Carbon Footprint: Our data

Scope

This data covers Willmott Dixon Holdings Ltd, a privately owned construction and interior fit out company which includes Willmott Dixon Construction, Interiors and support functions. This data is for the period 1 January to 31 December 2024.

Operational Footprint

Our operational footprint includes our scope 1 and scope 2 emissions (see below) and our scope 3 emissions from transport.

Willmott Dixon Operational Footprint 1

Scope 1: Site and office gas, site diesel, site hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO)  

Scope 1: Business and commute travel from company cars  

Scope 2: Emissions from purchased electricity (market-based method)

Scope 3: Business and commute travel from grey fleet  

Scope 3: Train travel  

Willmott Dixon Operational Energy and Carbon Emissions

	2018 (Baseline)	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Willmott Dixon Total Operational Emissions (tCO2e)*	6,638	6,204	5,406	4,499	3,479	3,452	2,874
Intensity - emissions relative to turnover (tCO2e/£m)	5.02	4.98	4.54	4.08	3.03	2.95	2.48
Energy Use (directly paid for) (kWh)	Not reported	29,800,766	25,813,221	27,268,192	26,181,946	25,710,305	20,741,609

^{*Includes energy directly paid for by Willmott Dixon. Emissions from electricity use the market-based methodology to convert kWh to carbon}

Operational Footprint (SECR Compliance) 

In line with the SECR regulations, we provide data on our operational emissions including the energy that we have consumed but not directly paid for (mainly customer electricity) in the table below.

Willmott Dixon Operational Footprint (SECR Compliance)

Scope 1: Site and office gas, site diesel, site hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO)  

Scope 1: Business and commute travel from company cars  

Scope 2: Emissions from purchased electricity (location-based method, including customer procured electricity)

Scope 3: Business and commute travel from grey fleet 

Scope 3: Working from home equipment and heating   

Scope 3: Train travel

Scope 3: T&D losses

Willmott Dixon Operational Energy and Carbon Emissions (SECR Compliance) 

	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Willmott Dixon Total Operational Emissions (SECR Compliance)* (tCO2e)	Not reported	9,176	7,308	6,459	5,287	5,562	4,582
Intensity - emissions relative to turnover (tCO2e/£m)	Not reported	7.36	6.14	5.86	4.61	4.75	3.96
Energy Use (including customer procured energy) (kWh)	Not reported	35,830,867	29,818,813	31,106,428	28,837,821	28,343,673	23,788,588

^{* Includes customer procured energy used on our sites. Emissions from electricity use the location-based methodology to convert kWh to carbon and include T&D losses.}

Data Sources

Carbon data is collected from four main sources:

billing from suppliers (electricity companies, gas companies and diesel suppliers)

staff mileage returns (as part of their business and commute travel expense claims on a monthly basis) and fuel card reports

site level data input via a bespoke data collection system, mi|Project (e.g. electricity consumption, gas consumption, diesel consumption, sub-contractor diesel consumption).

Records of payments for goods and services made in our finance system

Methodology

We calculate our carbon footprint using international standards (the Greenhouse Gas protocol and ISO 14064) and we categorise our Greenhouse Gas emissions as scope 1, 2 and 3 as described in the WBCSD/WRI Greenhouse Gas Protocol Reporting standard. Our carbon and energy data is verified annually by Bureau Veritas.  

We use the operational control approach and opt to include anything that Willmott Dixon pays for under our scope 1 & 2 emissions (on account of these being the emissions that Willmott Dixon is able to influence and control). Our offices all have operating leases which, under the financial control approach, we would not include in our scope 1 & 2 emissions. For our compliance with the Government's Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR), we also include data on our operational emissions including the energy that we have consumed but not directly paid for (mainly customer electricity on our construction sites).

Emissions have been calculated as tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) using conversion factors listed in the relevant Defra Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factors for Company Reporting for the relevant year. For our footprint, scope 2 emissions were calculated using the marked-based methodology, but in accordance with best practice for our compliance with SECR, we have also provided information on these emissions using the location-based method. 

Detailed methodology for each element of our scope is provided in the table below.

Scope 1

Site and Office Gas	Gas usage in kWh, from both offices and sites, is recorded by our finance team using information from invoices. Consumption is converted to CO2e using the relevant Defra conversion factor. Where Willmott Dixon has paid for client or leased assets, gas consumption (kWh) is calculated from billing information.
Site Fuel	Litres of diesel are reported through invoice records provided by mandated fuel providers and converted to CO2e using the Defra conversion factors: Diesel (average biofuel blend) Burning Oil
Site HVO	Litres of HVO are reported through invoice records provided by mandated fuel providers and converted to CO2e using the Defra conversion factor for biodiesel HVO.
Travel from company cars (business and commute)	Travel from company cars includes two data sources: Fuel card reports provide litres of fuel consumed and fuel type. This is then converted to CO2e using the diesel or petrol Defra conversion factors, depending on product type. Journeys driven in company car vehicles are recorded using mileage capture and audit software. Miles travelled are converted to kilometres then multiplied by the published carbon emissions for the individual vehicle. Individual vehicle details are provided by the DVLA.

Scope 2

Emissions from purchased electricity - Market based	Electricity usage from sites and offices, in kWh, is reported using records of paid invoices. Our footprint includes the electricity directly paid for by Willmott Dixon. Where Willmott Dixon is recharged for electricity consumed in client or leased assets, electricity consumption (kWh) is either taken directly from billing information where provided, or an average kWh/£ value is used if consumption is not stated. Sources categorised as renewable tariffs are calculated to have zero carbon emissions. Renewable electricity is that which is procured through our broker (where we are provided with suitable paperwork to prove origin) and any other supplies that have been provided by companies that are known to provide only 100% renewable electricity. All other supplies are assumed to be non-renewable and are converted to CO2e emissions using the Association of Issuing Bodies (AiB) residual mix factor for the UK.
Emissions from purchased electricity - Location based	Electricity consumption from sites and offices, in kWh, is captured by finance using information from paid invoices, as above. This is converted to CO2e emissions using the UK national grid average factor published by Defra. This data is provided in accordance with best practice and for compliance with SECR Regulations but is not included in our footprint.
Emissions from electricity used to charge electric and PHEV company cars	Journeys driven in company car vehicles and the fuel type of each vehicle is recorded using mileage capture and audit software. The total miles travelled in fully electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles are converted to CO2e by multiplying by the Defra UK electricity for electric vehicles conversion factors or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, respectively. The factor assumes average carbon emissions from the supply of electricity on the UK grid. DEFRA provide the following information on the factors: UK electricity conversion factors for electric vehicles should be used to report on electricity used by an organisation at sites owned/controlled by them (where this is not already reported), or public recharging stations. This is reported as a Scope 2, indirect emission. The conversion factors in this listing are for the electricity supplied to the grid that organisations purchase (or from public charging stations) - they do not include the emissions associated with the transmission and distribution of electricity.
Customer procured electricity	This is electricity that is used on our sites but that we do not directly pay for. kWh data is calculated from meter readings entered into our environmental data capture system (SmartWaste). This data is provided in accordance with best practice and for compliance with SECR Regulations but is not included in our footprint. The location-based method is used to calculate CO2e emissions, using the UK national grid average factor published by Defra.

Scope 3

Travel from grey fleet (business and commute)	Journeys driven in grey fleet vehicles, both on business and commute, are recorded using mileage capture and audit software. Miles travelled are converted to kilometres then multiplied by the published carbon emissions for the individual vehicle. Individual vehicle details are provided by the DVLA.
Emissions from electricity used to charge grey fleet electric and PHEV vehicles	Journeys driven and the fuel type of each vehicle is recorded using mileage capture and audit software. The total miles travelled in fully electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles are converted to CO2e by multiplying by the Defra UK electricity for EVs conversion factor or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles conversion factor. The factor assumes average grid carbon.
Train travel	Train travel is recorded through the business expenses system. Origin and destination stations are used to calculate kilometres travelled in one journey (based on track distance). If a return journey has been specified, this distance is multiplied by two. The report then uses a series of assumptions based on season tickets to calculate total km. Carbon is then calculated using the total distance and Defra conversion factor.
Working from home equipment and heating	Usage of gas and electricity in kWh associated with working from home is calculated using assumptions detailed in the EcoAct2 Homeworking emissions whitepaper. It is converted to carbon using Defra conversion factors for gas and electricity. Estimates from working from home emissions were only introduced in 2020 when people started to work from home.  Average sick days per employee (3.6 days for 2024) and minimum annual leave entitlements (25 days) are included in the calculation.
Emissions from purchased goods and services	Emissions from purchased goods and services were calculated using a spend based method using the UK Government Defra factor for UK emissions intensity by SIC code. The latest published intensity factor published is for 2021, therefore this is used. This is separated into Category A partners (with whom we work the most closely) and other partners. Information on purchased goods and services for the year is taken from our financial system. The analysis (and therefore final carbon figure) is based on paid invoices only. Transactions related to payroll are excluded from the dataset, these include wages and expenses. Accruals are also excluded as these are processed later in the year and therefore could not be included.
Emissions from waste, including wastewater	Waste data is collected in volume (m3) and weight (tonnes). All waste volume data is converted to tonnes using the WRAP conversion factors (2014) for each waste stream and the Defra conversion factors are used for each waste stream to convert from tonnes of waste to CO2e of carbon. For wastewater, it is assumed that all water is supplied by and returned into the mains water system. The volume of water used is converted using Defra factors.
Transmission and Distribution (T&D) Losses	T&D losses for site and office electricity are calculated by multiplying kWh of electricity used by the Defra conversion factor for T&D losses. For electric vehicles, miles travelled by EVs and plug-in hybrids are multiplied by the respective Defra conversion factors for T&D losses from electricity powered vehicles.

Out of Scope Emissions

Biogenic fuel emissions

Where HVO fuel is used, we have calculated ‘out of scope’ emissions to account for the direct carbon dioxide (CO2) impact of burning.  The emissions are labelled ‘outside of scopes’ because the fuel source itself absorbs an equivalent amount of CO2 during the growth phase as the amount of CO2 released through combustion. This is calculated by multiplying the total litres of HVO by the DEFRA outside of scope biodiesel HVO conversion factor.

Exclusions

The carbon footprint includes business travel from company vehicles, grey fleet and trains, as well as employee commuting by car and train. Other modes of business travel are excluded from the footprint but account for less than 1% of this. Other modes of business travel include travel by plane, taxi, bus, ferry, tram and tube. Where exact mileage information is not available, miles have been estimated for a number of journeys for each transport type and using analysis of miles per £1 for these trips, mileage assumptions have been applied to each journey type.

Metrics

In accordance with our Science Based Target, we measure absolute carbon in tCO2e (tonnes of CO2 equivalent). Using carbon equivalence allows us to include the emissions of other greenhouse gases relative to one unit of CO2 so that we can capture all relevant emissions in one metric.

We also provide a carbon intensity metric, tCO2e/£million as this allows comparison across businesses and over time irrespective of business turnover. It is also a well-established metric for carbon measurement allowing us to compare our performance to that of other external bodies and benchmarks where applicable.

Reporting

Performance reporting

The source data is automatically analysed by our systems on a monthly basis to provide detailed information on our carbon emissions. This is fed into a Power BI dashboard that allows us to continually monitor against our emission reduction targets and to optimise our understanding of carbon emissions as they occur so that we can find solutions to problems as they arise. The dashboard provides visibility of carbon performance to all levels of the organisation including our Holdings Board, our Local Company Offices and on a project-by-project basis.

Reporting to our customers

Carbon reporting can also be provided to our customers on a monthly basis as part of our mi|Performance tool, which provides bespoke information to our customers, making it simple to understand performance on their projects.

External Reporting

We report on our performance annually as part of our Annual Report and Accounts and Now or Never Sustainable Development Review. This data is externally verified (see below). Our Carbon Reduction Plan sets out our plans to reduce our operational emissions to zero by 2030.

Verification

Annually we commission a third-party auditor to verify our carbon emissions data prior to publishing the Annual Report and Accounts and Now or Never Sustainable Development Review.

Currently this is carried out by Bureau Veritas.

Willmott Dixon Total Carbon Footprint 2024

The total carbon footprint for Willmott Dixon in 2024 is shown in the table below.

Source	Emissions (tCO2e)	Emissions by Scope (tCO2e)	Emissions by Footprint (tCO2e)
Scope 1: Site and office gas, site diesel, site HVO	378	Total Scope 1 & 2  1,042	Operational Emissions  2,874
Scope 1: Travel from company cars	100
Scope 2: Emissions from purchased electricity _(i)	565
Scope 3 (Category 6): Business travel from grey fleet	1,576	Total Scope 3 251,927
Scope 3 (Category 7): Employee commuting	256
Scope 3 (Category 1): Emissions from purchased goods and services (Category A partners)_(iii)	156,748		Supply Chain Emissions  249,655
Scope 3 (Category 1): Emissions from purchased goods and services (other category partners)	92,758
Scope 3 (Category 5): Emissions from waste including wastewater	149
Scope 3 (Category 7): Working from home _(ii)	333		Other scope 3 emissions
Scope 3 (Category 3): Transmission and distribution losses	107		440
Total Emissions	252,969
Outside of scope emissions from HVO fuels_(iv)	509	Not within scope
Scope 2: Emissions from purchased electricity (location-based method & including customer procured electricity)_(v)	1,832	Not within scope

^{i. Includes energy directly paid for by Willmott Dixon using the market-based methodology to convert kWh to carbon.}

^{ii. Usage of gas and electricity in kWh associated with working from home is calculated using assumptions detailed in the EcoAct Homeworking emissions whitepaper.}

^{iii. The footprint from purchased goods and services from category A suppliers, partners we whom work the most closely, is the focus of the Science Based Target. Emissions from upstream transportation and distribution are included within this figure.}

^{iv. HVO is a biofuel so “out of scope” emissions have been provided.  This takes account of the direct emissions from combustion of the fuel. The emissions are labelled ‘outside of scopes’ because the scope 1 impact of these fuels is reduced since the fuel source itself absorbs CO2 when it is grown. Out of scope emissions associated with the biofuel elements of other fuels, such as diesel, are also included.}

^{v. Includes all Willmott Dixon purchased electricity, customer procured electricity used on our sites, and electricity used to charge electric and PHEV company cars. Emissions from electricity use the location-based methodology to convert kWh to carbon.  This data is provided in accordance with best practice and for compliance with SECR Regulations. It is not included in the footprint because the market-based method was used for footprint calculation.}