Anna Baker is the sustainability director at Aggregate Industries UK. Image: Aggregate Industries UK
Aggregate Industries UK has launched its first-ever nature strategy as part of its plans to deliver a “nature-positive” future.
The strategy will build upon the UK-based business’s existing sustainability actions, which have included investing £24m in restoration activity over the last five years.
Anna Baker, sustainability director at Aggregate Industries UK, said the strategy was a milestone achievement for the company.
Baker was appointed as the sustainability director at the company earlier this year to spearhead efforts in this space.
“It’s been widely documented that we are currently in a nature crisis,” she said.
“As our primary business model relies on the extraction of natural resources, we know that we need to play our part in contributing to a nature-positive future, which is why I am so pleased to launch our nature strategy.”
As part of the strategy, the company will measure the biodiversity value at all its active aggregate sites and plan to reduce future negative impacts and restore nature. It will ensure all active UK quarry sites have biodiversity plans, dedicated nature places across its 200 sites and continue to roll out its woodland programme at its Glensanda quarry. The programme has already seen 105,000 trees planted as part of a new 64-hectare woodland.
The company has also committed to increasing its usage of construction demolition waste to three million tonnes per year, creating a new wildlife fund and reducing the freshwater withdrawal intensity in cement production by 30 per cent and readymix concrete production by 3.9 per cent among other commitments.
“It provides clear commitments to ensure we reduce future negative impacts, restore nature and habitats and advocate for nature throughout our entire value chain,” Baker said.
“We recognise that during this time we’ll be learning, growing and sharing our experiences to deliver the nature based solutions needed to become nature positive by 2030.”
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