Climate Change has been described as the defining issue of our time by the UN, and with COP26 on the horizon we are at a defining moment in time.

Without significant action now we will see an increase in climate pressures like higher temperatures, extreme weather, and rising sea levels, which in turn will lead to an increase in the risk to life, damage to infrastructure and supply chain disruption. Action is required now.   

Assuring a sustainable future for our business

Robertson is honoured to be one of the founding “City Climate Champions” and to be the built environment representative of the Edinburgh Climate Compact. The Compact and its Champions are committed to being leaders in the race to net-zero and are dedicated to moving forward, faster, together – the goals of the Compact are closely aligned with our own Responsible Business 2030 Strategy, and the commitments we have already made.

As one of the largest family-owned construction, infrastructure and support services businesses in the UK, our purpose is ‘to assure a sustainable future’. Our Responsible Business Policy is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, enabling us to define, deliver and communicate the outcomes from our purpose for the benefit of our people, our partners, and our planet.

Leading by example in construction

We have a strong track record as an environmentally conscious business.  We have declared both climate and biodiversity emergencies, delivered a 40% reduction in carbon intensity since 2014/15 and become carbon neutral (or net zero) after offsetting our remaining emissions since 2018/19.

Our actions and commitments in reducing our environmental impact have recently been recognised by both the UN Climate Neutral Now and Zero Waste Scotland Resource Efficiency Pledge ‘Platinum’ programmes.

We are dedicated to making change, and as part of our Responsible Business 2030 Strategy we have set a target to become ‘climate positive’ without increasing our current level of offsetting. To achieve this, we have committed to generating zero emissions from our construction sites, offices, and commercial fleet; supporting our customers and supply chain to decarbonise; and delivering a biodiversity net gain on all of our projects by 2030.

Sharing our learnings with our industry

The Climate Compact provides an opportunity for us to share our strategy, progress, and learnings with our industry, so that the process of decarbonisation can be accelerated by others in line with Government and Local Authority commitments.

In the coming months and years, we will be focussing on decarbonising both our own operations (including our supply chain), and that of our customers and partners through the use of 100% renewable energy in our operations; providing climate literacy for our employees and supply chain and utilising our Clear Futures framework to deliver sustainable projects faster, better, more economically and with greater certainty of outcomes.  

Our progress and lessons learned on this journey will be shared with, and influenced by, our fellow Climate Compact Champions as we continue to learn, grow, and drive towards a net zero future.

By Elliot Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, Robertson Group