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 2023.

Operational Footprint

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

Willmott Dixon Operational Footprint 

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: Working from home equipment and heating   

Scope 3: Train travel  

Willmott Dixon Operational Energy and Carbon Emissions

^{*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) 

^{* 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).
• purchase order information in our supply chain 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 footprint is verified by The Carbon Trust, as part of our accreditation to the Carbon Trust Standard, and our carbon and energy data is verified 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

Scope 2

Scope 3

Out of Scope Emissions

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 2023

The total carbon footprint for Willmott Dixon in 2023 is shown in the table below.

^{i. Includes energy directly paid for by Willmott Dixon and emissions from electricity use 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 makes up at least two thirds of scope 3 emissions and 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}

^{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}