Jewson - Helping to Build a More Sustainable Future

Everybody's collective responsibility for sustainability is hard to avoid. It is central to the Government's agenda and inescapable in society as a whole.

Projections of future climate change indicate that global average temperatures could rise by between 1.4ºC and 5.8ºC between 1990 and 2100, depending on emissions.

By the 2080s the annual number of people at risk from coastal flooding could increase from about 10 million to as many as 80 million worldwide, with around half of that increase in the poorest parts of Asia.*

Even today the effects of climate change are already being felt. The average sea level around the UK is now about 10cm higher than it was in 1900, even after adjusting for natural land movements. The 1990s was the warmest decade in central England since records began (in the 1660s) and UK coastal waters have also warmed.*

Order a copy of our Sustainability and/or Corporate Responsibility brochures here.

• The UK construction industry is worth over £100bn per year.
• It accounts for 8% of GDP and employs around 3 million people.
• The construction, occupation and maintenance of buildings accounts for around 50% of UK emissions of carbon dioxide.
• Over 90% of non-energy minerals extracted in the UK are supplied as construction materials.
• The construction industry annually produces three times the amount of waste generated by all UK households combined.
• The construction sector generates 92m tonnes of waste a year, 13m tonnes of which are unused new materials.
• Demolition materials and soil from building sites amounts to 91m tonnes in England and Wales annually.**

Sustainable development involves balancing and integrating the economic, social and environmental considerations for any decision.

• 80% reduction in (the 1990 levels of) carbon emissions by 2050 and by at least 26% by 2020.
• 50% reduction in construction, demolition and excavation waste to landfill by 2012 compared to 2008.
• To assist with the Future Water Vision to reduce consumption to an average of 130 litres per person per day by 2030.
• To increase the number of CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card holders to 2m by 2015.
• To reduce the incidence of fatal and major injury accidents by 10% and the incidence of work-related ill health by 20% by 2010 compared to 2000.

As a building materials distributor Jewson has an important role to play - both in terms of managing our own activities responsibly, and also helping our customers source products and services that will lead to more sustainable construction. We will help you achieve the outputs specified in schemes such as the Code for Sustainable Homes and legislation such as Part L.

This Sustainability microsite is intended to give you a brief overview of Jewson's position on sustainability and the range of products we can provide that offer more sustainable solutions.

*Source: Securing the Future - UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy - March 2005
**Based on 2003 figures, source: DTI - Review of Sustainable Construction 2006