Sustainability
With a long-term aim to integrate sustainability into Aston Group services and internal operations across the business, our agenda is to build on the sustainable successes the business has created for our clients by introducing new sustainability initiatives within Aston Group operations.
Working toward greater sustainability
To support the UK government goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, Aston Group has delivered encouraging early results from the business’s first sustainability strategy.
To ensure our projects meet the energy efficiency installation requirements of the Retrofit Standards Framework, the business is accredited to PAS2030, delivering retrofit projects to PAS2035.
Additional internal sustainability initiatives completed by Aston Group to support the government’s carbon emission aims include taking steps to minimise the carbon footprint of the business. As part of this wide-ranging cultural shift to a ‘greener’ operation, the business has calculated our scope 1 and 2 and is preparing the Aston Group carbon footprint for publication. We have identified our prime sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and are working on ideas and solutions.
Aston Group has also initiated the process of understanding and calculating our Scope 3 emissions. With this data, the business is looking forward to tackling the respective issues and progressing our business in a more sustainable manner.
To help us achieve these ambitious aims, Aston Group needed to invest in its people as well as business initiatives. By creating new sustainability roles within the business, the development and implementation of the 5-year Carbon Reduction plan has remained a top priority.
“It’s been a really exciting time to join Aston Group and I have enjoyed building on the Sustainability Plan of Action to help the business reduce our carbon emissions”
GHG emissions data for period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2023
Impressive energy savings
It’s all about data…
The 5-year Carbon Reduction plan was developed with the aim to reduce Aston Group Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 20% with a stretch target of 40% by 2027. Aston Group is actively calculating our Scope 3 emissions. Here are some of our initiatives:
- We've achieved a reduction of approximately 33.29% in our Scope 1 (Gas and Fuel), and Scope 2 emissions (Electricity), in 2023 compared to our base year in 2021.
- 26 Solar Panels installed at the Romford site. They have made a significant contribution to energy reduction at the site, generating 7,972kWh of the head office electricity usage to date in 2023.
- The business has transitioned four electric vehicles and three EV chargers, which has helped to significantly reduce vehicle emissions in the fleet compared to the previous diesel vehicles. The total CO2e saved in 2023 due to electric vehicles was 5,463kgs.
- Our head office electricity usage has seen a reduction of 70% by the end of 2023 due to strategic changes in our day-to-day operations.
Our path to sustainability 2023 (Jan-Oct 23)
The launch of Aston Energy Group – Data-powered decisions
Aston Energy Group is an internal committee, meeting monthly within Aston Group to explore various opportunities for reducing emissions within the business. To assist with this, a new monitoring system has been installed at Aston Group head office. This system enhances data accuracy when monitoring Solar PV generation, gas usage, and electricity consumption. Due to the increased data quality powering the business monthly Energy Reports, the committee can more accurately monitor and analyse energy consumption and make more informed decisions regarding internal Aston Group energy strategies.
We’ve achieved a reduction of approximately 33.29% in our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in 2023 compared to our base year in 2021
Commitment to a culture of sustainability
Aston Group operates a continuous improvement approach to sustainability. Here are some highlights:
- A new internal sustainability campaign, ensuring Aston Group employees remain informed and educated about the environmental goals of the business
- An induction process that sees every new team member educated about Aston Group sustainability policies and the business Carbon Reduction plan.
- Flexible hybrid working options, reducing indirect emissions, and further minimising environmental impact.
- An ongoing investment in internal staff sustainability training programmes, to assist with the creation of a sustainability culture within the business.
- Supporting local colleges and the environment through the donation and reuse of unwanted appliances.
How we help our partners
Our commitment to sustainability helps our partners meet their goals, including a 2022 Inside Housing Development Award for the recent Aston Group flagship sustainability project ‘47 Greenleaf Road’, completed in partnership with Waltham Forest Council to support their response to the climate emergency.
Aston Group has completed multiple retrofit sustainability projects with more underway with our partners, some of which have received funding from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), Carbon Offset Fund (COF) and London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC). Here are some highlights:
- Victorian whole house retrofit (Inside Housing Development Award Winner and edie award-nominated).
- Solar PV installations at Longfield House Sheltered Accommodation.
- Conversion of disused space into homes, complete with air source heat pumps.
- Fitting new energy and carbon-saving lights into residential buildings.
- External wall insulation programme across the Borough of Waltham Forest.
- Installing Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers and providing EV equipment to the local College.
Victorian Whole House Retrofit
In collaboration with Mike Page from Residual Current, Craig Buist from Waltham Forest College and Trenay our apprentice from the College, we documented an EV Charger installation.
Longfield House Solar PV and Battery Storage
Walthams Forest’s film to demonstrate the success of the EWI programme
Effective Waste Reduction
“This approach has allowed the business to successfully divert approximately 342.7 tonnes of waste from ending up in landfills”
Operational waste is a huge contributor to environmental impact in workplaces across the country. Aston Group works with O'Donovan services to collect, segregate, and responsibly recycle/incinerate our project site waste, preventing it from reaching landfills. The business also works with Bywaters for the responsible disposal of the remaining mixed waste. This approach has allowed the business to successfully divert approximately 342.7 tonnes of waste from ending up in landfills.
The business has taken steps to further reduce office waste by sending redundant solar inverters for recycling with Recycle Solar, and redundant IT equipment items for refurbishment and sale through SDR. These waste disposal partnerships have helped Aston Group promote reuse whilst minimising environmental impact, as the business looks to additional ways to help reach the net zero 2050 target.
Looking to the future
Aston Group has a range of sustainability initiatives planned at the Romford site, including the installation of additional Solar PV panels, which should deliver approximately 33.97% of the electricity needs. The lighting requirements for the site are also under evaluation, and energy-efficient solutions to optimise energy consumption are being explored. In addition, the business commitment to transitioning to renewable energy sources by 2024 allows for the alignment of Aston Group operations with a range of eco-friendly practices.
Read more on how our Sustainable Solutions services can help your projects.
Our Accreditations
TrustMark, MCS, RECC, CHAS, We work to PAS 2035:2019 and have our own PAS 2035:2019 Retrofit Assessor, ISO 9001:2015 together with ISO14001:2015 accreditations.
