22 Apr When is a good time to celebrate our planet – the Earth?

Today is Earth Day but surely, we should be considering the health and wellbeing of our planet every day?

As part of our ever-developing commitment to improving environmental and social outcomes for clients and the community, WWA considered 2020 as a watershed for society before we entered this global COVID-19 crisis. Construction and the built environment have a leading role in an ever-changing global environment.

We started way back in 2005 with our WWA Green team (the name was original before the whole green thing became a fashion!). This specialist team pioneered the role of sustainability in construction across the South West and had a role in a many of the very first sustainable projects and programmes. We are proud to say that we have been involved in the majority of the BREEAM Outstanding rated projects across Cornwall.

More recently, in 2016 we looked at our business operations and made some very subtle changes that made a quantifiable contribution to address the much-publicised Climate Emergency. The first initiative was a commitment to Electric Vehicles in our fleet. Within 12 months our carbon emissions from our fleet reduced by 40%!

We have also been developing a solar proposition with local partners – soon to be launched – which combines travel and power generation in the form of a Solar Canopy. Watch this space!

Overall, we think the biggest change has been the attitude of our staff. As a team, we are working together to reduce waste, find more sustainable ways of working and make a difference.

1. Increasing our commitment to Electric Vehicles, through our fleet of EVs’ across the WWA offices.
2. Expanding our renewable and EV focus through new partnerships to deliver high-quality Solar Canopies and EV Charging infrastructure across the built environment, the first of which is to be installed at our Truro Office this summer.
3. A comprehensive review of our business role and impact, both internally and externally, through progression through the B Corporation accreditation and ongoing approach for positively improving every aspect of our work and our business as a force for good:

So, on Earth day and every day we continue to commit our time, skill and knowledge to some transformational initiatives which can play a role in Climate Action, including:

Certified B Corporations are a new kind of business that balances people, planet and profit. They are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. This is a community of leaders, driving a global movement of people using business as a force for good.

We are incredibly excited by our future ambitions for WWA, but most importantly for the people who work with and for us.  2020 can truly be a turning point for society and a positive, climate-conscious future, and we look forward to continuing that journey with you.