Environmental impact High
Employer/employee ranking 5/26
Staff numbers 5,500
Energy reduction 11%
Recycling n/a

Whether it is generating noise and dust or building environmentally friendly buildings, almost everything a construction company like Skanska does affects both the immediate environment in which it operates and the wider global one.

The contemporary building industry climate dictates that the brightest minds want to live and work in environmentally friendly buildings. Therefore, being green equals financial and brand success. Skanska, the only Swedish contractor in the UK, recognises this and its track record, so far, shows it is ahead of the game.

Skanska was the first global construction company to achieve the international standard ISO 14001 for its environmental management and has been named sustainable contractor of the year by UK Building Magazine for the past two years. “We believe we will win more work by being strong environmentally,” says Jennifer Clark, head of sustainability for civil engineering.

Employee survey results show that staff believe Skanska does all it can to minimise its eco impact, with a 75% green score, and they feel it does a lot for the environment (79%) and is very serious about this commitment (83%).

“Many companies add the environment on to health and safety, but Skanska sees it as a job in its own right,” Clark says.

“Before anyone even arrives on site, they are booked on a half-day environmental induction,” says James Macmillan, environment and communications manager. “People can’t go on site without it, it’s like their passport to work.”

Employees say the environmental training they receive at work makes them think differently about what they do at home, giving a 73% green score. They are aware of the environmental impact of the job they do (81%) and reckon that green initiatives are not a waste of money (88%).

“People that work for Skanska really care and that is shown by the response,” Clark says. “It’s not just the environment department, it’s everybody doing their bit.”