Building materials supplier, Lafarge, has joined an elite set of ‘green’ firms to achieve recertification of the Carbon Trust Standard.
Only a third of companies have succeeded in regaining the Standard – the world’s first carbon reduction award for organisations taking action on climate change.
Lafarge Aggregates & Concrete UK, based in Syston, Leicestershire, obtained recertification thanks to ever evolving energy saving initiatives which have slashed carbon emissions by 16 per cent over the last five years.
The Carbon Trust Standard is the world’s first carbon award which requires organisations to measure, manage and reduce its carbon emissions and make real reductions year-on-year.
First certified in 2010, Lafarge was able to show further positive steps on cutting carbon in the two years since.
Energy saving measures have included using ducting to redirect heat generated from compressors to warm up workshops; installing timers on office heaters; installing individual switches on lighting; implementing ‘soft starts’ on crushers and conveyors; establishing more vigorous maintenance and repair programmes to optimise efficiency of equipment and, at Dowlow, replacing the bi-monthly grass-cutting routine with sheep grazing.
Helen Atkins, CRC and energy performance adviser, said: “It was a huge achievement to gain the Carbon Trust Standard the first time round but to achieve recertification is an even bigger achievement.
“Only a third of companies regain the Standard so we are absolutely delighted to be among those top organisations making a real commitment to cutting carbon emissions and acting on climate change.”
The company first achieved the Carbon Trust Standard following three years of carbon management initiatives and independent verification.
The Standard certification was awarded to all of the company’s UK operations and subsidiaries, including 35 quarries, 98 readymix plants, 17 asphalt plants, depots and head office at Granite House, Syston.
Carbon reduction initiatives ranged from simply encouraging people to turn off lights and equipment to installing electricity metres with half hourly monitoring so usage could be tracked and controlled.
Workshops were held across the business encouraging staff to take ownership of energy reduction schemes on site and come up with their own ideas.
This grassroots approach helped Lafarge regain the Standard as attitude change and idea generation quickly spread and became embedded across the worforce.
Helen added: “Both the initial achievement and now the recertification has taken a lot of hard work and effort, especially from staff on the ground. I’m really proud of our all our teams and the way people have got on board with the carbon reduction message. Raising awareness and encouraging different behaviours has been key to this continued success.”
The Carbon Trust Standard is an important reflection of Lafarge’s strong sustainable ethos and its ongoing pledge to both operate in the most environmentally responsible way possible and continually seek to reduce energy consumption.
