George Wimpey

South Ayrshire Sustainability Forum

George Wimpey


Summary

• Background• Measuring environmental improvements• Waste• Remediation• Procurement• Sustainability in design• Communication and Training• Why do we do it?• How we compare to our competitors

• WWF & Insight Investment survey


Background


• 125 years experience in the house building industry

• 26 regional companies across UK

• Build from one bedroom apartments to large detached family homes

• First UK volume housebuilder to achieve ISO 14001 for its EMS - covering design, land development & house building


Key Performance Indicators


Environmental KPIs

2003 2004 2005

Measure and maximise number of homes built on brownfield sites (Government target 60% by 2008)

67% 68% 66%

Measure and highlight the average SAP rating of new houses built each year

92 94 95

Measure and reduce the tonnage of waste (t) produced per unit of housing completed

9.7t 9.6t 7.0t

Measure and increase the percentage of waste segregated on site

- 83% 84%

Measure and reduce the percentage of waste sent to landfill

- 35% 30%

Measure and increase the percentage of waste recycled - 65% 70%


Waste


• Generation of waste on site is a big issue both environmentally and financially

• Introduction of Landfill Directive and Hazardous Waste Directive

Key drivers

• Increased landfill disposal costs

• Limited number of landfills accepting hazardous waste


What have we done about it?

• Improved waste management on site through segregation


• Inert Clean Waste

e.g. broken bricks, broken blocks, broken kerbs

[Recycled where possible]


• Waste campaigns to provide practical advice and support to site

• Suppliers assist in recycling i.e British gypsum and plasterboard


Plasterboard Waste – returned to British Gypsum for recycling


Remediation



On site remediation now preferable to dig and dump

• Promote the use of remediation to reduce quantity of contaminated soil to landfill

• Developed Land Quality Manual to ensure process is well controlled and validated

• Developed a Remediation Guide which summarised remediation techniques


Guide to Remediation


Procurement


Green Procurement Policy


Procurement

• Part of suppliers contract to remove certain packaging materials

Examples

• White Goods - reduce packaging / recycle packaging• PvcU Windows/Doors- subcontractors collect and return all pallets


Procurement

• Use • dual flush toilets

• All virgin timber in UK comes from sustainable sources - FSC certified timber and PEFC certified softwood

• Minimise use of toxic and hazardous materials

• low emission boilers

• stock energy efficient white goods [A and B rated]


• Carried out sustainability survey of suppliers

• Developing Suppliers standards and Buyers Guide to Green procurement

Greening our Suppliers

• Encouraging optimal recycled content of products


Sustainability in Design


• Our average SAP rating across our housetype range has been independently verified as being 94 - one of the highest in the UK for a volume housebuiler

• Environmental / Ecological Surveys of all major new sites

• Layout of developments to help encourage good neighbourliness and create a sense of community

• Wherever possible houses take advantage of southern aspect for passive solar gains through enlarged south facing windows

• Landscape planting to help ensure that shelter from cold northerly winds is maximised


• Provision of good access to local and long distance path network from the site to encourage people to walk to access local services, where possible

• Houses have designated spaces for at least two wheelie-bins to enable separation of household waste

• Embracing change in urban design developing schemes which support greater emphasis on ‘green links’ with priority given to pedestrian / cycle movement, improved access to public transport and reduced impact of the car


• Houses are equipped with low energy light bulbs and householders are provided with guidance on how to save energy in the home

• Inclusion of sustainable urban drainage solutions [SUDS] with associated landscape and ecological designs. No. of recent examples - retention pond in Dalry and our SUDS features at Ardler [Dundee] and in the eastern expansion of Dunfermline are cited as textbook examples by Scottish Water

• Our UK house type range almost achieves a “good” eco rating before any site specific credits are awarded


The Developers Challenge

• Customers not always willing to pay premiums for an eco-home

• Facilities not necessarily what required e.g. Customers want to park their car and have more than one car parking space

• We can only do so much in a competitive market [land]

• Others need to play a role in raising awareness of these issues to the public to stimulate the market


Communication and Training



• Staff and sub-contractors receive extensive environmental training

• Have regular campaigns on environmental issues to promote best practice

• Produce an internal environmental bulletin




Employment


Employment

• Recruit majority of employees and site operatives from local communities around offices and developments

• Committed to qualify entire UK site work force under Construction Skills Certification Scheme by 2010

• Continuity of employment

• ‘Growing Wiser’ - Partnering with Contractors

• Apprentice training scheme / older recruits


Why do we do it?


Why do we do it?

• Cost savings

Examples

• Fuel spill clean up costs can be several thousand pounds.

• Every cubic metre of land remediated on site saves a significant sum in disposal costs

• Legal compliance saves on fines

• Management of financial liabilities


• Investor relations

• Socially Responsible pension funds projected to account for 15% of UK stock market by 2009

Why do we do it?

• Socially Responsible Investment = £250 billion of institutional investment in the UK, dramatic growth in recent years.


How we compare to our competitors


WWF and Insight Investment survey

• Benchmarked environmental, social and corporate risk management performance of 13 FTSE listed housebuilders

• George Wimpey was one of the three “clear leaders” when Environmental, social and risk management issues examined together

• Noted “Integrated sustainability into their business strategies and have set clear objectives and measurable targets”


George Wimpey top in Environmental Performance 2005


Any Questions?

George Wimpey

Documents