As part of Miller
Homes' commitment to improving its green credentials, the UK top ten housebuilder
has announced plans to measure - and ultimately reduce - the carbon footprint
of its entire national supply chain.
Suppliers will be been tasked with measuring emission levels generated by deliveries
to Miller Homes sites across the UK. Once results have been collated, Miller
Homes will be working closely with its suppliers to develop a carbon-reduction
strategy.
Garry McDonald, Director of Procurement for Miller Homes, explains: "Short
term, we'll be looking at ways in which we can offset the carbon emissions produced
by our supply chain.
"However, this is only a temporary solution and marks the first stage
of the process. Our ultimate goal is to develop alternative working practices
in conjunction with our suppliers, which will actually reduce our carbon footprint
and make a real difference."
The announcement follows on from the publication of Miller Homes' Corporate
Social Responsibility Strategy, in which the housebuilder set a number of ambitious
targets - including a pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2012.
This specific project was borne out of the need to reconcile having national
suppliers with a carbon-friendly corporate responsibility strategy, as Garry
continues: "If we are serious about keeping the promises we have made,
then we need to look critically at every aspect of the business and ask ourselves
what we could be doing better.
"Instructing national suppliers to ferry goods across the UK might appear
to some to be at odds with our goals to minimise carbon emissions, therefore
we are taking it upon ourselves to investigate the carbon footprint of a specific
supply chain and find real, workable solutions."