Richard Harris chaired the recent Environmental, Social and Governance Panel Breakfast with Knowsley Chamber of Commerce. The panel included Richard Potts, Area Director of Morgan Sindall, Katie Aitken, Compliance and HR Manager at NorthWest Trucks and Julia McDonald at Bomac Electric Limited.
The Panel Discussion
Each company outlined challenges, initiatives and future-proofing strategies that they have implemented in their Environmental, Social and Governance Plans.
Richard Potts, Morgan Sindall detailed the targeting that Morgan Sindall had put in place to get to net zero by 2030. This included measuring Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions across the group and how they would offset the emissions. They are independently monitored by the Carbon Disclosure Project and have been tracking carbon since 2019. Morgan Sindall have developed a measuring tool called ‘Carbonica’ which helps clients and assists in making decisions on how to reduce carbon. Morgan Sindall have reviewed the waste issues and reduced cardboard, plastic wrapping, looked for efficiencies in design and recycled timber hoarding and pallets in community schemes. Each project has driven efficiencies into the supply chain. In addition the company has planted thousands of trees and have invested in wetlands to help absorb the carbon around the country and found responsible sustainable solutions for the future.
Katie Aitken, NorthWest Trucks detailed how their challenge is also reduce carbon emissions as 27% of UK carbon emissions comes from transport of which HGV’s are responsible for 18 % of this. NorthWest Trucks have developed an Electric Truck which they had on display and are looking to roll this out with increasingly longer journeys. They are retraining all staff, have created electrification bays for the Trucks, take all waste to energy plant rather than let it head to landfill and met ISO 14001 Environmental Standard as well as investing £500k in ESG in working conditions, gender pay gap, technology improvements and many more initiatives.
Julia McDonald, Bomac Electric Limited have developed waste fuel to biofuel projects with a renewables firm and have developed heaters that are made out of recycled materials and can be re-used. Bomac’s working environment has been improved with a new ‘Meetery’ where staff can ‘meet and eat’ and schemes such as ‘workplace massages’ have been introduced to help the staff with their wellbeing. Their team also volunteer on local charity projects.
Richard Harris said, ‘It was great to hear of all the initiatives and clear ESG plans that these companies have taken on. If you are a business and you want to survive and grow you really have to look at ESG and implement it as quickly as possible.These companies have done and it is paying off. They are also influencing their supply chain. Whatever business you are in, your clients are now looking at things more widely and will ask if you are sustainable and if you have consideration beyond just profit. Ultimately without a strong ESG ethos, you are not getting the customers and not getting the work in. The right decision is to ensure you are moving with the times and implementing a progressive ESG policy.’
For more details of the seminar or advice on ESG and the policies around it please contact Richard Harris at richard.harris@dtmlegal.com
