Responsible sourcing
Responsible sourcing means demonstrating that we manage the environmental, social and economic impacts of our business and entire supply chain in a responsible way.
We apply these high standards to our own business and encourage the same commitment from our suppliers. Each year, Tarmac spends about £650 million on goods and services, so it’s important to ensure that they have been produced and traded legally and ethically. Responsible sourcing considers the environmental, safety and social management of the materials we buy and of our own operations. It also encompasses the energy and water we use, our site stewardship, our training and development of employees and engagement with the communities in which we work and how we transport our products to customers.
The UK Government’s Strategy for Sustainable Construction has set a challenging target for 25% of all construction products to be responsibly sourced by 2012. This means that customers are increasingly focusing on the need for responsibly sourced products when awarding contracts or making procurement decisions. Independent assessment and certification to BES 6001 helps demonstrate our commitment to responsible sourcing and means our customers gain additional points under the BREEAM, CEEQUAL scheme and the Code for Sustainable Homes. Good supply chain management is key to delivering responsibly sourced and sustainable construction products.
Our actions
BES 6001
BES 6001 Framework Standard for Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products sets out the requirements against which construction products are independently assessed and certified as responsibly sourced. In 2011, Tarmac achieved this independent certification at ‘VERY GOOD’ rating across its entire UK product range.
Read more on our Responsible Sourcing
APRES
Tarmac is engaged with the Action Programme for Responsible Sourcing (APRES), a research project led by Loughborough University. The aim of this project is to create a new network for knowledge sharing and dissemination of responsible sourcing practices in the construction industry.
Achilles BuildingConfidence
Our entire UK organisation has achieved Achilles BuildingConfidence accreditation. BuildingConfidence is a supplier pre-qualification and accreditation service for the UK construction industry, and accreditation under the scheme supports our focus on responsible sourcing. BuildingConfidence looks at a range of factors, from management systems and environmental issues through to health and safety, transport, and the training and competence of our employees. In 2011, Tarmac was the first company in our sector to achieve the new BuildingConfidence five-star rating.
Read more on our Five-star status and responsible sourcing
Supply chain management
We have evaluated our supply chain efficiency, driven performance improvements and built stronger relationships with key suppliers.
Tarmac is a council member of the Achilles BuildingConfidence scheme, which means that we’re actively involved in encouraging other suppliers to engage with the certification process. Within our own business, not only do we hold the BuildingConfidence certification, we are also driving higher standards by rolling out the Achilles BuildingConfidence scheme to our key suppliers. To date, £110 million of our annual spend is with suppliers accredited under the BuildingConfidence scheme.
Our Rules of Business guide our approach to responsible sourcing and provide consistency and transparency in how we select and manage suppliers.
They set out our commitment to assess suppliers, according to key sustainability criteria, including independent certification to relevant standards, such as ISO 14001 and BS 8555 (environmental management systems), BES 6001 (responsible sourcing), ISO 9001 (quality management systems) and OHSAS 18001 (health and safety management systems). We update our Rules of Business regularly to reflect emerging trends and changing legislation.
How do companies demonstrate responsible sourcing?
Responsible manufacturing and production can include:
- formal quality management systems
- formal environmental management systems
- formal occupational health and safety systems
- policies and targets for climate change impacts
- policies and targets for natural resource usage and environmental protection
- policies and targets for transport implications (relating to the delivery of our goods and services)
- policies and standards for dealing ethically and fairly with our employees, customers, communities, suppliers and other stakeholders.
Tarmac is a member of the Construction Product Association’s Green Procurement Group, which was set up in 2007 to deliver greater transparency and open dialogue between companies throughout the supply chain to achieve CO2, energy and waste reduction targets. The group’s initiatives include a scheme to reuse and recycle over 13,000 pallets each week, and measures to cut waste and vehicle movements.
Five-star status and responsible resourcing
Tarmac’s efforts in supply chain management and responsible sourcing are rewarded by the Achilles BuildingConfidence scheme.
