Top ranking places BAM in Welsh environmental elite
Hemel Hempstead, 9 March 2011 - Groundwork Wales has certified BAM Construction as a level-five company on its Green Dragon Environmental Standard. The ranking is the highest possible and places BAM - which has offices in Cardiff and Bristol - in the best performing eight per cent of members alongside organisations such as the National Assembly for Wales.
BAM is the company behind developments such as Morriston Hospital in Swansea, Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan in Ebbw Vale and the 268-bed, 30,000 square metre Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in Caerphilly. The Green Dragon certification testifies that the company addresses sustainability, audits its programme, reviews its achievements, spreads its standards across its suppliers, reduces carbon emissions and reports its progress.
Construction director Tim Chell said: ‘Buildings have a big impact on our environment in how they perform and in how they are built. We are very conscious of our impact on the world and the people around us. Its easy to make claims about what you do, which is why the Green Dragon Environmental Standard is important, it means our clients can have confidence that we follow up our claims in the way we do our business. I’m delighted that BAM is one of the few companies to have this top ranking.’
Gareth Jones for Groundwork Wales, said: ‘Groundwork is a leading local, regional and national environmental regeneration network building sustainable communities across Wales. Our Green Dragon Environmental Standard recognises effective environmental management and offers an environmental management system relevant to the specific and individual needs of companies and organisations across Wales, providing financial savings, compliance with legislation, environmental performance and increased competitiveness.’
Just 18 of the 230 companies certified so far have achieved level five in the Green Dragon ratings. One factor that helped secure BAM its environmental credentials is its use of the UK’s leading environmental management software which tracks and measures its performance on carbon emissions, waste disposal and water use. Two of its hospital sites also secured rare maximum points for environmental protection measures when inspected by the independent Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS). And BAM's carbon footprint is measured and has reduced two years running.
Tim Chell added: ‘These credentials show that BAM is the company to go to if you want to develop sustainable buildings. That’s something to be proud of.’
For further information about Green Dragon please contact Groundwork on 01443 844866 or 01685 883880. Alternatively e-mail: enquiries@greendragonems.com or visit: www.greendragonems.com. Groundwork is a leading local, regional and national environmental regeneration network building sustainable communities across Wales. During 2009/2010 Groundwork supported over 830 projects, created and safeguarded over 400 jobs, worked with more than 320 businesses and over 350 schools, provided over 1,330 weeks’ worth of training, planted more than 5,900 trees, improved and maintained over 2,440,000 sq m of land across Wales.
Further information: Mark Slattery, Press and Media Manager, BAM Construct UK Ltd, 01442 238415.