Russell WBHO achieves CarbonNeutral® company status

North West regional main contractor Russell WBHO has been certified as a CarbonNeutral® company. The accreditation is the first major milestone on the Manchester-based construction company’s road to becoming Net Zero by 2038.

The company has fully audited its greenhouse gas emissions, implemented carbon reduction measures across the business, and offset carbon emissions to compensate for what cannot currently be avoided by providing finance to projects across the globe.

The company has pledged a future reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by a number of methods including transferring to a green energy supplier, installing solar panels at the Trafford Park headquarters and on the roofs of project site facilities, improving office lighting and heating efficiency, and decarbonising further by transferring site generators from diesel to biofuel.

This is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 77 per cent by 2030, the half way point in the Net Zero by 2038 strategy.

The company will also continue rolling out existing carbon reduction initiatives which have already helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions since the firm embarked on its road to Net Zero back in 2020.

Gareth Russell, managing director of Russell WBHO, said hitting the first of the Net Zero strategy’s target sent an important message. “We recognise that construction contributes a major carbon footprint and that improving this position is the responsibility of us as a business and of the sector as a whole.”

CarbonNeutral® certification is managed by Climate Impact Partners, specialist in carbon market solutions for climate action. The certification is underpinned by The CarbonNeutral Protocol a rigorous and transparent framework created to deliver carbon neutrality for businesses and their products and/or activities.

Russell WBHO’s Net Zero by 2038 strategy and CarbonNeutral® company certification have been audited and informed by specialists from Turley Sustainability.

James Blake, director and head of sustainability from Turley Sustainability ,said: “Russell WBHO has implemented an ambitious Net Zero strategy with robust interim targets. Our audit supported their own findings and recommended additional activity to help achieve some targets even earlier.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily