Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM) achieved a 33% reduction in absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions in the five years to 2025, according to its sustainability impact report published this week.
Within that figure is a 71% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 32% reduction in Scope 3 emissions, the contractor said.
The report charts the company’s progress on carbon, resource efficiency, ethical procurement, social value and data use.
Other highlights include:
- 98% of construction waste diverted from landfill, supported by better planning, smarter procurement, digital tracking and growing use of circular economy principles.
- 96% responsible sourcing of key materials, underpinned by certified standards and more than 40 supply chain framework agreements.
- £153m social return on investment, alongside 2,309 full-time equivalent jobs created, 447 full-time equivalent apprenticeships and more than 55,000 participants in education support activities.
- 854 work experience placements, more than 10,000 participants in employment and skills training, 6,110 volunteering hours and £1.38m in charitable donations.
Thousands of decisions
SRM said the results came through “thousands of decisions” and were supported by clearer standards, stronger governance, specialist capability and improved data.
In resource efficiency, SRM went from measuring waste after the fact to using digital tools and materials data to prevent waste at source.
At 1 Broadgate in London – completed for British Land last year – SRM helped deliver the UK’s first large-scale materials passport, which tracked materials for future reuse and repurposing. The project reclaimed 27% of materials for reuse and diverted 13,000 tonnes of non-hazardous demolition waste from landfill.
For carbon, SRM achieved a reduction of 389kg per sq m at 100 Liverpool Street, which went on to achieve BREEAM Outstanding in 2021, a first for a British Land building.
By 2025, 92% of SRM’s electricity came from renewable tariffs and 45% of the concrete used had lower embodied carbon, exceeding a 30% target.
“The results in this report did not happen through isolated initiatives,” said SMR sustainability director Simon Richards.
“They came from action across the business, with our people applying their expertise, challenging established approaches and making better decisions on projects every day.”
He added: “We have built capabilities, systems and data that did not exist when we started, and created a strong foundation for sustainable engineering excellence. Our next strategy takes everything we have learned and raises the bar again, helping us and our clients make choices that matter across carbon, circularity and social impact.”
