Tarmac Sustainability Report: Green Strides for Construction

Leading UK construction company, Tarmac, has released its annual sustainability report for 2023.

The company – known for producing road surfacing and heavy building materials – has made progress in its 'Act' sustainability strategy, which focuses on three key areas: People, Planet and Solutions.

The report reveals that Tarmac has formally committed to its global building materials parent company, CRH's, goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030, compared to 2021 levels. This aligns with Tarmac's own roadmap to net zero, launched in 2023.

Tarmac’s environmental progress

By the end of 2023, the company had achieved a 32% reduction in CO2 emissions per tonne of product, compared to 1990 levels.

This calculation includes both direct and indirect emissions, as defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the Global standard for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions.

The report says that Tarmac utilised over 980,000 tonnes of recycled asphalt planings (RAP) in 2023, demonstrating its commitment to circular economy principles.

The company also expanded its reforestation efforts, planting over 31,000 trees - an increase of more than 12,000 compared to the previous year.

Tarmac’s innovative solutions

The 'Solutions' category of the report showcases Tarmac's technological advancements in sustainable construction.

In collaboration with two local authorities in the north of England the company delivered the UK's lowest-carbon roads to date, achieving an 80% reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional methods.

This groundbreaking achievement in the North East combines warm mix asphalt, Shell's bio-component binder and recycled materials.

Electric and hybrid plant from Volvo and Wirtgen, alongside HVO-powered vehicles, further reduced the project's carbon footprint.

Tarmac also reports the successful trial and implementation of the UK's first all-electric ready-mix concrete mixer.

This vehicle is expected to save 42 tonnes of CO2 annually, with zero emissions per mile compared to 1.55kg of CO2 per mile for its fossil fuel counterpart.

Tarmac’s people-centric initiatives

In the 'People' category, Tarmac reports significant investments in employee development and community engagement.

Over 3,000 employees received training at the company's National Skills and Safety Park that is a training facility providing hands-on, practical learning for employees, in 2023.

Additionally, 47 employees graduated from the Ofsted 'Outstanding' PODP apprenticeship program.

The report states that Tarmac employees contributed more than 5,013 volunteering hours. Tarmac also achieved the Clear Assured Gold Standard for workplace inclusion and diversity, and received the Gold award from The 5% Club, a UK employer movement promoting skills training, for the second consecutive year.

Tarmac's commitment to community support is evident in its donation of over £1m (US$1.26mn) through the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund.

Emma Hines, Sustainability Director at Tarmac, emphasises the company's dedication to sustainable growth: "It's vital that we continue to operate and grow in a sustainable and responsible way.”

She concludes: "It's encouraging to see we are performing against our targets and CRH's objectives.
"But this does not mean we will be letting up in our drive for continual improvements in sustainability standards across our business."

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