R&C Williams has made significant changes to its operations to achieve carbon neutrality. In 2021, the company began its carbon journey by establishing its baseline carbon footprint.

The original plan was to offset its carbon emissions to achieve the PAS2060 standard for carbon neutrality. However, the company decided to invest the money it would have spent on offsetting into its transport fleet instead. The company made a conscious effort to focus on where it could make the most significant positive impacts.

R&C Williams made the following changes:

• Completed a full electrical rewire and installed energy-efficient lighting across the premises

• Purchased 6 new fully electric vehicles and 11 new hybrid vehicles to replace existing fully diesel vehicles within the fleet

• Introduced a stock check system to make the management of materials usage much leaner, efficient, and sustainable

• Adopted a workflow management system called Re-Flow in 2019, which has made day-to-day processes much leaner and more efficient, saving time and resources both on site and in the office.

• Reduced printing and stationery costs by implementing the Re-Flow system, which has also had a significant positive impact on the company’s carbon footprint.

• Created logistical solutions by being able to upload, amend and review documents and forms in real-time by operatives on site, improving communication methods with the workforce on site.

• Improved quality and mitigated the risk of uncontrolled documents or wrong versions of forms being used on site.

• Developed a bespoke and tailored system to meet the business’s continued requirements.

Alex Colesby, Compliance Manager at R&C, explained that R&C Williams faced several challenges in staying up-to-date with the latest legislation, guidelines, and client requirements while remaining compliant. Collecting information required by clients, especially surrounding ethical sourcing of materials, was time-consuming and offered little benefit to the business. In addition, liaising with supply chain partners, especially regarding scope 3 emissions, posed a challenge. Many SMEs faced reporting issues, making it almost impossible to achieve net zero accurately. Alex suggested that the emergence of further technologies and innovations could help to solve at least some of the challenges the company faced.

The company fears that if competitors are not playing their part in reducing their environmental impact, they could potentially gain a competitive advantage when tendering for works due to lower running costs. It is crucial that clients across the board set strict minimum standards that encourage their supply chain partners to take action against climate change.

R&C Williams believes that as technology continues to advance, they and their clients can benefit from even faster connectivity and increased opportunities to operate more sustainably, more efficiently, and in general, be a lot leaner as a business. The changes R&C Williams made have not only helped the company achieve its environmental targets, but they have also improved day-to-day operations and reduced costs.

Alex told us

As members of Greener Highways, we aim to collaborate with others in our industry to address the shared challenges we face and turn them into opportunities for growth while also reducing carbon emissions. By implementing carbon-saving initiatives, we can both save money and contribute to environmental sustainability.

To achieve significant progress in the fight against climate change, it is crucial that the industry establishes clear communication channels from the government to small and medium-sized enterprises like ours. A dedicated platform, with input from interested parties such as the Environment Agency, would be an invaluable resource for SMEs to receive relevant information and financial support when it is most needed.

Investing in our business infrastructure now will enable us to future-proof ourselves and meet the increasing demands placed on our operations. By doing so, we can proudly say that we are part of the solution to one of the most significant challenges that the world faces.