We are committed to fulfilling our share of the responsibility to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5° Celsius and we will continue to reduce our impact on air, land and water.
Our 2030 emissions commitments
Our progress
We will reduce the carbon impact of our operations, with a science-based target of 15% reduction from a 2016 baseline
Carbon impact of our operations for Scope 1 emissions is down 7.8% from 46.21 kg CO2/tonne in 2016 to 42.58 kg CO2/tonne in 2022.
When combined with Scope 2 emissions the carbon impact of our operations is down 16.2% from 50.95 kg CO2/tonne in 2016 to 42.69 kg CO2/tonne in 2022, achieving our 2030 commitment for operational carbon.
When normalised to assume the same product mix ratio as the 2016 baseline, it shows a decrease of 16.5% to 42.46 kg CO2/tonne in 2022.
Absolute thermal energy usage has increased by 2.4% per tonne since 2016 but normalised thermal energy per tonne shows a decrease of 0.2% from 68.77 kWh/tonne in 2016 to 68.64 kWh/tonne in 2022.
Scope 1 and 2 net CO2/tonne of cementitious material is down 55.85% from our 1990 baseline and down 13.92% from our 2016 baseline.
Scope 2 emissions from electrical power consumption within our operations will be reduced by at least 65% compared to 2016
Our 2030 ambition has already been achieved as Scope 2 emissions are down 97.0% from 4.72 kg CO2/tonne in 2016 to 0.11 kg CO2/tonne in 2022, with normalised emissions down 97.8% to 0.11 kg CO2/tonne in 2022.
Absolute CO2 from electrical energy usage has decreased by 7.4% from 11.66 kWh/tonne in 2016 to 10.79 kWh/tonne in 2022. Normalised electrical energy per tonne has decreased by 9.8% from 11.65 kWh/tonne in 2016 to 10.51 kWh/tonne in 2022.
100% of our car fleet and 50% of our van fleet will be fully electric or hybrid by 2025
51% of our car fleet is now hybrid or fully electric, up from 29% in 2019.
Two electric vans are now in operation and a further 50 are on order, representing around 12% of the van fleet.
We will collaborate with suppliers to enable our transport to be more efficient, including through new technologies for LGVs and heavy machinery such as site excavators, loading shovels and dumper trucks
We continue to explore the potential for new technologies for our fleets to reduce carbon emissions. We have carried out a trial of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel at our Chipping Sodbury quarry and GD45+, a mix of HVO and gas-to-liquids fuel, is being used in our road surfacing plant.
From our cement operations we will reduce NOx by 40% and dust emissions by 80% from a 2008 baseline and maintain SO2 emissions below BAT (best available techniques) requirements
From the 2008 baseline, NOx is down 16% and dust is down 81%. SO2 is down 30% and remains within BAT requirements.
A new commitment to reduce CO2 emissions from downstream transportation (the transportation of materials from our sites to customers) by at least 15% compared to 2019
Aggregate tonnage moved by rail was 28%, up 3% compared with 2019.
CO2 emissions from downstream transport have reduced by 11% compared to 2019.
Source of emissions explained
Scope 1: All direct emissions from the activities of an organisation or under its control, for example burning fuel on site in kilns and company-owned vehicles.
Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity used by the organisation. These emissions are created during the production of the energy and eventually used by the organisation.
Scope 3: All other indirect emissions from activities of the organisation, occurring from sources that they do not own or control. These cover emissions associated with, for example, purchased goods and services, employee travel and commuting, waste disposal and leased assets.
Our cement, aggregates, asphalt, and concrete businesses all have their own carbon reduction plans in place, which include product innovation and process and plant efficiencies.
We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shell to work together to explore opportunities that help the construction industry’s transition to net zero emissions.
We have a mutual ambition to play a key role in decarbonising the road and construction sectors. Through the MoU, we aim to bring our diverse capabilities together to help both us and our supply chains accelerate the transition to net zero.
Six key areas have been identified for discussion under the MoU:
Hydrogen for transport and industrial processes
Carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) in cement production
Lower carbon fuels
Digital innovation
Bitumen and asphalt technology
Renewable energy
Hanson and Shell have a long-established working relationship and are committed to sharing knowledge and resources to jointly work on projects that will facilitate our transition to net zero emissions.
Our industry-leading net zero carbon initiatives will have more focus as we have appointed a carbon
innovation manager. The position will support a wide range of innovative projects to drive forward our net zero ambitions to ensure they become reality.
Our cement business is the source of around 90 per cent of our CO2 emissions, so is a key focus if we are to reach our net zero carbon ambitions. We are involved in industry-leading carbon reduction projects which, if successful, will help us meet this objective.
Carbon capture and storage at Padeswood Cement
In March 2023 we progressed to the due diligence and negotiation phase in our bid to install carbon capture technology at our Padeswood cement works in Flintshire through the Government’s Phase-2 cluster sequencing programme.
Our Ketton cement works in Rutland is part of a new DESNZ-funded carbon capture project, through its Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, which aims to provide a low-cost solution to decarbonisation.
The multi-industry project will see C-Capture’s carbon capture technology, which uses a solvent to selectively capture the CO2 produced, implemented at several sites across the country. The process requires 40 per cent less energy than other carbon capture technologies, significantly reducing its cost.
C-Capture’s system can be retrofitted to existing cement kilns or designed into new ones and the CO2 captured can be compressed and sent for storage in safe, geological reserves or utilised in other industries. If successful, commercial scale C-Capture facilities could be in place by 2030.
Carbon Capture at Ribblesdale Cement
We have demonstrated another ground-breaking carbon capture process at our Ribblesdale cement works in Clitheroe, Lancashire.
The team proved that enforced carbonation of recycled concrete paste (RCP) within the plant’s existing wet scrubber allows for a high CO2 uptake within less than 30 minutes, preventing emissions entering the atmosphere.
During the trial 15 tonnes of industrial RCP were fed into the scrubber. The result was 100kg of CO2 being bound within each tonne of RCP, demonstrating another carbon capture breakthrough.
It confirmed the feasibility of enforced carbonation, which supports the circular economy by using waste recovered concrete fines to remove CO2 emissions from the production process while producing a secondary material that can then be used to replace virgin limestone in cement and concrete production.
Cement Industry Collaboration
Following successful net zero fuel trials, we are continuing to work with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Mineral Products Association (MPA) in a newly formed Cement Decarbonisation Working Group. The group has several technical sections where learnings from across the industry are progressed in partnership at a senior level with the intention of working with government to create the ideal environment for industrial decarbonisation.
Hanson Thames, built by Damen in Romania, has entered active service. Our new marine aggregates dredger provides increased payload and efficiency, reduced CO2 emissions per tonne and will supply sand and gravel for the UK construction market.
Rail Developments
Our Penmaenmawr railhead in north Wales has reopened as part of our UK rail strategy to reduce vehicle movements and cut associated CO2 emissions. It will deliver rail borne aggregates into markets in the northwest.
Work has continued on the HS2 contract with some 29,000 tonnes every week being unloaded through a new HS2 railhead at Quainton, near Aylesbury with trains from South Gloucestershire’s Tytherington quarry. Deliveries from Tytherington quarry direct to HS2 sidings passed a landmark one million tonnes of aggregates in the summer of 2022 and there is more to come as construction continues on the London to Birmingham stage.
Midland Quarry Products Net Zero Funding
We secured funding to develop a net zero carbon route map for our Midland Quarry Products (MQP) Cliffe Hill quarry and asphalt plant in Leicestershire as part of the BEIS Industry of Future Programme (IFP).
BEIS is provided £1.46 million, through its Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, for a scoping study carried out by engineering and project management consultancy Atkins to investigate options for decarbonising 15 industrial sites across the UK. The roadmaps will consider the most viable decarbonisation options for each site, including new technologies such as carbon capture and utilisation and the feasibility of fuel switching, upgrades, process changes and energy optimisation.
The funding will help inform and speed up the development of a decarbonisation roadmap at Cliffe Hill – a first for an aggregates/asphalt operation in the UK – and will also help us meet our overall ambition to be a net zero carbon business by 2050 as many of the findings will be able to be implemented across all our sites.
Funding has been secured to investigate the feasibility of using low carbon hydrogen as an alternative source of heat at our asphalt plants.
BEIS provided almost £400,000 through the Industrial Hydrogen Accelerator programme, under the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio. The funding was awarded through the EDF UK R&D centre to the Bay Hydrogen Hub – Hydrogen4Hanson project, which will look at developing nuclear hydrogen production and investigating technologies to deliver the hydrogen to industrial sites.
The project would underpin the development of a hydrogen hub at EDF’s Heysham nuclear power station in Morecambe, Lancashire, and the use of hydrogen to decarbonise multiple Hanson sites in the UK.
The use of hydrogen as a fuel at asphalt sites has not yet been physically demonstrated anywhere in the world, so we will be leading the way with new technologies that have the potential to significantly cut carbon emissions across our industry.
Low carbon fuel source
Hanson Contracting’s road surfacing plant is now using a low carbon fuel source in our latest initiative to reduce carbon emissions at every stage of our business.
Pavers and rollers are using GD45+, supplied by GB Fuels Ltd, which, on average, reduce CO2 emissions by 42 per cent and NOx by 14 per cent as well as releasing 18 per cent fewer fine particles when compared to traditional diesel.
GD45+ is a mix of sustainably sourced hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and a gas-to-liquids (GTL) fuel developed in conjunction with Shell and is classed as readily biodegradable under Defra definition.
Reduced carbon asphalt in Dorset
We have used a new reduced carbon asphalt to resurface a Dorset road, as we explore the potential of innovative materials to help meet net zero carbon ambitions. Read more
Scope 2 emissions
As most of our sites use a zero-carbon electricity tariff, the reduction target of 65% has already been achieved. We recognise we can do more than purchasing low or zero carbon electricity and that by reducing our own power consumption we can also reduce carbon emissions. We have also started working on developing a renewable energy strategy with the appointment of a renewable energy specialist.
Scope 3 emissions
These indirect emissions are the most difficult to control. We are collaborating with suppliers to collect the data needed to allow us to track and report these emissions through our internal systems.
