Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
The Berkeley Group takes a proactive approach to Environmental, Social and Governance issues.
A Purposeful and Responsible Business
We have always been driven by a clear purpose - to build quality homes, strengthen communities and improve people's lives.
Building on these foundations, in 2010 we created a long-term strategy to guide our business and we called it Our Vision. Our vision is to be a world-class business, trusted to transform the most challenging sites into exceptional places and to maximise our positive impact on society, the economy and the natural world. We have now launched Our Vision 2030, Berkeley Group's ambitious strategy for the future which sets out our roadmap for the next 10 years across 10 strategic priorities. Read more here.
A Sustainable Business
Our Vision 2030 includes three key sustainability topics as strategic priorities for the business; communities, climate action and nature. This is supported by a dedicated sustainability strategy, standards for our project teams and detailed management system to maintain high standards. Read more here.
We are proud to have been in the first 350 companies worldwide to set science-based targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction which align to a 1.5 degree pathway and have been validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Read more here.
Read our latest Sustainability Report to find out more about our approach, progress, and achievements from 1 May 2020 to 30 April 2021.
Sustainability Report 2021
Sustainable Development Goals
We have identified six of the goals as being most relevant to us, based on a review of our business activities and value chain against the goals and their underlying targets. We consider that we have the greatest opportunity to contribute to the achievement of these six goals, particularly through the implementation of the Our Vision 2030 business strategy.
Further information can be found here
Our Performance and Disclosure
Our latest performance on ESG topics is included within our Annual Report, together with disclosure against the Financial Stability's Boards (FSB) Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB).
Environmental, Social and Governance Performance
'A-' Leadership Rating
Benchmarks and Indices
| Measure | Unit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | Notes |
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CDP Climate Change rating
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Rating | A | A- | A- |
An ‘A’ leadership score was obtained in 2020/21.
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Company is featured on the FTSE4Good Index Series
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Y/N | Y | Y | Y |
Berkeley has been featured on the Index since 2003.
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MSCI ESG rating
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Rating | AAA | AAA | AAA |
We have achieved a AAA rating for the past five years.
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Sustainable Homes
| Measure | Unit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | Notes |
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Completed homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of at least a ‘B’
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% | 96 | 94 | 93 |
The average EPC score was 84 (B rating).
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Completed homes to be supplied with low carbon or renewable energy96
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% |
70 |
70 | 72 |
The proportion of completed homes with low carbon or renewable technology.
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Average water efficiency of completed homes
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Ippd | 104.5 | 102.7 | 102.6 |
The average internal water efficiency of legally completed homes in litres per person per day.
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Homes constructed on brownfield land
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% | 88 | 89 | - |
The proportion of homes built on previously developed land.
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Completed homes with internal recycling facilities
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% | 96 | 100 | 94 |
The proportion of completed homes provided with recycling facilities.
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Sustainable Places
| Measure | Unit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | Notes |
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New developments committed to deliver net biodiversity gain
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# | 7 | 10 | 7 |
Each site is a new site submitted for planning permission which has committed to delivering a net biodiversity gain.
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Developments regenerating brownfield land
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% | 84 | 76 | 85 |
Proportion of developments under construction on previously developed land.
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Developments with sustainable urban drainage systems
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% | 91 | 94 | 98 |
Proportion of developments under construction with water management practices such as swales and permeable paving.
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Developments with cycle storage
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% | 100 | 100 | 100 |
71,604 cycle spaces were being provided on sites under construction in 2020/21.
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Developments with electric car charging points
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% | 84 | 76 | 74 |
7,440 points were being provided on sites under construction in 2020/21.
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Environmentally Responsible Operations
| Measure | Unit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | Notes |
| Environmental prosecutions |
# | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The number of environmental prosecutions in the year.
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Greenhouse gas emissions – scope 1
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tCO2e | 2,351 | 3,215 | 3,808 |
Direct emissions from natural gas, directly purchased fuels and business travel in company owned and company leased vehicles (utilising conventional fuels as an energy source).
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Greenhouse gas emissions – scope 2 (location-based)
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tCO2e | 6,247 | 5,936 | 6,246 | Indirect emissions from electricity, heat and business travel in company owned and company leased vehicles (utilising electricity as an energy source). |
| Greenhouse gas emissions – scope 2 (market-based) | tCO2e |
196 | 160 | 172 |
Indirect emissions from electricity, heat and business travel in company owned and company leased vehicles (utilising electricity as an energy source). Market-based emissions take into account Berkeley’s purchase of Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) to certify that 100% of UK electricity is backed by a renewable source (i.e. solar, wind or hydro power).
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| Greenhouse gas emissions – scopes 1 and 2 (location-based) |
tCO2e | 8,598 | 9,151 | 10,054 |
The location-based emissions resulting from our office, sales, modular factory and site activities reported for our operational boundary.
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| Greenhouse gas emissions – scopes 1 and 2 (market-based) | tCO2e |
2,547 | 3,375 | 3,980 | The market-based emissions, once procurement of renewable electricity in the UK is taken into account. |
| Total energy consumption (including non-renewable and renewable) | MWh | 37,936 | 36,792 | 36,607 |
Energy consumption associated with scopes 1 and 2 emissions has been calculated and reported on a gross calorific value (CV) basis. This total figure includes energy from non-renewable and renewable sources.
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| Renewable energy consumption | MWh |
26,223 | 22,881 | 21,483 |
The energy consumption from renewable sources, including biodiesel HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), on-site generated renewable energy and purchased electricity in the UK which is backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs).
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| Greenhouse gas emissions - scope 3 (categories 1 and 11) |
tCO2e | 792,452 | 793,545 | 870,117 | Indirect emissions that occur in our value chain for material scope 3 categories, which are category 1: Purchased goods and services (61% of 2019 baseline year scope 3 emissions) and category 11: Use of sold products (34% of 2019 baseline year scope 3 emissions). |
| Greenhouse gas emissions - scope 3 (category 1: Purchased goods and services) |
tCO2e |
538,295 | 533,103 | 558,647 | Estimated emissions arising as a result of purchased goods and services calculated using two raw data sources for the reporting year; spend data and contractor fuel purchase data. |
| Greenhouse gas emissions - scope 3 (category 11: Use of sold products) | tCO2 | 254,157 | 260,442 | 311,470 | We use the Dwelling Emission Rate (DER) of completed homes in the reporting year to estimate their carbon impact over a lifetime period of 80 years. |
| Water consumption | m3 | 240,232 | 214,517 | 224,443 | The volume of water consumed across our regional offices, development sites and sales suites. |
| Total waste generated (including construction, demolition and excavation wastes) |
tonnes | 382,824 | 637,509 | 709,311 | Total waste produced by our development sites, including wastes from demolition, excavation and construction works. |
| Total waste reused or recycled |
tonnes | 362,227 | 573,724 | 644,608 | Total waste generated that has been reused or recycled. |
| Total waste reused or recycled |
% | 95 | 90 | 91 | Proportion of total waste generated that has been reused or recycled. |
| Total waste classified as hazardous | tonnes | 2,602 | 13,689 | 84,927 | Hazardous waste generation is dependent on project activities during the year, including materials contained within any buildings demolished and any contaminated land encountered during groundworks. |
| Total waste sent directly to landfill | tonnes | 9,666 | 46,882 | 53,055 | Waste sent directly to landfill for disposal typically relates to hazardous waste arising from demolition and excavation activities that cannot be treated in another way. During 2021 we had fewer sites of this nature. |
| Construction waste generated | tonnes | 154,409 | 177,572 | 142,648 | Construction waste produced by our development sites. This excludes any demolition and excavation waste. |
| Construction waste reused or recycled |
% | 96 | 95 | 94 | Proportion of construction waste that has been reused or recycled. |
| Construction waste classified as hazardous | tonnes | 397 | 1,210 | 722 | Hazardous waste generated as part of construction works. This normally consists of used spill kit materials and containers for COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) items. |
Considerate Construction
| Measure | Unit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | Notes |
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Average Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) score
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#/50 | 43 | 43 | 43 |
Based on independent audits by the CCS. Within 2020/21 three visits (3%) were scored beneath 40/50.
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Supply Chain
| Measure | Unit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | Notes |
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Days taken to pay suppliers on average
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# | 29 | 28 | 30 |
In line with the period outlined as part of the Construction Supply Chain Payment Charter.
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Employees
| Measure | Unit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | Notes |
| Total Employees | # | 2,705 | 2,844 | 2,664 |
The total number of employees at 30 April each year.
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| Board of Directors - Male | % |
71% | 75% | 75% | |
| Board of Directors - Female | % | 29% | 25% | 25% | |
| Senior management - Male | % | 40% | 43% | 50% | |
| Senior management - Female | % | 60% | 57% | 50% | |
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Reporting to senior management – Male
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% | 68% | 79% | 80% | |
| Reporting to senior management – Female | % | 32% | 21% | 20% | |
| Total Employees - Male | % |
64% | 63% | 62% | |
| Total Employees - Female | % | 36% | 37% | 38% |
Skills and Training
| Measure | Unit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | Notes |
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Direct apprentices and training
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% | 6.5 | 9.3 | 10.3 |
Calculated as the average monthly percentage of our direct workforce who are apprentices, graduates or sponsored students.
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Number of directly employed apprentices
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# | 135 | 100 | 151 |
Number of employees on an apprenticeship throughout the year. Apprentices work across many disciplines in our business.
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Health and Safety
| Measure | Unit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | Notes |
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Annual Injury Incidence Rate per 1,000 people
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# | 1.24 | 1.17 | 1.14 |
The number of reportable injuries during the year in relation to Berkeley employees and contractors working across our sites.
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Work-related employee and contractor fatalities
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# | 0 | 0 | 0 |
There were no fatalities during the year.
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Hours of training delivered on health and safety matters
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# | 24,843 | 34,126 | 30,792 |
In 2020/21, some the training was adapted to be delivered virtually.
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Charity and the Berkeley Foundation
| Measure | Unit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | Notes |
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Employees involved with Give As You Earn
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% | 32 | 33 | 32 |
We maintain a Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) Diamond Award for payroll giving.
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Staff involved with the Foundation
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% | 53 | 63 | 65 | Based on internal data collection. |
Customer Experience
| Measure | Unit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | Notes |
| Net Promoter Score |
# | 77.9 | 78.8 | 73.5 |
Six-month rolling average to March 2021, compared with a sector average of 42 (HBF, 2021).
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Customers who would recommend us to a friend
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% | 98.3 | 98.5 | 97.1 |
Year to March 2021, compared with an industry average of 91% (HBF, March 2021).
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New Homes
| Measure | Unit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | Notes |
| Completed homes | # | 3,254 | 3,158 | 3,959 |
The number of homes that legally completed during the year including our joint ventures.
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Contribution to Society and Community
| Measure | Unit | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | Notes |
| Contribution to GDP | £ | 2.5bn | 2.6bn | 3.0bn |
Berkeley’s calculated overall contribution to GDP.
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| Tax |
£ | 595m | 675m | 816m |
This includes taxes paid directly by Berkeley and the taxes paid by its customers and suppliers as a result of Berkeley activities.
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Affordable housing and wider contributions
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£m | 204 | 270 | 525 |
The contribution we make in affordable housing subsidies and wider community infrastructure benefits delivered or committed to during the year.
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Sustainability Reports & Disclosures
Key sustainability documents published by the Berkeley Group, including carbon and climate change disclosures.
