Sustainability
Our goal is to be world-class in the area of sustainability, both in terms of running our business efficiently and considerately and by developing sustainable places. We are committed to being a responsible business which thinks about the long-term. We seek to not only reduce negative impacts but to maximise the benefits our activities can bring to create a positive impact. Sustainability to the Berkeley Group, in its simplest terms, is about people, the planet and prosperity. We think about these three aspects during our operational activities and also in terms of the developments and places we create.
The diagram below outlines our approach to sustainability. Click on each area to see how we promote sustainability in our day-to-day business activities and through the homes and places we create.
Our approach to sustainability
Sustainable places and communities
Building sustainable homes and places for communities to enjoy now and in the future
Sustainable places
We seek to create places that are resilient to climate change and aim for all new developments to have more biodiversity afterwards than before.
Creating communities
We design our places for communities by using a toolkit, Creating Successful Places, and have community plans on a variety of developments.
Sustainable living
We incorporate a range of features that make it easy for residents to live a sustainable lifestyle, from water and energy efficiency fittings and fixtures to cycle storage and electric car charging points.
Nature and biodiversity
Creating beautiful places with nature at their heart, with more nature and biodiversity than when we started
Net biodiversity gain
We recognise the importance of protecting and enhancing biodiversity and aim for all new developments to have more nature afterwards than before.
Sustainable timber
We are committed to only using timber from sustainably managed forests.
Climate action
Reducing our impact on climate change through our business operations and the homes that we build
Mitigating climate change
As well as working to make our business carbon positive, we seek to mitigate climate change through the design of our homes and developments and are committed to producing a transition plan for each new development which enables the homes to operate at net zero carbon by 2030.
Adapting to climate change
We incorporate features to address the risks most relevant to the design of our developments: flooding, water shortage and overheating.
Energy and carbon
Reducing energy use on our sites and helping to enable low carbon lifestyles
Carbon positive
In 2018, we became the first carbon positive housebuilder. We continue to achieve carbon positive operations, offsetting more emissions than we produce.
Net zero carbon homes
Within our homes and developments, we incorporate clean and renewable technologies and promote the installation of energy efficient appliances. We are committed to producing a transition plan for each new development which enables the homes to operate at net zero carbon by 2030.
Responsible resource use
Sourcing our materials from sustainable suppliers, and using resources responsibly
Responsible operations
We are working to reduce energy, water and paper consumption. We require all our timber to be certified and for all sites to be registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme. We are working to reduce waste production through design, procurement and behavioural change.
Responsible supply chain
We encourage our contractors to use resources responsibly too and were the first housebuilder to become a partner of the Supply Chain Sustainability School's 'Homes' School.
Encouraging residents
By providing homes with smart meters and sustainable Living Guides for customers, we encourage our residents to use resources responsibly.
Health and wellbeing
Building healthy environments and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our workforce
Healthy workplaces
We seek to improve the quality of life of our employees and improve employee satisfaction and productivity.
Safe workplaces
We also want to ensure our workplaces are safe and target an incident and injury free working environment.
Healthy homes
To enable our residents to lead healthy and happy lives, we provide walking and cycling routes, cycle storage, implement minimum space standards, and enhance biodiversity on our developments.
Skills and employment
Encouraging people to join the industry and developing the skills of our workforce and supply chain
Addressing the skills crisis
We aim to provide a variety of routes through which people seeking to improve their skills can join the business, including through apprenticeships, industrial placements and graduate schemes.
Responsible employment
We support thousands of jobs and aim to provide the right environment and support to enable our staff to fulfil their potential. We take action to ensure that slavery and human trafficking does not take place within our business and our supply chain.
Respect and inclusion
Creating a strong workforce through respect and inclusion of all employees
Diversity and inclusion
We aim to create an inclusive environment where employees can reach their full potential, irrespective of their identity or background.
Living wage
We are committed to paying employees at least the Living Wage Foundation's Living Wage.
Supporting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, all 193 Member States of the United Nations adopted a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda. We have reviewed the SDGs and the targets that sit beneath them, to understand how they relate to our business and where we can make the most significant contribution. Although all the goals are important and interconnected, we have identified four that we have the greatest ability to influence. Further information can be found here.
Housebuilder of the Year Award 2019
The Berkeley Group is pleased to have won the Most Sustainable Housebuilder of the Year Award 2019.
We were recognised for our commitment to being a carbon positive business and our approach to net biodiversity gain.
Our Vision
Our approach to sustainability is integrated into our long-term business strategy, called Our Vision. Performance updates on our sustainability-related and other commitments can be found here.
Reports & Case Studies
Key sustainability documents published by the Berkeley Group, including carbon and climate change disclosures, can be found here.
Governance & Management
In order to work towards the achievement of our sustainability objectives and commitments we have a governance and management structure in place.
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