhatwedoasateam
Pride,passionandservice
Personalresponsibilityandself-reliance
Creativityandentrepreneurship.
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Weaimtomonitorprogresstowardsourvisionthroughthefollowingmilestones:
By2008tobeabletogiftaid6%ofournetturnovertotheBRETrust
By2010tobeabestpracticeexemplarinourownbusiness
By2010tohaveusedourcorecompetenciestoachieveastrongbusinessoutsideofthebuiltenvironment
By2012tohavedoubledourturnoverinrealterms
By2015toberecognisedworldwideasprovidingleadershipinsustainability,innovationandsafetyinthebuiltenvironment.
Progresstowardsmorespecificenvironmentalandsocialtargetsarealsomeasuredandthesearehighlightedlaterinthisreport.AsmuchoftheBREGroup’scorebusinessisdirectlyconnectedwithhelpingotherstoimprovetheirenvironmentalperformanceandtheenvironmentaroundthem,itisessentialforustopracticewhatwepreachandthusensureouroperationsandactivitiesarebeingmanagedinawaywhichisbothenergyandresource-efficient.
Tomeetthiscommitment,theBREGrouphasaformalEnvironmentalPolicyinplacewithBREcertifiedagainsttheISO14001EnvironmentalManagementSystemstandard.
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1.1 bre group Chief exeCutiVe statementLiving and operating as sustainably as possible is a challenge which must be embraced by corporations and individuals alike. We at BRE believe that sustainability is at the heart of good business and the BRE Group has set a challenging agenda with some tough targets which we will work tirelessly to meet.
Our aim is to build upon our progress and continually improve our performance year on year. We aspire to be not just amongst the best, but an exemplar sustainable organisation helping to improve the quality of life for our staff, customers and the public whilst protecting and preserving the planet and its natural resources.
1 Vision and strategy
Vision and strategy | 1bre sustainability report 2006/2007
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 profile | 2
2.1 new group struCtureApril2007sawthecreationofanewholdingcompanytomanagetheassetsoftheBRETrustandsupportthegrowthoftheGroup.ThetwoprincipalGroupcompanies,BREandBRECertificationreporttotheholdingcompany,whichisalsoresponsiblefornurturingnewbusinessessuchasBREVentures,BRETrainingandBREIreland.
TheBREGroupHoldingCompanysetsoverallGrouppolicyonsustainability,health,safetyandenvironment,quality,humanresources,financialmanagementandotherkeyareasofgovernance.ItisresponsibleforensuringthattheseareimplementedwithintheGroupCompanies.
2.2 operationsEveryworkingday,over600researchscientists,engineers,architects,surveyors,psychologists,administrators,managersandmanyothersonBREsitesbringtogethertheirexpertise,skillsandknowledgetoadviseclientsonissuesaswiderangingas:
Constructionquality,processandproductivity
Innovationandproductdevelopment
Sustainabledevelopment
Environmentalimpactofconstruction
Whole-lifeperformance
Energyefficiencyofbuildings
Renewableenergyinbuildings
Certificationofproducts,systemsandpeople
Buildingperformance;structures,materialsandsystems
Preventionandcontroloffire
Security
Riskmanagement.
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Why do we do it? BecauseweshareapassionatecommitmenttohelptheUK’sbuiltenvironmentindustriestobethebest.
TheBREGroupiscommittedtomakingitscomprehensiveexpertiseandexperienceavailabletobenefitthoseinvolvedinconstructionandassociatedindustries,frommultinationalcompaniesandgovernmentdepartmentstoindividualarchitectsandbuilders.Itdoesthisthrough:
Commissionedresearch,developmentandtestingprogrammesforindividualclientsandconsortia
Consultancyandadvice
Producttestingforcertificationpurposes
BestPracticeprogrammes(e.g.EnergyEfficiency;ConstructionBestPractice)
PublicationofBREDigests,GoodBuildingGuides,GoodRepairGuides,researchreports,books,etc.
Conferences,seminars,workshopsandotherevents
Trainingandassessment
E-commerceactivities(includingBRE’sonlinebookshopatwww.BREbookshop.com)
AcompletereviewoftheBREGroup’sservicescanbefoundonourwebsiteatwww.bre.co.uk
2.3 stakeholdersTheBREHoldingCompany(BRETAMLtd)isownedbytheBRETrust,aregisteredcharitywithamissiontochampionexcellenceandinnovationinthebuiltenvironment.ThisownershipstructureenablestheBREGroupofcompaniestobeheldasanationalassetonbehalfoftheconstructionindustryanditsclients,independentofspecificcommercialinterests.ItalsomaintainstheBREGroup’simpartialityandobjectivityinprovidingresearchandadvice.
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2 profile
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 profile | 3
2.3 enVironmental poliCyTheBREGroupisthepre-eminentcentreforresearchinthebuiltenvironmentwithintheUnitedKingdom,withmuchofourcorebusinessconcernedwithhelpingotherstoimprovetheirenvironmentalperformance.Weaimtoensurethatouroperationsandactivitiesaremanagedinanenergyandresource-efficientmanner,inordertominimisedetrimentalimpactsontheenvironment.
Ourenvironmentalpolicyisto:
Complywithallrelevantlegislation
Seekcontinualimprovementinourenvironmentalperformance
Contributetoeconomic,environmentalandsocialsustainabilityintheshortandlongterm.
AdirectorontheBREGroupHoldingCompanyisresponsibleforthepolicyacrosstheGroup.SpecificresponsibilitieshavebeenestablishedwithintheGroupcompaniesforimplementationofthepolicy.
Thiswillbeachievedby:
Maintaininganenvironmentalmanagementsystem
Settingobjectivesandtargetstominimisetheenvironmentalimpactofouroperations
Trainingouremployeestoachieveandmaintainhighstandardsofenvironmentalperformance
Usingproductsandprocessesthatassistinreducingtheenvironmentallifecycleimpactsofouractivitiesandthoseofourclientsandsuppliers
Communicatingopenlyandconsultingwithstakeholdersonenvironmentalissues.
Guy Hammersley BREGroupDirectorJuly2007
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2.4 health and safety poliCyTheBREGroupisthepre-eminentcentreforresearchinthebuiltenvironmentwithintheUK,withmuchofourcorebusinessconcernedwithhelpingotherstoimprovetheirsafetyperformance.Ourvisionisaworkinglifewithoutaccidents.Ouroperationsandactivitiesaremanagedinamannerwhichaimstoeliminateorreducetoaminimum,anyriskstothehealthandsafetyofouremployees,visitorsandcontractors.
Ourhealthandsafetypolicyisto:
Complywithallrelevantlegislation
Seekcontinualimprovementinoursafetyperformance
Makehealthandsafetyanintegralpartofourbusinesssuccess.
ABREGroupDirectorisresponsibleforthepolicyacrosstheBREGroup.SpecificresponsibilitiesexistwithintheGroupcompaniesforimplementationofthepolicy.
Thiswillbeachievedby:
WorkingtoasystemalignedwithISO9001
Settinggoalsandactionplanstoensurecontinuousimprovementinoursafetyperformance
Trainingouremployeestoachieveandmaintainhighstandardsofhealthandsafetyperformance
Encouragingtheuseofnewtechnologiesandprocessestofacilitatetheeffectivemanagementofhealthandsafety
Communicatingopenlywithstaff,customers,suppliersandcontractorsonhealthandsafetyissues.
Thefoundationforoursuccessisourcorevalues:
Nothingisworthgettinghurt
Healthandsafetyiseveryone’sresponsibility
Healthandsafetyisintegraltoeverythingwedoandtothesuccessofourbusiness.
Guy Hammersley BREGroupDirectorJuly2007
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Throughitsresearchprogrammes,theBRETrustaimstoachieve:
Ahigherqualitybuiltenvironment
Builtfacilitieswhichofferimprovedfunctionalityandvalueformoney
Amoreefficientandsustainableconstructionsector
Ahigherlevelofinnovativepractice.
FurtherinformationontheBRETrust,includingdetailsofthetrusteesanditsprogrammeofactivities,canbefoundatwww.bretrust.org.uk
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bre sustainability report 2006/2007 soCial responsibility | 4
Section3.1providesinformationonthestaffprofileacrossourbusinessin2006/07.Section3.2detailsprogressmadetowardshealthandsafetyoverthepastyear.WeconcludebylookingattheBREGroup’sinvolvementinthelocalcommunity.
3 soCial responsibility
Table 1:Bandprofilesacrosstheorganisationbrokendownbygender(source:HRdepartmentasof10May2007)
Band Example of role types Number of females Number of males Total% of staff in band (as of 10/05/07)
A JuniorAdmin/StudentPlacements 10 (10) 4 (2) 14 (12) 2.4% (2.1%)
B Admin/Consultants&Technicians 62 (53) 41 (30) 103 (83) 17.4% (14.6%)
C SeniorConsultants&Technicians 82 (77) 90 (85) 172 (162) 29.0% (28.5%)
D SeniorConsultants 45 (46) 119 (124) 164 (170) 27.7% (29.9%)
E PrincipalConsultants 15 (14) 85 (81) 100 (95) 16.9% (16.7%)
F CentreDirectors 3 (3) 16 (21) 19 (24) 3.2% (4.2%)
G DivisionalManagingDirectors 1 (1) 3 (4) 4 (5) 0.7% (0.9%)
I ChiefExecutive 0 (0) 1 (1) 1 (1) 0.2% (0.2%)
Other(includesBREcréche) 11 (12) 5 (5) 16 (17) 2.7% (3.0%)
TOTAL 229 (216) 364 (353) 593 (569) 100%
N.B.Numbersinbracketsrepresentcomparativedatafrom2005/06
3.1 staff profiles and diVersityTable1providesaclearpictureofthestaffprofileacrossthedifferentbandswithintheBREGroup.Abandisthebroadestmeasureofanemployee’spositionwithintheorganisation.Foreachbandcategorythereisagenericroleprofilewhichsetsoutspecificaccountabilities,performancemeasures,knowledge,experienceandbehavioursexpectedofstaff.However,staffwithinthesamebandcananddohaveverydifferentjobs.
ThebandrangegoesfromAuptoGandaboveforseniormanagement.Thesecategoriesandtheirparticularattributesareusedasapartoftheperformanceanddevelopmentreviewprocessandtheyareanessentialcomponentofstaffdevelopmentprocedures.
Thenumbersinbracketsrepresentcomparativedatafrom2005/06.PleasealsonotethatBREhasrecentlyundergonearestructuring,andthereforethefuturemanagementstructurewillbeslightlydifferenttothatpresentedbelow.
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 soCial responsibility | 5
Figure 1: Genderinformationacrossbandsin2005/06(source:HRdepartmentasof10May2007)
0 50 100 150 200
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G
F
E
D
C
B
A
(1F, 3M)
(1M)
(3F, 16M)
(15F, 85M)
(45F, 119M)
(82F, 90M)
(62F, 41m)
(10F, 4M)
Band
0 50 100 150 200
Male
Female
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F
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HumanResourcesrecordsandmonitorsethnicityofBREGroupstaff.Thisdataissoughtfromallemployeesbutthedecisiontoprovideinformationisentirelyatthediscretionoftheindividualstaffmember.
In2005/06,wereportedthat79%ofstaffhadprovidedinformationonethnicityofwhich92%definedthemselvesas‘white’and8%asfromotherethnicgroups.
In2006/07,wehaveethnicitydatafor81%ofstaffofwhich90.7%havedefinedthemselvesas‘white’and9.3%asfromotherethnicgroups.Thisthereforeshowsanincreaseof1.3%instafffromotherethnicgroups.
HumanResourcesalsorecordsandmonitorsdisabilityintheworkforce.In2004/05,sixemployeesdescribedthemselvesasdisabled,andin2005/06,thisfiguredroppedtofour.In2006/07,wehavefiveemployeeswhodescribethemselvesasdisabled.
Figure 2: Aprofileofstaffgenderacrosstheorganisation(source:HRdepartmentasof14May2007)
Figure 3: Aprofileofstaffageacrosstheorganisationoverthepastthreeyears(source:HRdepartmentasof15May2007)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
2004/052005/062006/07
60+
50 - 59
40 - 49
30 - 39
20 - 29
16 - 19
Age
% of staff
0.8%0.2%0.5%
17.6%16.7%15.8%
24.2%26.0%27.3%
26.2%26.5%25.0%
27.7%26.7%27.4%
3.5%3.5%4.3%
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 soCial responsibility | 6
3.2 employee well-being / health and safety
AchievementsDuring2006/2007,wecontinuedtomakesignificantprogressindevelopingourpolicyofcontinuousimprovementinhealthandsafety.Somekeyachievementsarelistedbelow:
Occupational health.Theoccupationalhealthservicewasfurtherdeveloped,providingsignificanthelpinmanaginglongtermemployeeillness,musculoskeletaldisordersandinequippingBREwiththeskillsandequipmenttocarryoutaudiometrytesting.
Working safely committee.Theworkingsafelycommitteesuccessfullydeliveredanumberofcriticalprojectsleadingtonewproceduresandimprovementsinthemanagementofcontractors,hazardoussubstances,firstaidandemergencyresponse,andriskassessment.
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Fire safety.Essentialremedialmeasurestoourbuildingshavebeenidentifiedandundertaken.Furthermeasuresarebeingassessedinviewofchangingbusinessactivitiesandappropriateactionswillbeimplemented.Anewsweeperdiscsystemhasalsobeenimplementedandtherehasbeenacomprehensiveprogrammeofstafftraining,whereuponamajoremergencypracticeexercisewasundertaken.
Training.Morehealthandsafetytraininghasbeendeliveredthaneverbefore.Site-wide,regularminitrainingsessionsweresuccessfullyintroducedandtrainingisbeingtailoredtomeetthespecificneedsofthedifferentGroups.
Communication.Asetofplayingcardscommunicatinghealth,safetyandfirebehavioursweredesignedanddistributedtoallemployees.
BRE Safety Case presented at IOSH 07.TheBREHealthandSafetyManagerpresentedapaperoncontractormanagementatthisyear’sIOSHannualconference.
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flexible workingIn2004throughto2005/2006,theBREGroupemployed72staffonarangeofparttimecontracts.In2006/07,wenowemploy63staffonarangeofparttimecontracts.
Flexibleworkingisencouragedinformallytoo,throughgeneralworkingpatternsofstaff.HomeworkingisquitecommonandFigure4illustratesthepercentageofstaffwhoworkfromhome.Thenumberofstaffwhosaytheyneverworkfromhomehasfallenfrom62%to51%in2006/07.Whilsttherehasnotbeenadramaticshiftinstaffregularlyworkingfromhomeforadayormoreperweek,thereisashifttowardsflexibleworkingwithstafffarmorelikelytoworkfromhomewheretheneedarises.Thisisreflectedinthe25%thatworkfromhome1dayorlesspermonth,and16%ofhome-workerswhowork2-3dayspermonth.
Furthermore,74%ofsurveyrespondentshaveindicatedthattheywouldbewillingtoworkfromhomemoreoftenthantheydocurrently,andofthose,41%wouldbewillingtoworkonedayaweekfromhome.ThiswouldbeasignificantshiftinhomeworkingandsomethingtheBREGroupwantstoencourage.ProvidingfurtherguidancetostaffonhomeworkingpracticesandtheassociatedbenefitswillbeaddressedasapartofthenewGreenTravelPlantobedevelopedin2007/08.
Full time home worker (1%)
2-4 days per week (4%)
1 day per week (7%)
2-3 days per month (12%)
1 day or less per month (25%)
Zero (51%)
Figure 4: Staffhomeworkingpatterns(source:BREstafftransportsurvey2007)
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 soCial responsibility | 7
AccidentsDuring2006/2007,wereceived30entriesintheAccidentBook.Thisrepresentsadropof39%comparedwith2005/2006(49entries).23wereBREemployeeaccidentsand7werecontractor/visitoraccidents.Figure5illustratesthetypesofinjuriesresultingfromtheseaccidents.
Therewerenoaccidentsresultinginlostworktimein2006/07;agreatimprovementover2005/06wherethereweresixlostworktimeaccidents.Moreover,therewerenoRIDDORreportableaccidentsin2006/07.
Theaccidentratefor2006/2007wasanLTARof0.0
*LostTimeAccidentRate=NumberofLostTimeAccidents×1,000,000
NumberofHoursWorkedinPeriod
WiththeintroductionofBRE’scampaignofcontinuousimprovementinhealthandsafety,ourreportingofaccidentsandincidentshasimproved,whichwebelievetohavehadapositiveeffectonstaff.Thishasresultedinfeweraccidentsoccurringcomparedwith2005/06.Itisimperativethatwecontinuetoencouragestafftoreportallaccidents,howeverminor,asthisenablespotentialhazardareastobeidentifiedandimprovementsmadetoourmanagementproceduresandworkingpractices.
Staff healthThepercentageofdayslostduetosicknessacrosstheBREGroupduring2006/2007was2.78%,whichrepresentsafallof0.24%onthepreviousyear.Intotal,therewere4,236daysofabsencebetween01/04/06and31/03/07,whichrepresentsanaverageof7.2daysperemployee.
0
2
4
6
8
10
ArmLegFingers & Toes
HeadBackHandNo injury
Figure 5: Typeofinjury(source:HealthandSafetyteam)
new initiatiVes for 2007/2008Followingtherestructure,thetwoGroupcompanieswillhavetheirownHealth,SafetyandEnvironmentManagers.TheGroupHoldingCompanywillretainaHealth,SafetyandEnvironmentteamwhoshallreporttotheresponsibleGroupDirector,headedbytheBREGroupHealthandSafetyManager.Thecorporateteamwillsetoverallpolicyandstandards,andauditcomplianceinthenewstructure.TheywillalsoretainresponsibilityforFirstAid,OccupationalHealthandtheServiceGroups.
Keyfeaturesofthedriveforcontinualimprovementinhealthandsafetywillincludeongoing,frequentandhighlyvisiblewalkaboutsbyseniorstaff,ahighpriorityontrainingandcommunicationandafocusonhighriskactivities.
Specificnewinitiativeswillinclude:
A new training approach –fullrolloutofthenewminitrainingsessions
Working at height–supportingtheHSEdriveonworkingatheightandundertakingacampaignwithinourownbusiness
Behavioural safety–initiatinganewapproachofbehaviouralsafetymanagement.
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bre sustainability report 2006/2007 soCial responsibility | 8
3.3 bre in the CommunityBREhasextensivelinkswiththelocalcommunity.AswellasbeingamajoremployerforWatford,StAlbansandthesurroundingareas,werunprogrammesforlocalschoolsandprovideadviceandsupporttolocalcompaniesworkinginconstructionandthebuiltenvironment.
WehaveworkedwithParmiter’sSchoolforoversevenyears,participatingintheirannualIndustryDayforYear10students.Studentsdesignandbuildabridgemadefromspaghettiwhichwetestforstructuralstrengthandstability.Parmiter’salsotookpartforthesecondtimeinanEngineeringEducationSchemeprojectinassociationwithBRE.
WehavegroupsofstudentsvisitingBRE’sfacilities,particularlyourIntegerHouse,tolearnaboutrecycledbuildingmaterialsandlowcarbontechnologies.Again,someParmiter’sstudentswererecentlyinvolvedinaworkshopondesignandconstructionissuesforthenewWillmottDixonRethinkingSchooloftheFutureontheBREInnovationParkwhichopenedinJune2007.
Othersimilareventsincludeanannualvisitby‘A’LevelphysicsstudentsfromWatfordGrammarSchoolforGirlswhobaseoneoftheirprojectsonwhattheyseeandlearnatBRE.Wealsoopenourdoorstolocalresidentstodisplaythelatestsustainableandmodernmethodsofconstruction.
TheBREGroupfosterscloseworkingrelationshipswithUniversitiesacrossthecountrythroughtheBRETrustresearchprogrammesandtheactivitiesofGroupcompanies.TheBRETrusthasestablishedfourhighprofileUniversityPartnershipCentresofExcellenceatEdinburgh(FiresafetyEngineering),Strathclyde(EnergyUtilisation),Bath(InnovativeMaterials)andCardiff(SustainableBuildingDesign).Inaddition,theBRETrustiscurrentlysponsoring17PhDstudentsthroughtheirstudies.
TheBREGroupisamemberoftheAbbeyLineCommunityRailPartnership,alocalcommunityrailgrouptaskedwithencouragingtheuptakeofrailtravelbetweenWatfordJunctionandStAlbansAbbeystations.This6.4mileroutewasoneoftheUK’sfirstdesignatedCommunityRailwaysandinthefirstyearoftheAbbeyLineCommunityRailPartnership,a10-15%growthinpassengernumberswasrecorded [1]
AlliedtothePartnership,istheline’sstatusasoneof6PilotProjectsnominatedbytheDepartmentforTransport,eachofwhichisdesignedtodemonstrateadifferentaspectofitsCommunityRailDevelopmentStrategy.OntheAbbeyLine,theprojectisaboutrebuildingthepassingloopatBricketWoodstation,whichservesBREThiswouldenableamoreconvenient2-trainservicetooperateata30-minfrequency,attractingmorestaffandmembersofthegeneralpublictousetheline.Encouraginguptakeofrailtravelisalsoaboutmakingitfun,especiallyforchildren,andassuchtheCRPorganisesvarious‘theme’eventsforchildrenwhichincludestheGhostTrainphotographedopposite.
WehavestronglinkswithEEDA,thelocaldevelopmentagencycoveringtheEastofEngland.EEDArecentlyallocatedmajorfundingfortherefurbishmentofBRE’sVictorianStableBlockasasustainableexemplar.Thiswillbeusedasthebasisforatrainingandeducationfacilityforbuildersanddesignersetc.throughouttheregion,addressingtheissuesofconvertingandupgradingolderexistingpropertiestoimprovetheirenergyandbuildingperformance.
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 enVironmental sustainability | �
4.1 enVironmental key performanCe indiCators (ekpi)Table2(overleaf)presentslastyear’sperformanceonutilityusage,wastegenerationandrecyclingfortheGarstonsite.ThesefiguresincludetenantorganisationslocatedatGarstonwhichtotal339individuals.TenantsleaseofficeandlaboratoryspacefromBREandthereforeconsumeresourcesandcreatewaste,thuscontributingtoouroverallimpact.ThishasaninfluenceonanumberofmanagementissuesconcerningenergyandwaterconsumptionatGarstonwhicharetobeaddressedasapriorityin2007/08,notleasttoseparateourownconsumptionformonitoringandreportingpurposes.ThetravelfiguresrelatetothewholeoftheBREGroup,includingourregionalofficesinScotland,WalesandIreland.
BREGroupenvironmentalKeyPerformanceIndicators(eKPIs)fortheperiodApril2006–March2007aredetailedinSection4.1below.Section4.2commentsoneacheKPIandincludesgraphstoillustratetrendsontheGroup’sperformance.
4 enVironmental sustainability
Business air travel (0.4 t/CO2) (5.7%)
Business train travel (0.8 t/CO2) (1.1%)
Business car travel (0.12 t/CO2) (1.7%)
Staff commute to work (1 t/CO2) (14.2%)
Total water delivered to site (0.02 t/CO2) (0.3%)
Total natural gas use (2.2 t/CO2) (31.3%)
Total electricity use (3.2 t/CO2) (45.6%)
Average carbon footprint per person Our carbon footprint as expressed as per BRE employee is as follows:
Our total CO2 footprint = 5,859.4 t/CO2This is enough carbon dioxide to fill 15,271 two-bed terraces or the new Wembley Stadium!
Total CO2 footprint per BRE employee = 7.02 t/CO2
Figure 6: AverageCO2footprintperBREemployee.
BRE carbon footprintUsingthedatainTable2,wehaveworkedouttheBREGroup’stotalcarbonfootprintasexpressedintonnesofCO2peryear.Thisisbasedonthecombinedfiguresfortotalelectricityuse(Garston),totalgasuseincludingtheFurnaceBuilding(Garston),energyconsumedforwaterdeliveredtosite(Garston),totalbusinessmileagebycar,railandair(allsites),andthetotalmilestravelledbyBREstafftogettoandfromwork(allsites).
Itwasdiscussedinternallyifthestaffcommuteshouldbeincludedaspartofouroverallcarbonfootprint.Aswearetacklingthisissueandputtinginitiativesinplacetoreducetheimpactofstaffcommutingtowork,forexamplethroughencouraginghomeworkingandcarsharing,itwasdecidedthatthisispartofBRE’sindirectimpact.Thereforeitisincludedaspartofouroverallcarbonfootprint.Togivethisissuesomeaddedsignificance,thetotalnumberofmilesdriventoandfromworkbyourstafflastyearisequivalenttogoingroundtheworld100times![18]
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 enVironmental sustainability | 10
Table 2: BREEnvironmentalKeyPerformanceIndicators(source:FacilitiesGroup,BREPurchasingandStaffTransportSurvey2007)
eKPI Total kWh/m2 [2]Tonnes CO2
emissionsImpact per person [3]
Data period FY05/06 % change
1 Annualelectricityuse 6,844,615kWh 158.9 2,943 3.2t/CO2 Apr06–Mar07 6,999,877KWh[4] 2.2%
2 Annualnaturalgasuse(includingFurnaceBuilding)
10,442,528kWh 242.4 1,984 2.2t/CO2 Apr06–Mar07 13,008,424kWh 24.6%
2a AnnualnaturalgasuseofFurnaceBuilding
763,392kWh – – – Apr06–Mar07 697,000kWh 8.7%
2b Annualnaturalgasuse(excludingFurnacebuilding)
9,679,136kWh 224.7 – – Apr06–Mar07 12,311,424kWh 27.2%
3 Annualwateruse 54,360m3 – 21.7[5] 59,671litres 2006/2007[6] 43,912m3 19.2%
4 Waste & recycling (Garston only)(Allfiguresintonnes)
Total waste generatedRecycled: Constructionwaste[7]
Paper Newspapers/magazines Cans Plastics Wood Cardboard Scrapmetal Inert Glass Total %oftotalwaste
Land filled: Officewaste[8]
Constructionwaste Other Total %oftotalwaste
1015.1
143.618.66.71.01.4
46.232.446.2103.15.9
405.1 39.9%
165.1430.9
14610
60.1%
0.7tonnesperBREemployee
1.1tonnesperBREemployee
Apr06–Mar07 764.6
132.118.75.40.31.311.311.910.58.80.0
200.226.2%
167.3396.2
0.9564.573.8%
24.7%
13.7%
7.5%
5 Transport(figuresinmiles)BREstaffcommute[9]: Car(inc.carshare) Motorcycle Train Bus Cycle/walk Total
Businesstravel: Car Train Air
2,413,73181,37192,24546,40489,368
2,723,119
312,990[10]
416,276[11]
1,025,299
544.3[12]
14[13]
9.6[14]
6.7[15]
0574.6
70.643.5
222[16]
1 t/CO2
0.12t/CO20.08t/CO2
0.40t/CO2
Transportsurvey2007
Apr06–Mar07Transportsurvey2007
Apr06–Mar07
2,802,152[17]
N/A
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 enVironmental sustainability | 11
4.2 Commentary on ekpiseKPI 1 – ElectricityuseatGarstonhasreducedby2.2%comparedwith2005/06.Ourimpactpersquaremetreofusedspacehasthereforereducedfrom162kWh/m2to159kWh/m2Benchmark,butisstillshortofour5%reductiontarget.Akeyprojectin2007/08istoinstallelectricitysub-meteringacrossmajorbuildingsontheGarstonsite,includingthoseoccupiedbyourmaintenants.ThiswillallowBREtoseparatetenantelectricityusageandmonitorandtargetourkeybuildings.Thisyear’selectricityreductiontargetisdetailedinSection6.
eKPI 2–AsillustratedinFigure7,naturalgasuseatGarstonhasreducedbynearly25%comparedwith2005/06whichsurpassesour10%reductiontarget.GasuseassociatedwithoperationoftheFurnaceBuildinghasincreasedby8.7%overthesameperiod.Therefore,gasuseexcludingtheFurnaceBuildinghasreducedby27%.Thisequatesto225kWh/m2in2006/07comparedwith286kWh/m3in2005/06Benchmark.ThereductioningasusecanbeattributedtothecontinuingworksbeingcarriedoutontheheatingandcontrolsystemsacrosstheGarstonsite.Thisyear’sgasreductiontargetisdetailedinSection6.
eKPI 3 –Waterusehasrisenfrom43,912m3to54,360m3in2006/07;ariseof19.2%asillustratedinFigure8.Thisequatesto59,671litresofwaterperperson,peryear(includingtenants).Ourtotalwaterusagecanalsobeexpressedas1.26m3/m3floorarea/annumBenchmark.TheExecutiveAgencyoftheOfficeofGovernmentCommercebenchmarkis0.62m3/m3floorarea/annum[19].ThisbenchmarkfigureisforauniversitycampussitewhichistheclosestcomparablesitetooperationsatGarston,howeverthenatureofBRE’sbusinessdoesrequirehighvolumesofwatertobeusedfortestingpurposes.Thisincludesthetestingofconcretesamplesandweathertightnesswhichcanuseupto2000litrespertest.WaterisreusedinsometestfacilitiesacrosstheGarstonsite,howeverduetoLegionellaconcerns,watercanonlybestoredforupto5days.Variousprojectsarebeingundertakenin2007/08toreducethewaterusageoftheconcretelaboratoryandwindtunnelfacility.
Therehasalsobeenanincreaseintenantnumbersonsitefrom267in2005/06to339in2006/07,whichwillimpactonourtotalwaterusagefigure.Thisyear’swatertargetasdetailedinSection6willaddresswatersub-meteringinkeybuildingsontheGarstonsitetoenableustotargetandmonitorourusagemoreclosely,whilststartingtoseparatetenantwaterusagefromourown.
eKPI 4 –In2006/07,BREdiverted39.9%ofitswastefromlandfillBenchmark..Thisfellshortofthewastefromlandfilltargetsetof50%.Thisdoes,however,representa13.7%increaseinrecycledwastecomparedwith2005/06.Totalwastegeneratedonsitehasincreasedby24.7%comparedwith2005/06asillustratedinFigure9.Despitethis,81.8%oftheextrawastegenerated,whichislargelyattributabletotestingactivities,wassegregatedanddivertedfromlandfill.Asaconsequence,wastesenttolandfillonlyincreasedby7.5%overthesameperiod.NewwastesegregationandlandfilltargetsaredetailedinSection6.
Figure 7: Totalannualnaturalgasuse(includingtheFurnaceBuilding)ontheGarstonsite2003/04–2006/07(source:BREPurchasing)
0
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Year2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07
10,576,107
12,731,088 13,008,424
10,442,528
16.9% 2.1% 24.6%
Figure 8: AnnualwateruseontheGarstonsite2004/05–2006/07(source:BREPurchasing)
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2006/072005/062004/05
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2004/052005/062006/07
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Figure 9: WastetolandfillanddivertedstreamsontheGarstonsite2004-2007(source:FacilitiesGroup)
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 enVironmental sustainability | 12
eKPI 5 –InMay2007,weundertookastafftravelsurveyprovidingbothquantitativeandqualitativefiguresofourtravelrelatedimpact.Figure10illustratesthemainmodesoftransporttakenbyBREstafftravellingtowork.Singleoccupancycartravelhasreducedby3.8%(2005survey–69.7%).Mostnotably,therehasbeenanincreaseinuseofpublictransportfrom0.9%in2005to4.7%in2007(busandtrain).Carsharehasincreasedby0.7%to17%overthepasttwoyears.ApproximatelyhalfofcarsharerssharewithothercolleaguesatBRE,withtheotherhalfdroppingsomeoneelseoffonthewaytowork.Cyclistshaveincreasedby1.2%to7.2%.
Thisisthefirstyearthatwehavepublishedfiguresonourtravelimpactrelatingtocar,trainandairbusinesstravel.ThisallowsustostarttobuildupafullerpictureofourtotalCO2footprintasabusiness.Airtravelisresponsiblefor66%ofourtotalbusinesstravelemissions,underlyingthesignificantimpactthataviationhas.Itishoweveranecessarypartofoperatingaglobalbusinessandconsequentlyforthesecondyearrunning,wearecontinuingourpartnershipwithClimateCare19andhaveoffsetourCO2emissionsfromflying.
See‘endnotes’forthesourcesofdataforourbusinesstravelrelatedemissions.
BREcontinuestoencouragestafftocarsharewhichisseenasthemostpracticalalternativetosingleoccupancycartraveltowork.Carsharing
retainsthespeedandconvenienceoftravellingbycartowork,butcandramaticallycutcarbonemissions.Whilstwecurrentlyhaveonly4allocatedcarsharespacesontheGarstonsite,thereareapproximately50staffwhocarshare,someonamoreregularbasisthanothers.
Thenumberofcarsharespacesonsiteisseenasapositivevisualexamplewhichdemonstratesourcommitmenttodeliveringonourgreentravelplan.Thuswehavesetatargettomorethandoublethecurrentnumberofcarsharespaces(to10)byyearend.Thiswillbeachievedthroughdeliveryofarevampedcarsharedatabase,providingbetterassistancetostaffinfindingasuitablecarcharepartner.Thiswasthepriorityactionasvotedby29%ofrespondentsinthestafftransportsurveywhenaskedwhatwouldencouragethemtocarshare.
TheinformationandtrendsindicatedasaresultofthestafftransportsurveywillinformBRE’snewgreentravelplan.ThisplanwillmapoutthelongtermobjectivesfortheBREGroupoverthenextthree-fiveyearsinabidtoreduceourtravelrelatedfootprint.
Finally,lastyear’ssustainabilityreportalludedtoourongoingdiscussionswithalocalbuscompanytoimprovepublictransportlinkstotheGarstonsite.AlthoughinitialdiscussionsheldlastyearwereencouragingwiththebuscompanyproposingtorunadivertedservicethroughtheBREsite,aneconomicsolutiontore-routingthebusunfortunatelycouldnotbefound,duetotheprohibitivecostoftherequiredon-siteworks.
Figure 10: StaffmodesoftraveltoBREplaceofwork(source:Stafftransportsurvey2007)
Motorbike (1.7%)
Train (2.2%)
Bus (2.5%)
Walk (3.5%)
Bicycle (7.2%)
Car share (17%)
Car with no passengers (65.9%)
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 deliVery against 2006/06 targets | 13
Table 3: Commentaryonperformanceagainstlastyear’ssustainabilitytargets
Target (2006/07) Achieved Commentary
AchieveISO14001certificationwithinBRE’sConstructionDivision.
Yes SuccessfulcertificationtoISO14001extendingthescopeoftheEMStoincludeallactivitiesoftheEnvironmentandConstructionDivisions(nowBRELtd)wasachievedinNovember2006.LRQAcertificatenumber:4001064issued4January2007.Expires9December2009.
ReducenaturalgasconsumptionattheGarstonsite(excludingtheFurnaceBuilding)by10%(basedon2005/2006figures).
Yes NaturalgasconsumptionattheGarstonsiteexcludingtheFurnaceBuildingreducedby27.2%in2006/07.
Implementelectricitysub-meteringattheGarstonsite
No Inhindsight,itwasoverlyoptimistictocommittotacklingboththeextensiveworksrequiredonsiteregardingtheheatingandcontrolsystems,aswellasinstallationofelectricitysub-metering.Thisremainsahighpriorityprojectwhichwillcommencein2007/08.SeeSection6sustainabilitytargets2007/08forfurtherdetails.
Reduceelectricityconsumption(excludingBurnHall)by5%(basedon2005/2006figures).
No Comparingusagein2006/07withthe2005/06figureasreportedinlastyear’sSustainabilityReportwoulddelivera15%reductioninconsumption.However,the2005/06figurewasanestimatebasedonknownusageatthetimebetween01/08/05to31/03/06,andaveragedtoa12monthperiod.Thisfigurehassincebeenproventobeinaccurateandnotrepresentativeofactualusagethroughouta12monthperiod.
Anewestimatefor2005/06usagehasthereforebeencalculated,basedonactualdatafromSept05–March06,whichaccuratelyrepresentsa12monthperiod.
Comparingusagein2006/07withthisnew2005/06estimatedeliversa2.2%reductioninelectricityconsumption.
IthasbecomeclearthatasimpleoverarchingreductiontargetisnotappropriatewhensetagainsttherapidgrowthplansoftheBREGroupwhichwillresultinsignificantincreaseinbusinessactivityandinstaffnumbers.Acommitmenthasbeenmadetodevelopandimplementanewstrategytoreduceelectricityconsumptioninthecontextofthisbusinessgrowth.
5 deliVery against 2006/07 sustainability targets
Table3chroniclestheprogressmadeindeliveringagainstoursustainabilitytargetsin2006/07.
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 deliVery against 2006/06 targets | 14
Target (2006/07) Achieved Commentary
Reducewaterconsumptionby5%(basedon2005/2006figures).
No Tightcontroloverwaterusageremainselusiveduetothepoorwaterinfrastructureandfrequencyofwaterleaksonsite.Consumptionroseby19.2%in2006/07comparedwith2005/06,andhencethe5%reductiontargetwasnotmet.SeeSection6sustainabilitytargets2007/08fordetailsofthisyear’swatertarget.
Off-setBRE’sannualCO2emissionsresultingfromstaffairtravelonbusiness.
Yes BREstaffflewatotalof1,025,299mileslastyearresultingin222tonnes/CO2.Thiswasoff-setwiththeorganisation‘ClimateCare’whoinvestinseveralkindsofprojectsinthedevelopingworldincludingenergyefficiencyandrenewableenergygeneration.
MakeResource06a‘climateneutral’eventbyoff-settingtheCO2associatedwithattendeetraveltoGarston.
Yes A£5chargewasincorporatedintothecostofattendingthiseventwhichwasinvestedwithClimateCaretooff-settheassociatedCO2emissionsfromattendeetraveltoGarston.
ImplementnewproceduresforthehandlinganddisposalofhazardoussubstancesandwasteontheGarstonsite.
Yes ProcedureDisposalofHazardousSubstances:2.OP.190wasissuedonOctober2006.ItisaccessibletoallstaffthroughBREGroup’shealthandsafetymanagementsystemonthecompanyintranet.
InvolvethelocalcommunityandkeystakeholdersinanyfuturedevelopmentplansfortheGarstonsite.
Ongoing TheBREGroupisstilldevelopingitslongtermbusinessplansandhasmadeacommitmenttoactivelyengagewiththelocalcommunityastheseevolve.LocalresidentswereinvitedtotherecentOffsite2007andabriefingbytheGroupChiefExecutive.
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 targets for 2007/08 | 15
ReducenaturalgasconsumptionontheGarstonsite(excludingtheFurnaceBuildingandBurnHall)by10%(basedon2006/2007figures).
DevelopandimplementastrategytoreduceelectricityconsumptionontheGarstonsitewhichreflectstheplannedbusinessgrowthandincreaseinstaffnumbers.
Installelectricitysub-meteringinkeybuildingsontheGarstonSite.
Installwatersub-meteringinfivebuildingsontheGarstonsite.
1�
2�
3�
4�
IncreasewastesegregatedontheGarstonsiteby5%(basedon2006/2007figures).
Divert50%ofwastegeneratedontheGarstonsiteawayfromlandfill(basedon2006/2007figures).
IncreasethecurrentnumberofcarsharespacesontheGarstonsiteto10.
LaunchtheBREGroupSchool’sStrategytotakelessonsonsustainabilityintoschools.
5�
6�
7�
8�
6 sustainability targets for 2007/08
bre sustainability report 2006/2007 endnotes | 16
Source:www.abbeyline.org.uk/about.htm
Basedontotaltreatedfloorareaof43,083m3.
596BREemployees(asof14/05/07)ofwhich63areparttime.Therefore,BREfulltimeequivalentemployees=572(conversionfactor0.625).339tenantsontheGarstonsite.Totalof911persons.
Actualelectricityusagebetween01/08/05to31/07/06.
M3ofwatercontributes0.4kgofCO2totheatmosphere–source:AdvancedDemandSideManagement–http://www.adsm.com[accessed01/05/07].
Annualwaterusagefigurerelatestotheperiod15/03/06to20/03/07fortheFarmGateMeterandtheperiod05/01/06–06/12/06forNorthGateMeter.
Figuresarebasedonanestimated25%recoveryrateviaF&RCawleyMRFfacility.
OfficewastefigureisanestimatebaseduponthenumberandsizeofbinslocatedontheGarstonsiteandthenumberofliftscarriedoutovertheyear.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Source:BREStaffTransportsurvey2007.405surveyresponsesto‘whatisyournormalmodeoftransporttowork’.Normalisedfor596staff.Distancesbasedon‘asthecrowflies’.
Source:BREFinance–staffcarmileageclaimsduring2006/07.Thisfiguredoesnotincludeassessorsandsalesmenastheirallowanceisoutsidethemileageclaimsprocessandwasnotavailableatthetimeofcompilingthisreport.
Source:BREStaffTransportsurvey2007.387surveyresponsesto‘howmanymilesdoyoutypicallytravelpermonthbytrainonbusiness’.Normalisedfor596stafffortheyear.
CO2conversionfactorbasedupontheaverageBREstaffcarwhichemits255.5g/CO2/mile(source:BREStaffTransportSurvey2007).
CO2conversionfactorbasedonaveragepetrolmotorbike0.1718kg/CO2/mile(source:Defra’sGHGconversionfactorsforcompanyreporting,June2007)
TrainCO2conversionfactor0.0602kg/CO2/km(source:Defra’sGHGconversionfactorsforcompanyreporting,June2007)
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10
11
12
13
14
BusCO2conversionfactor0.0891kg/CO2/km(source:Defra’sGHGconversionfactorsforcompanyreporting,June2007)
CO2emissionsresultingfromallBREbusinessflightsin2006/07wereoffsetwithClimateCare–www.climatecare.org
ThisisthemeandistancetravelledbyallBREstafftoworkperyearbaseduponupperandlowerlimits.DatafromStaffTransportsurveyMay2005.
Thecircumferenceoftheearthattheequatoris24,901.55miles(totalmilesdrivenbycarandmotorcycle,2,495,105)
OGCbuying.solutions:FinalWatermarkProjectReportMay2003.Availableathttp://www.adsm.com/watermarkbenchmarks.htm
ClimateCareoffsetsCO2emissionsbyfundingprojectsaroundtheworld.Theseinvolverenewableenergy(replacesnon-renewablefuelsuchascoal),energyefficiency(reducestheamountoffuelneeded)andforestrestoration(absorbsCO2fromtheatmosphereasthetreesgrow).Seewebsiteforfurtherdetailsoftheirapproach–http://www.climatecare.org/
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endnotes