Landscaping partners are carbon neutral
The Hinkley Connection Project is committed to several planting schemes to reduce the visual impact of construction works and the permanent structures we are building along the entire route. Helping us to deliver on this commitment are our partners Ground Control, who have achieved carbon neutral certification.
The landscape specialists received the carbon neutral certification from the Carbon Trust, an independent organisation that helps support businesses in realising their ambitious plans for a sustainable, low-carbon future.
Ground Control initially set a target of carbon neutrality by 2025. It achieved its goal ahead of schedule, by lowering its carbon emissions through a combination of in-house efficiency measures and the use of renewable energy, and offsetting remaining emissions through external projects.
As Ground Control is responsible for coordinating all planting activities on the Hinkley Connection Project, it means that the 1,000-plus trees, 5,500 linear metres of hedgerow and 30,000 square metres of woodland structural planting planted so far has been delivered by a carbon neutral supply chain partner.
Working alongside National Grid, Ground Control is continuing to put an emphasis on lowering energy use in field operations. On the Hinkley Connection Project, Ground Control is trialling the use of battery-powered tools and committing to additional tree planting projects to help offset future emissions.
Steve Haskayne, National Grid’s Lead Project Manager for Overhead Lines on the Hinkley Connection Project, commented: “Lowering carbon emissions is a priority for businesses across the UK. It's fantastic to see this commitment translate into reality for one of our leading supply chain partners. For several years, Ground Control has been responsible for overseeing our landscaping works on the Hinkley Connection Project, so to see its efforts rewarded with carbon neutral certification from the Carbon Trust is testament to the hard work and dedication of the landscapers.
“We know that helping society to decarbonise is the biggest contribution we can make to the environment. Working collaboratively with supply chain partners such as Ground Control – who place sustainability at the heart of what they do – is just one of the many ways that we are striving to lower carbon emissions and minimise the impact of our construction projects, to leave a cleaner, greener legacy.”
Chris Bawtree, Environmental Lead for Ground Control, added: “We are excited to achieve our carbon neutral target ahead of schedule and gain the credibility of third party certification from the Carbon Trust. This gives us reassurance that we are progressing well on our carbon reduction journey and can demonstrate that we are a truly sustainable supply chain partner to National Grid. It's great to be working in partnership with a client who is driving sustainability through the Hinkley project and shares our commitment to caring for our environment.”
