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Net Zero Week, from July 5^th to 11^th, is a government-backed initiative aimed at increasing awareness and supporting the UK’s 2050 carbon neutral target.

To mark the programme’s fifth anniversary, net-zero stakeholders have been invited to Parliament to create a series of events including roundtables and webinars. During these collegiate sessions, MPs and policy aides will explore how the UK can lead the world’s low- carbon transition.

As a long-term advocate of practices and technologies that inspire sustainable construction, BriggsAmasco fully supports Net Zero Week.

Kobir Ahamed, Sustainability Manager at BriggsAmasco said: “Any initiative that puts the UK’s sustainable future at its front and centre deserves promoting. For the building supply chain as a whole, the need to address our carbon footprint has never been greater. Individual responsibility is crucial to collective change. We must all commit to smarter, more sustainable ways of working to protect the environment for future generations.”

BriggsAmasco’s journey to net zero received a boost earlier this year when the company became the first UK roofing and waterproofing contractor to receive Carbon Literate Organisation (CLO) accreditation. The award certifies BriggsAmasco’s commitment to ensuring that employees are knowledgeable about climate change and related environmental issues. The accreditation was approved by the Carbon Literacy Project (CLP), one of the UN’s 100 Transformative Action Programmes. To obtain approval, BriggsAmasco needed to develop a CLP-themed course and present it to employees.

The impressive achievement earned BriggsAmasco ‘Bronze’ CLO status, with the company currently working towards achieving Silver-level accreditation by rolling out the CLP course across all branches. This certifies that 30% of company employees are carbon literate.

In addition, BriggsAmasco has introduced a full company greenhouse gas emissions inventory covering Scopes 1, 2, and 3, which provides a comprehensive overview of its CO₂ output. The company’s progress in this field has been rewarded with ISO 14064 certification, an international standard that verifies a company’s greenhouse gasses accounting.

To further consolidate its environmental strategy BriggsAmasco is in the process of signing up to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). SBTi is a scientifically rigorous global standard for achieving net zero, providing a clearly defined pathway for emissions reduction commitments that align with Paris Agreement goals to limit global warming.

The company has installed solar panels across its head office site and warehouse in Cradley Heath, Birmingham.

Kobir added “We are delighted with our net zero strategy’s progression. Whether in the office or on-site, our dedication to service excellence with minimal environmental impact is unstinting. We’d like to thank our staff and contractors for supporting our sustainability programme. They are essential to helping us achieve our low carbon ambition.”

For more information on Net Zero Week, click here.

BriggsAmasco has been shortlisted in the sustainability category at this year’s Single Ply Roofing Association (SPRA) awards.

The nomination is for the company’s exceptional team performance on the Cow Green housing development in Halifax town centre. BriggsAmasco’s delivery of a single-ply roofing system for the 122-home scheme was a collaborative triumph, with the company working alongside the contractor (Caddick Construction) and architect (jmarchitects) to accommodate a mid-project design change.

Tony Lawther, Managing Director, at BriggsAmasco, said: “The SPRA nomination is excellent news. The Cow Green project provided a real test of our all-round skills. The original specification required a hot melt roof system. Following consultations between ourselves, the contractor and architect, a single-ply solution was preferred. Our expertise in delivering a wide range of applications varying in size and complexity enabled us to take the specification change in our stride and complete the project to the agreed timeframe, and the client’s complete satisfaction.”

The specification change to a single-ply roofing system was required to create falls through tapered insulation. The membrane’s exceptional finish, which negated the use of gas-powered tools or plant, was also crucial to its selection.

Cow Green’s mix of high-quality, energy-efficient one and two-bedroom apartments enabled developer Placefirst to deliver its most sustainable housing project to date.

Tony continued: “We’re proud of our contribution to Cow Green – a development that embodies the 21^st century requirement for stylish, comfortable, energy efficient homes. We thank the SPRA judges for our award nomination and BriggsAmasco teams’ superb delivery of the project’s aspect.”

SPRA category winners will be announced at an Awards Luncheon held on June 12^th at the Hilton NEC Birmingham.

Scotland’s first Flat Roofing Open Doors Day gave young apprentice candidates exclusive insights into a career in the specialist building sector.

Sixty youngsters attended the Flat Roofing Open Doors day on Thursday 20th March as part of the wider CITB Open Doors week, held over five days at the CITB National Construction College, Renfrewshire.

The immersive sessions included contributions from some of Scotland’s high-profile roofing contractors. Their industry knowledge and experience were manifest in practical skills demonstrations in Bauder felt flat roofing, and Sika single-ply flat roofing. Contractors were also on hand to offer guidance on flat roofing apprenticeships, as well as deliver toolbox talks and health and safety training.

Allan Doris, Glasgow Branch Manager at UK commercial roofing contractor BriggsAmasco, instigated the Flat Roofing Open Doors Day to encourage more investment in apprenticeships and help address the sector’s shortage of skilled personnel. The initial event followed months of engagement with trade bodies and careers administrators, including CITB, Tigers Group, West College Scotland, DYW Lanarkshire & East Dunbartonshire, and DYW Glasgow.

Allan said the inaugural Open Doors Day had been a huge success. “The interest and engagement from the apprentice candidates was overwhelming,” he said. “It led to several of them having interviews with our guest contractors, with many others engaged in ongoing discussions about potential apprentice opportunities. This was the first Open Doors Day to be held in Scotland for the flat roofing sector, but hopefully the first of many such events for all involved.”

The government and training associations nationwide have outlined the need for further investment in apprentice schemes to boost recruitment in the flat roofing sector. This requirement was highlighted in a 2023 report by UK construction market analyst, Glenigan. In respect of flat roofing, the report showed 22% of firms surveyed recorded a shortfall in built-up felters, with 16% and 12% of companies revealing a shortage of single-ply installers, and liquid-applied roofers respectively.

Allan Doris, who joined BriggsAmasco in 2017, outlined how his company was helping to introduce a new generation of skilled roofers. BriggsAmasco currently employs 18 apprentices as part of an ‘expertly devised’ and long-established programme. “We continue to strive to improve and focus our offering for trainees in the appropriate areas,“ Allan said. “At BriggsAmasco, there’s a belief system in place to ensure flat roofing apprentices have the resources and live environment experiences to reach the very top of their profession.”

Nearly 40,000 apprentices are employed across circa 12,000 businesses in Scotland. Of these companies, 83% reported improved productivity through traineeships. Apprenticeships.Scot figures also reveal that fully trained apprentices earn up to 52% more than ‘non-completer’ counterparts.

Allan said promoting roofing as an ideal career opportunity was key to attracting more apprentices to the industry.

“There is a golden opportunity to train for a valued profession offering excellent financial reward, personal fulfilment, a lifetime of amazing experiences and lifelong friendships.”

“It needs shouting from the rooftops – roofing is a career worth training for. Therefore, the means must be provided to make it happen.”

Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) celebrates the power of community as a means of improving personal wellbeing. Hence, this year’s programme, which takes place from May 12^th to 18^th, provides a range of expert guidance on how a spirit of togetherness encourages good mental health.

As an established mental health champion, BriggsAmasco is an avid MHAW advocate. The company boasts 36 mental health first aiders and two dedicated mental health first aid instructors, with staff training progressing to increase that figure.

Tony Lawther, Managing Director at BriggsAmasco said instilling a sense of workplace community workplace had benefitted employee wellbeing. “People generally feel more encouraged to discuss their feelings in a more honest and open way with individuals they know and trust,” he said. “This is particularly important for people suffering from stress or a difficult personal issue. In such instances, our mental health first aiders are a vital source of support for colleagues. Their voluntary service is invaluable to upholding employee welfare, which is paramount to BriggsAmasco’s culture.”

Staff and site operative health and safety initiatives, such as the introduction of mental health first aiders, have reduced anxiety and stress-related absenteeism at BriggsAmasco. This outcome is particularly encouraging due to the construction industry’s vulnerability to mental health-related impact. An Office for National Statistics report revealed suicide rates amongst construction workers were 3.7 times higher than the national average. Furthermore, a 2020 Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) survey of 2,000 construction workers found that 97% of respondents had felt stressed, 87% had experienced anxiety and 70% had suffered depression over the previous 12 months.

Outside of the workplace, a report by UK mental health charity MIND showed that one-in-six people admitted suffering a common mental health problem – such as anxiety and depression – in any given week in England, where it’s predicted one-in-four people will experience a mental health problem of some kind annually.

***continued: “Because problematic mental health seldom emits visible signs, it can be difficult to detect. Our staff are trained to look for the signals that suggest someone is suffering on the inside. Then it’s a case of ensuring that individual doesn’t suffer in silence; we let them know that someone who cares is available for them to talk to and listen to them. This encapsulates the value of community in the workplace. Therefore, we are once again proud to support Mental Health Awareness Week.”

For more information on Mental Health Awareness Week and guidance on becoming involved with your community, click here