Laing O’Rourke’s drive to enhance the environmental sustainability of its operations has been given a boost with the award of the internationally recognised CEMARS accreditation for its UK Construction business.

Laing O’Rourke was the first construction company in Britain to receive CEMARS accreditation with the qualification of its Infrastructure division in 2009. This recent award now means all of the business’ UK operations are covered. 

CEMARS (Certified Emissions Measurement and Reduction Scheme) enables companies to track and manage their greenhouse gas emissions within an independently assured framework.

The award demonstrates Laing O’Rourke’s commitment to robust carbon management. (As part of its annual ‘CR Challenge’, the UK business has targeted a 15% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2012.) It will also assist with placement on the national Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) league table, where its performance is ranked alongside similar organisations.

The ISO-accredited certification is valid until 2013 - after which the business will need to demonstrate continued carbon reduction to re-qualify.