The work we do means we’re ideally placed to preserve and enhance the natural world by using resources responsibly and creating places where people and nature can thrive.
With every one tree used for timber, five are planted by us in the UK. Already some 99.84% of the timber we use is certified for net zero deforestation. But we won’t rest until we make that 100%.
In 2015, we set ourselves a ten-year goal of reducing construction waste by 20%. We then pushed ahead with our plans and almost doubled that target – achieving a reduction of 39% – two years ahead of schedule. We’re now looking for ways to reduce it even further.
On every new development site we submit for outline planning, we aim to increase biodiversity by at least 10%. Last year, we surpassed those targets, achieving 13% for river habitats, 36% for area habitats and a whopping 76% for hedgerow habitats. We do this through careful planning and innovation such as swift nesting bricks, bat boxes, and hedgehog highways allowing our communities to blend with and support the nature.
Last year, we launched eHome2, a leading edge, concept home that enables us to test a range of pioneering technologies, materials and build techniques. It’s part of a bigger plan to make all our new house types zero carbon by 2030. We also built The Zed House, a unique zero carbon concept home that showcases the future of the sustainable living in the UK.
Being a more progressive homebuilder means recognising the potential we have to make a positive difference to people’s lives, the communities we develop and society as a whole.
In 2023, we contributed £6.28m to a wide range of charities, including company donations, employee fundraising initiatives and supplier sponsorship, made directly or via The Barratt Foundation. To find out more about Barratt’s charitable giving, check out the Barratt Foundation website.
Of course, there’s more to a community than just the homes that people live in. Which is why, last year, we also built 13 local facilities, including sports and leisure, health, youth and community centres. Not to mention new schools to accommodate some 3,327 pupils.
The work we generate also extends way past our own organisation. Over the last twelve months, it’s supported some 5,918 sub-contractors, 5,645 other suppliers too and 46,000 jobs, contributing a total of £4.18bn to the national economy.
Every year, we give our people two days of paid leave for volunteering. For each individual, it’s a chance to support a cause that really inspires them. For the business, it’s another way to give back to the community and bring about positive change