The report records the progress made against the ambitions set out in Tarmac’s Act sustainability strategy in 2022 and its three central themes of People, Planet, and Solutions.

Aligned with Tarmac’s commercial strategy and corporate purpose, the three key themes continue to remain central to its business operations and customers.

The business also launched its roadmap to net zero in 2023 and formally signed up to parent company CRH’s commitment to reduce CO₂ emissions by 30% by 2030 (against a 2021 baseline).

Emma Hines, sustainability director at Tarmac said: “It’s vital that we continue to operate and grow in a sustainable and responsible way. As a business we are fully committed to ensuring sustainability remains central to everything we do. We equally recognise our responsibility for working collaboratively with our customers to develop solutions that help create a more sustainable built environment.

“It’s encouraging to see we are performing against our targets and CRH’s objectives, but this does not mean we will be letting up in our drive for continual improvements in sustainability standards across our business.”

Successes highlighted in this year’s report across the three themes include:

People

• In 2023, over 3,000 employees were trained at the business’ National Skills and Safety Park, with 47 employees graduating from the Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ PODP apprenticeship.
• Over 5,013 volunteering hours were completed by Tarmac employees.
• Tarmac successfully achieved the Clear Assured Gold Standard in 2023 for its commitment to inclusion and diversity in the workplace and received the Gold award from The 5% Club for the second year running.
• Over £1 million has been donated through the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund.

Planet

• At the close of the year, the business had achieved a 32% reduction in CO2 per tonne of product, compared to a 1990 baseline, categorised into direct and indirect sources in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
• In total, Tarmac utilised over 980,000 tonnes of recycled asphalt planings (RAP) in 2023.
• The business planted over 31,000 trees, which is over 12,000 more trees planted than achieved in the previous year.
• In February 2023, the business gifted two Neolithic henge monuments in North Yorkshire described as ’the Stonehenge of the North’ to Historic England and English Heritage.

Solutions

• In partnership with Hartlepool Borough Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council the company delivered the lowest carbon roads ever to be resurfaced in the UK, providing a reduction in carbon emissions of up to 80% compared to traditional methods.
• In 2023, the UK’s first all-electric ready-mix concrete mixer was successfully trialled and is now in full operation. It is expected to save 42 tonnes of CO2 annually, with zero emissions per mile compared to 1.55kg of CO2 per mile for its fossil fuel equivalent.