Lowest hard landscaping carbon footprint success for A&G

Last year A&G achieved the environmental certification BS EN ISO 14001, which focuses heavily on energy reduction, and complies with the requirements of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC).

A&G achieved further carbon reduction and energy management results for 2011-12

• 14% reduction in energy usage
• 20% decrease in CO₂ emissions in 2011-12
• delivered the lowest carbon hard landscaping range among leading companies
• equates to a saving of 1,929 tonnes of CO₂ emissions and over 1 million kw/hours of electricity

Carbon footprints are calculated to a point in Birmingham to take account of carbon used in distributing to merchants across Britain.

Individual calculated carbon footprints for each product are shown in this year’s ‘Outside Rooms’ consumer brochure.

• download a copy of Outside Rooms 2012 at www.ag.uk.com 

Commercial Director Stuart Cook explains the success.

’The latest results confirm the benefits of our focus on maintaining the best environmental standards across the Group.

’With sustainability high on the Government agenda, merchants can be assured that our products have been manufactured and delivered with the environment in mind.

’Throughout last year and this we carried out energy audits across all our sites supported by energy consultants from the Carbon Trust.

’The audits focus on lighting, air compressors and boilers.

’They have been hugely beneficial in monitoring our energy performance and implementing new measures to improve our energy consumption and carbon footprint.

Achieving best-in-class overall lowest carbon also comes from:

• establishing a relatively efficient low energy base to begin with
• investing in the most modern hard landscaping plant
• A&G own its own quarries which are close to its factories

Stuart adds, ’We supplement our own raw materials where required by sourcing small quantities within Europe, but we don’t go further afield.

’Anyone selling natural stone knows the huge carbon cost of transporting natural stone from the other side of the world’.

A&G’s other carbon reduction initiatives across the Group include:

• Energy Awareness Days (E-DAYS)
• retrospective fittings of the most energy efficient lights
• Air Leakage campaign
• ongoing training of its fleet drivers on ‘Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving

To find out more about sourcing A&G’s lowest carbon hard landscaping products, download a copy of Outside Rooms 2012 at www.ag.uk.com .