Wates has been named Best Sustainability Supplier of the Year at His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) annual Supplier Conference.
The accolade was presented to Wates’ facilities management division for developing an innovative Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy in collaboration with the government department to demonstrate ‘the art of the possible’ by designing Energy Management Systems to reduce environmental impact and generate financial savings.
The newly launched ESG strategy forms part of Wates’ work on behalf of HMRC, which began in 2019 and currently includes a range of hard FM services across its UK estate.
As part of the environmental initiatives, Wates installed pioneering Energy Management Systems at eight HMRC regional centres, creating savings of over £43,000 per year per site and reducing CO2 by 124 kg per day by optimising the use of air handling units and chillers.
This was achieved through the Wates Innovation Network (WIN) Portal, which was launched in 2020 to connect Wates’ customers and those in the built environment to a select group of providers of green innovation, all of which are designed to reduce environmental impact.
The Wates FM team created and set up panel pitch events with the support of Wates’ Head of Sustainable Technology, Dr Zainab Dangana, to ensure providers were demonstrating innovative ideas that aligned with HMRC objectives and goals.
Reflecting on the progression of the industry at the recent conference, HMRC acknowledged the accelerating pace of innovation through their work with Wates. Discussions were also held on how businesses can harness the market for efficiency in the journey to net zero.
Wates has completed a programme of Sustainability-Related Value Release Initiatives on the HMRC estate, including introducing an Energy Management System (which was subsequently adopted at all locations), installing EV charging points, transitioning to an all-electric fleet, and undertaking various Building Optimisation Projects and pilot schemes.
The success of this programme with HMRC has been recognised by two industry awards in 2022, winning the ‘Green Apple’ Environmental Award and achieving runner-up in IWFM Collaboration Award.
Wates FM and HMRC now collaboratively explore ways to evolve the ESG strategy in terms of building optimisation and continue to strive to make a positive sustainable impact across the south.
Collaborating with HMRC to transform their ESG strategy has been incredibly rewarding
Antony Collett, Managing Director of Wates’ FM business, comments: “Collaborating with HMRC to transform their ESG strategy has been incredibly rewarding, from the achieved results to the social value impact we have generated. Having this recognised by HMRC solidifies our position in the market and we are looking forward to continuing our relationship to positively influence environmental impact.”
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