Scope and structure of the report

The report is built around six topics which underpin our sustainability policy and performance indicators. They are:

• Enabling sustainable construction – partnership and product development
• People and communities – zero harm in the workplace; creating sustainable communities and working with our stakeholders
• Carbon and energy – climate change and energy use
• Waste and raw materials – sustainable consumption and production
• Water and biodiversity – water conservation and enhancing the natural environment
• Quality processes and systems – management systems for continual improvement

It covers our five business lines (aggregates, asphalt, concrete, cement and supply chain). Waste, energy and water data from contracting works sites has not been included due to the difference in the type of activity carried out. The same applies to Irvine Whitlock, which is primarily a contractor. We have a controlling interest in the joint venture Smiths Concrete and its active operations are included in the data.

Our 2017 report remains aligned to the UK concrete industry’s Sustainable Construction Strategy. We use 18 key performance indicators for reporting which complement the over-arching sustainability strategy of our parent company, HeidelbergCement, summarised here.

We are committed to reporting annually and the report covers the calendar year to the end of 2016. Any changes in measurement methods are indicated alongside the relevant table. We have normalised some data to allow a more accurate comparison with progress against targets set in 2010. This normalisation assumes consistent production levels for each business line.

The information and data contained within this report has been mapped against relevant GRI G4 indicators and verified by Lucideon CICS Ltd as reliable and providing a fair and balanced representation of the reported sustainability activities in the reporting period. The full assurance statement is here.