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Our approach to sustainabilty
We’re committed to being a responsible business and are guided by the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). This is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative which covers four key areas: Human Rights, Labour, the Environment and Anti-Corruption, and we work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are appropriate for our business.
Marshalls has been in business for over a century. Our approach to sustainability is based on strong foundations, our Code of Conduct and The Marshalls Way of doing the right things, for the right reasons, in the right way.
Our approach to sustainability spreads across our three key strategic priorities of: Better workplace, Better world and Better product, so whether it’s being a climate leader, having the Fair Tax Mark since 2015 or being the first company to achieve BRE ELS 6002 for ethical labour sourcing and continuous accreditation – to name a few – we work by considering the long-term impact of every decision we make and recognise that we can create better net positive futures by putting people, communities and the environment first.
The Marshalls sustainability journey so far…
We’ve achieved so much since Marshalls began back in the 1890s, marking our strides towards a more sustainable future.
Here are some of the key milestones that have shaped our commitment and progress in sustainability.
1937
- Our Brookfoot site in Yorkshire bought its first wet press to turn waste products into pressed concrete products
1978
- Gained ISO 9001 (formally BS 5750) certification for Quality Management and have achieved certification every year since with 84% of our sites registered to date
2000
- Gained ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Management and have achieved certification every year since with 93% of our sites registered to date
2003
- Gained ISO 45001 (formally OHS 18001) certification for Health and Safety Management Systems and have achieved certification every year since with 84% of our sites registered to date
2004
- Carbon reporting started
2005
- Joined the Ethical Trading Initiative and continue to align with the ETI base code
- Joined the FTSE4Good index of sustainable shares
2006
- Began our support for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which is dedicated to conserving and protecting bird species and their habitats
2008
- Product carbon footprinting started
2009
- Awarded Superbrand status for the first time
- Became a signatory to the UN Global Compact
2010
- First disclosure to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
2011
- First time achievement of BES 6001 Standard for Responsible Sourcing
2014
- Became a Living Wage employer to ensure better futures for our people
2015
- First Fair Tax Mark Accreditation and have maintained it ever since
- Installed our first solar panel array at Sandy site
2016
- We won the Corporate Social Responsibility Award at the PLC Awards
2017
- First company to achieve Ethical Labour Standard BES 6002 for ethical labour sourcing
2019
- Launched sector-wide Power of Logistics programme to tackle modern slavery
- Celebrated ten years as a Superbrand, a status we continue to hold
2020
- Reported a 50% decrease in carbon emissions between 2008 and 2020
- Carbon reduction targets approved by Science Based Targets initiative
2021
- Launched our first Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and continue to expand EPD offering over the coming years
- Solar array installed at Sittingbourne site
- Listed as a European Climate Leader by Financial Times
- Became signatories to Women's Empowerment Principles
2022
- Acquired Marley and together, 74% of the electricity we consume as a group is sourced from renewable sources*
- First in the industry to launch a dual block plant in the UK, providing double the output of a single plant
- Listed as a European Climate Leader by Financial Times for the second time
- Partnered with Rotherham College to create the Marshalls Academy enabling us to provide employability skills to young people in local communities
- Partnered with the Trussell Trust charity to provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty
- Award wins for employee wellbeing strategy and crane safety improvement
- Received a commendation for Disruption of Supply at the Data to Disrupt Trafficking Awards
- Conducted the most detailed mapping process of our natural stone supply chain in China to date to eradicate modern slavery
2023
- First pre-cast concrete manufacturer in the UK to adopt CarbonCure Technologies, permanently locking captured carbon into concrete facing bricks at our Grove site
- Solar panel array installed at St Ives site
- Sponsored and supported new guidance on responsible procurement in the solar sector, an industry collaboration of private and public sector organisations, as well as NGOs
- Received the 'Innovation Award' at the Unseen Business Awards for our commitment and support in combating Modern Slavery and Exploitation in the UK
- Achieved our first scale production run of cement-free concrete
2024
- Net zero target submitted to the SBTi for validation
- Recognised as one of 600 Climate Leaders in Europe for the third time by the Financial Times
* For Marley's sustainability journey, pre our acquisition, please see www.marley.co.uk/sustainability