Sir Robert McAlpine has published its 2020-2025 sustainability impact report, recording a 33% reduction in absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions over five years. The contractor’s From Ambition to Impact report also identifies 98% diversion of construction waste from landfill, 96% responsible sourcing of key materials and £153m in social return on investment. Covering activity across its UK projects and operations, the report tracks progress under four pillars: carbon, resource efficiency, ethical procurement and social value. It also introduces the company’s Sustainable Engineering Excellence strategy, which will build on the systems, data and project experience developed during the period.
Carbon Progress Across Operations
The headline 33% reduction combines a 71% fall in Scope 1 and 2 emissions with a 32% reduction in Scope 3 emissions. Sir Robert McAlpine attributes the results to measures implemented across its operations and project delivery, including the establishment of a full Scope 1, 2 and 3 baseline, project carbon benchmarking, Carbon Literacy training, expanded renewable energy use and Carbon Minimum Standards.
By 2025, renewable tariffs accounted for 92% of the company’s electricity, while lower embodied carbon concrete represented 45% of all concrete used across the business. That exceeded the company’s 30% target. Its emissions targets were also validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
The contractor became the first Tier 1 contractor to achieve PAS 2080 certification across its entire business. The certification is intended to provide independent assurance that systems, processes and technical expertise are in place to predict, manage and report whole-life carbon through the project lifecycle, while supporting clients with carbon reduction solutions.
Resource Efficiency In Practice
Waste prevention and material management have formed another central part of the programme. The business diverted 98% of construction waste from landfill, supported by planning, procurement, digital tracking and increased use of circular economy principles.
Rather than relying solely on retrospective waste measurement, Sir Robert McAlpine has used digital tools, building information modelling and materials data to identify opportunities to prevent waste at source. The approach illustrates how construction teams can make resource decisions earlier in the delivery process, when material specifications and site practices can still be influenced.
At 1 Broadgate, the contractor helped deliver the UK’s first large-scale materials passport. The project enabled materials to be tracked for future reuse and repurposing, reclaimed 27% of materials for reuse and diverted more than 13,000 tonnes of non-hazardous demolition waste from landfill.
Responsible Sourcing Standards
Responsible sourcing reached 96% across key materials during the reporting period. The performance was supported by certified standards and more than 40 supply chain framework agreements, placing procurement within the report’s ethical procurement pillar.
For a contractor operating across substantial and complex construction programmes, the result reflects the importance of supply chain engagement in addressing environmental and social priorities. The report positions clearer standards, stronger governance, specialist capability and improved data as the foundations for the progress achieved across carbon, resources and procurement.
Measured Community Value
The report also sets out the social outcomes associated with the company’s projects. Sir Robert McAlpine reported £153m in social return on investment, alongside 2,309 full-time equivalent jobs created and 447 full-time equivalent apprenticeships.
Its education support activities reached more than 55,000 participants, while the company also recorded 854 work experience placements, more than 10,000 participants in employment and skills training, 6,110 volunteering hours and £1.38m in charitable donations.
Social value is now expected to be planned, pursued and reported by every project. Community Needs Assessments are intended to help teams direct activity towards local employment barriers, skills gaps and community priorities, rather than applying generic initiatives regardless of local context.
Sustainable Engineering Excellence
The new Sustainable Engineering Excellence strategy places carbon, circularity and social impact at the centre of Sir Robert McAlpine’s engineering and construction capability. It is designed to encourage earlier decisions, closer work with clients and the supply chain, and the deployment of expertise where it can deliver measurable outcomes.
Simon Richards, Sustainability Director at Sir Robert McAlpine, said:
“Five years ago, we set a clear ambition for the future of sustainability at SRM, and then we set about delivering it by embedding sustainability into how we design, procure and deliver.
Simon Richards, Sustainability Director at Sir Robert McAlpine, added:
“The results in this report did not happen through isolated initiatives. They came from action across the business, with our people applying their expertise, challenging established approaches and making better decisions on projects every day.
Simon Richards, Sustainability Director at Sir Robert McAlpine, stated:
“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.”
The report presents the company’s five-year performance as evidence of what can be achieved when sustainability requirements are integrated into project planning, procurement and delivery. With Sustainable Engineering Excellence now in place, Sir Robert McAlpine is carrying those lessons into its next phase of work across the built environment.
