BAM’s UK & Ireland businesses have set an ambitious carbon target to become Net Zero in their direct operations by 2026, and are ruling out counting electricity from green energy tariffs towards their Net Zero emissions.
The construction company says the target places it ‘at the forefront’ of the UK and Ireland’s construction sector’s major contractors, building on Royal BAM Group’s target to reduce its direct emissions intensity by 80% by 2026 from 2015 levels. BAM says it is ‘committed to openness, and not relying heavily on carbon offsets’ which it believes ‘can disguise more substantial progress in how a company is acting’.
BAM’s UK & Ireland Net Zero commitment encompasses not only direct scope 1 and scope 2 emissions (associated with fuels and energy use), but also ‘select’ scope 3 emissions, ‘going further than most Net Zero carbon targets in the sector’. Its scope 3 emissions include water consumption, staff transport (across road, rail, and air), emissions arising from using hotels, and third-party fuel and energy use, and all well-to-tank (upstream) emissions associated with scope 1 and scope 2 emissions. The company says it has significant influence over all these emissions sources. It also claims to be the sector’s only company currently not to count its purchase of renewable (REGO-backed) electricity towards zero emissions.
Any remaining emissions from 2026 will be offset ‘using high quality nature-based solutions’ such as re-forestation, or carbon capture technologies.
Carbon Reduction lead, Sarah Jolliffe (pictured), added: “We are on a journey here – we have already reduced our emissions intensity by 20% this year compared with the same period last year, mitigating the release of 7 kilotons of carbon. We have worked with the Carbon Trust on measuring scope 3 emissions, and our FM business has helped pioneer Scope 3 measurement in the facilities management sector, working with the SFMI (The Sustainable FM Index). These kinds of collaboration are crucial as we explore more ways to work with our supply chain and clients to decarbonise the built environment. The data baseline this has created, and our investment in data collection and analysis, are key enablers in confidently setting this new demanding 2026 target.”
Examples of BAM’s work to remove and reduce the impact of carbon include:
- Using HVO fuels to replace fossil fuels.
- Transition to electric vehicles – BAM has also rolled out an EV charging installation service.
- Using lower carbon concrete.
- Conducting ‘first-of-their-kind’ independent embodied carbon studies in primary schools and offices.
- Creating several Net Zero projects.
- Delivering the National Children’s Hospital in Dublin with a 60-70% lower operational energy use.
