Royal BAM Group has announced a new sustainability strategy focusing on six key themes in accordance with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
Royal BAM has revealed a new sustainability strategy, built on six key themes in accordance with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, such as decarbonisation, diversity, and creating social value.
Ruud Joosten, CEO of Royal BAM Group, commented: ‘The construction industry can really make a difference. With this sustainability strategy, we will continue what we have been doing for a number of years and take the lead as BAM towards a sustainable future. We have to show how things can be done differently.’
BAM’s new sustainability strategy will focus on:
- Decarbonisation
- Circularity
- Climate adaptation
- Biodiversity
- Health, Safety and Inclusion
- Social value
BAM’s UK & Ireland businesses last year announced an ambitious carbon target to become net zero in its direct operations by 2026. BAM’s UK division employs around 7,000 people across civil engineering, construction, facilities management and associated activities.
BAM has emphasised the need for industry-wide change
Responding to the new strategy, John Wilkinson, chief operating office of BAM’s UK and Ireland division, said:
“BAM has raised the bar for sustainability in our sector.
“This new strategy not only significantly increases our direct targets – for example on scope three carbon emissions – but it looks holistically at what our sector can do working upstream and downstream with others to provide our clients with options, so that we become instigators of greater sustainability.
“It is not enough to work on your own and focus on your own impact anymore. BAM has recognised that we must export our learning, co-operate with others, learn from them, and collectively enhance measurement and understanding of the whole chain of factors that affect our impact on the planet and people’s lives.
“BAM is not going to shy away from its responsibilities. We are committed to reporting these issues transparently. That’s the only way we can secure true progress and make a genuine difference.”
Sustainable materials and methods are key to the strategy
Among many elements of the strategy, BAM has committed to a target of reducing absolute scope 3 emissions by 50% in 2030 (compared to 2019), accelerating its previous target of a 20%, set four years ago.
Mr Wilkinson added: “In the UK, examples of how we can achieve greater sustainability include using low carbon concrete and asphalt, recycled steel and modular solutions. Our partnerships include working with the Department for Education on its low carbon schools programme. Initiatives like these are making a real difference.”
