Carbon neutrality achieved at kitchen giant Howdens as sustainable workforce strides made
Kitchen specialist Howdens Joinery Ltd has reached carbon neutrality at its manufacturing sites in East Yorkshire and Cheshire.
The leading trade supplier has been certified by the Carbon Trust, with the two operations – at Howden and Runcorn – producing 40 per cent of the 750-depot firm’s overall emissions.
In 2021 the FTSE-250 constituent manufactured more than 4.2 million cabinets.
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Rob Black, director, said: “Our environmental, social and corporate governance vision to be the UK’s leading responsible kitchen business means that we are committed to reducing our impact on the environment in all areas.
“Carbon reduction has been embedded within our operational plans for many years and we are proud to have held the Carbon Trust Standard for carbon reduction for the last decade. We’re delighted to have achieved our carbon neutral certification and can proudly say that we continue to look for new ways that will contribute to our sustainability effort as a company.”
Established in 2001, the Carbon Trust works with businesses, governments and institutions around the world, helping them contribute to, and benefit from, a more sustainable future.
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The certification confirms the manufacturing sites meet the requirements of the internationally recognised PAS 2060 standard for carbon neutrality.
Hugh Jones, managing director at Carbon Trust Advisory said: “Howdens have been certified to the Carbon Trust Standard since 2012 and this year, we have worked with Howdens to verify their emissions at their Howden and Runcorn sites.
“We are delighted to confirm the two sites have met the requirements of PAS 2060 for carbon neutrality. This builds on Howdens efforts in reducing carbon emissions year-on year and further demonstrates their commitment to progressing on their sustainability journey.”
It comes as sustainability strides are taken with the workforce too.
Howdens has partnered with EN:Able Futures CIC, a flexi-job apprenticeship service, to provide funding.
It will enable the company that has run its own internal established apprenticeship programme for more than a decade to transfer its apprenticeship levy to support more.
The second stage of the scheme is designed to encourage and support Howdens’ customers to recruit and train their apprentices, addressing the UK skills shortage within construction, specifically kitchen installation.
A thrilled Jo Blackham, learning and development manager at Howdens said, “Our hope is that by transferring some of our levy we can help to increase the apprenticeship opportunities within the construction industry and also provide an easier route by which our customers can introduce apprentices to the trade industry and nurture their skills, we can do our bit in supporting the trade industry by easing current pressures due to trade skill shortages.”
EN stands for Efficiency North, with operations split across Sheffield and Hull hubs.
Julie Deeley, director, said: “As the nature of the future employment market evolves in the post-pandemic world, it’s important to recognise the positive impact that employability support provides in creating employees who have the confidence, experience and qualifications that the UK construction sector needs.”
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