Skanska has become the first UK firm to gain a new eco certification administered by BSI that recognises its carbon management processes.
The PAS 2080: 2016 carbon management in infrastructure scheme aims to help infrastructure organisations reduce the volume of carbon used throughout their projects.
The creation of the new certification follows the Treasury’s Infrastructure Carbon Review, which encourages firms to cooperate in the development of low-carbon infrastructure projects. The government claims the recommendations in the review have the potential to reduce up to 24 million tonnes of carbon and save the UK £1.46bn a year by 2050.
The infrastructure industry is one of the biggest contributors of UK CO2 emissions, currently associated with 53% of the total UK emissions. This is expected to increase to over 80% of the 2025 national carbon reduction target and again to 90% in 2050.
In order to achieve certification under BIS’s new standard, organisations undergo an independent assessment including an on-site audit covering all the requirements of PAS 2080. Following the initial assessment, organisations will be assessed on an annual basis.
Adam Crossley, director of environment at Skanska said: "We are delighted that our capability in relation to carbon management has received independent verification from BSI.
"Our leadership in achieving certification to PAS 2080 clearly demonstrates our commitment to addressing the carbon challenge and creating value for our customers through low carbon solutions.
"We are now proud to say we are PAS 2080 ready."
Natasha Bambridge, UK product certification director at BSI said: "Creating a sustainable way of working in infrastructure is critical to the future of the industry; by working collaboratively towards a common goal to reduce carbon, infrastructure organizations have the power to see economic gains and leave a sustainable legacy.
“Skanska should be delighted that they are leading the way with this. Verification to PAS 2080 will help them to reduce their carbon footprint and improve the effectiveness of their business.”
The PAS 2080 assessment covers:
- Setting appropriate carbon reduction targets
- Determining baselines against which to assess carbon reduction performance
- Establishing metrics for credible carbon emissions quantification and reporting
- Selecting carbon emissions quantification methodologies
- Reporting at appropriate stages in the infrastructure work stages to enable visibility of performance; and
- Continual improvement of carbon management and performance
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