The Supply Chain Sustainability School (the School) is leading the way for the UK’s built environment to drastically reduce onsite emissions of air that are harmful to human health and the planet, such that they will reach net zero by 2040 and contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 11 and 13.
The School’s Plant Group developed the Plant Commitment Charter to encapsulate and communicate this approach. Each organisation signatory pledges to work toward 4 commitments, including: measurement & reporting, engagement, training & education, and innovation.
The result: they contribute to a cleaner working environment.
12 organisations have now become Signatories: Advanté, BAM Group, Cheetham Hill Construction, Costain, EKFB, Flannery, GAP Group, Hercules Site Services, M O’Brien Group, Morgan Sindall, Select Plant Hire and Welfare Hire Nationwide.
Underpinning the Plant Commitment Charter are the Minimum Standards V2.1, refreshed and relaunched earlier this year. The Minimum Standards V1, launched in 2019, are still available to access.
Signatories to the Charter come from across the value chain and commit to improving air quality and reducing greenhouse emissions and any negative impact caused by their construction plant and equipment (CPE). Direct action on reducing tailpipe emissions can only lead to better local air quality for workers and neighbours, resulting in less impact on the global climate.
Signing the Plant Commitment Charter is free and voluntary. To find out more and become a signatory, visit this page.
Quotes from current Plant Charter Signatories:
Mandy Messenger, Managing Director, Advanté: “Offering sustainable solutions has been at the heart of Advanté for 25 years. The Supply Chain Sustainability School’s Plant Charter is a great way to externally, independently verify our commitment to sustainable product offerings and investment. Achieving Gold Status (with maximum points!) gives our Customers and other stakeholders peace of mind they can trust we do what we say we do.”
Gary Todd, Compliance Manager, BAM: “BAM aims to contribute to sustainable environments through our projects and the sustainable and innovative solutions we offer. BAM has a long-term ambition to become a net-zero company. We are focusing on reducing our carbon footprint and improving air quality as much as possible. Being an active partner of the Supply Chain Sustainability School and supporting their Plant Charter reinforces to our clients and wider stakeholders our commitment to lowering emissions. It also enables us to share best practice with likeminded organisations and influence our own supply chain through a collaborative approach so that we can create sustainable environments that enhance people’s lives.”
Mike Goodier, Contracts Director, Cheetham Hill Construction: “CHC are proud to be one of the signatories to the Plant Charter. We are committed to reducing emissions, ensuring our plant is continually updated with the most modern technology and ensuring our operators are trained to maximise outputs whilst minimising fuel usage. The Plant Charter helps us focus on these objectives.”
Lara Young, Group Climate Change Director, Costain: “Costain’s Climate Change Action Plan sets out the Group’s 2035 net zero target and plan to lead, at pace, the changes needed within the infrastructure industry to ensure the entire value chain achieves net zero. Having mandated since 2020 the use of telematics and set a year-on-year 20% plant idling reduction target, supporting the development and early adoption of the Supply Chain Sustainability School’s Plant Charter was an evident next step in delivering on Costain’s Climate Change Action Plan. Working in collaboration with all major plant and machinery supply chain partners has ensured a consistent and coherent approach that will deliver immediate tangible emissions reductions across the industry.“
Craig Downs, Plant Manager, EKFB: “EKFB is incredibly proud to be part of the Sustainability School’s Plant Charter Group and a Signatory. Since joining the Charter under a year ago, EKFB has achieved Silver Status, which is a momentous accomplishment. As one of HS2’s main works contractors, delivering a 50-mile stretch of the new high-speed railway, sustainability and the environment are key focuses for us all, as we collaborate and work closely with our supply chain partners to innovate and strive to reduce our carbon footprint. We are committed to making our works cleaner and greener.”
Chris Matthew, Strategic Manager, Flannery Plant Hire: “The Flannery family and board members understand and accept our collective responsibility to lower emissions across all business activities. Flannery have proudly championed the Plant Charter and through that, the aims and objectives that have evolved over these past years. In order to protect and cultivate the industry that we serve and the communities that live and work alongside us, it is essential that we continue to work together collectively to drive better standards, education and behaviours designed to deliver measurable improvements on our construction sites nationwide. Flannery looks forward to continuing this journey alongside fellow partners and associates of the Supply Chain Sustainability School.”
Mark Anderson, Managing Director, GAP Group Hire: “As one of the signatories of the Plant Charter it is refreshing to be involved in an industry group that wishes to work together to achieve lower emissions from our operations. The Plant Group sets out challenging and realistic commitments to lowering equipment emissions, which are often broad-brushed by other groups who do not have the same level of expertise in plant and not recognising the hire industries place in the circular economy.”
Gary Davidge, Plant & Fleet Manager, Hercules Site Services: “As Supply Chain Sustainability School Partners and signatories to the Plant Charter, Hercules will continue to maintain and drive forward our commitments to lowering carbon emissions throughout our fleet of plant machinery.”
Dan O’Brien, Director, M O’Brien Group: “We are delighted to sign up to the new and updated plant charter created by the Plant Group of the Supply chain sustainability school. Reducing emissions is the right thing for our planet, cost saving and people health, the Plant Charter is a great vehicle for demonstrating this. But also, a great platform for likeminded companies to share their ideas and findings from sustainability activities in a collaborative way.”
Graham Edgell, Group Director of Procurement and Sustainability, Morgan Sindall: “The Plant Charter provides the industry with a mark in the sand that continues to stimulate positive action, driving improved performance whilst speeding up innovation. We all understand the need to raise the bar lifting the minimum standards for the betterment of not only our sector but the wider environment”
Alex Warrington, Business Unit Leader, Select Plant Hire: “As a signatory to the Plant Charter, we have a moral responsibility to future generations, following the declaration of a climate emergency, to take the necessary steps to immediately reduce on-site emissions and improve air quality. The framework SCSS provides gives Select great direction in driving continuous improvement and leading the way in sustainable plant innovations. This demonstrates to our clients that in achieving gold status, we are committed to lowering emissions, which have been defined by the charter, to help meet key strategic goals in their journey towards Net Zero.”
Andy Grayshon, Commercial Director, Welfare Hire Nationwide: “As a specialist supplier in ECO mobile welfare & lighting, we are delighted to align with the Supply Chain Sustainability School in an area we are passionate about. Welfare Hire have continually invested in high-level innovation with a track record in providing industry-first eco products and solutions. We will continue to champion this to help partners accelerate delivery of their carbon and wider ESG goals and welcome the opportunity to support the plant charter.”
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with Flannery Plant Hire as the first signatory