Better world

Reducing carbon

Climate change is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges facing the planet today and we know we have a role to play in reducing carbon emissions, as a business.

For Marshalls, that means putting in place different initiatives that will have a demonstrable reduction on our carbon footprint – like installing solar panels and having approved science-based targets, developing EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) for our products and getting 66% of our electricity from renewable sources.

We’re serious about climate action and we’re proud to be the first pre-cast concrete manufacturer in the UK to use CarbonCure Technologies – permanently locking waste carbon in our concrete bricks. Whether we’re trialling different mixes in our concrete blocks to reduce cement content or producing our first batch of cement-free concrete paving, we continue to innovate to make real progress.

Read this news article to learn more about some of the work we're doing.

Biodiversity action

As a company operating quarries, we have a clear responsibility to look after the natural environment. Whether it's restoring a quarry after use or planting more trees in our open spaces, we adhere to minerals planning legislation and work collaboratively with partners and local communities. We have planted 3,000 trees at our Howley Park quarry in West Yorkshire and we’re working in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) on our Biodiversity Action Plan framework.

We also use our expertise to encourage customers to include more biodiversity in their landscape designs, for both public and private spaces. This includes creating wildlife-friendly garden designs for homeowners and working with architects and specifiers to ensure our materials are used in a way that facilitates more green spaces in the public realm.

Find out more about our work in our Sustainability Report.

Our key achievements

• Our science-based targets for carbon reduction have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative and we’re committed to reaching net-zero by 2050
• We've been recognised as one of 600 Climate Leaders in Europe for the fourth time by the Financial Times and Statista
• We manufacture our products using responsibly sourced raw materials and 66% of the electricity we consume as a group is sourced from renewable sources
• Based on tonnage, over 98% of our total products are made in Britain*
• The solar arrays at our sites (five sites in total) generate over 1 million kWh per year
• We restore our quarries and plant trees across our sites

Our priorities

• Carbon reduction programme to support net-zero target by 2050
• Investigating different types of renewable energy
• Focus on biodiversity action plans
• Water harvesting and recycling at sites
• We’re continually exploring circular economy opportunities and have an ultimate goal of zero waste to landfill

_{*Based on tonnage sold in 2024 across our full product range}