THE Supply Chain Sustainability School has released its 2023 Impact Report, which outlines the positive impact the initiative has had on the UK built environment.
The report surveyed over 1,000 of its members to get their thoughts on what is important to their organisation and supply chain, and offered insights into how the School has benefited businesses through its free practical learning and support.
Despite the challenges faced by the built environment in recent years including the pandemic, cost pressures, and material shortages, the Supply Chain Sustainability School said sustainability remains at the top of the agenda worldwide.
Reflecting this, the School’s engagement figures are up significantly, with 24,160 (+44%) individuals from 5,503 companies actively learning through the School. This has driven a 35% increase in resource views compared to the previous year. At the same time, quality ratings for the training received by the members remain very high, with 95% rating the training as good or excellent.
Shaun McCarthy OBE, chair of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, said, “It’s been another brilliant year for the School and we are thrilled to have over 24,000 individuals training through our learning platform. However, we recognise that there is still a way to go to achieve our vision of an industry where everyone will have the skills and knowledge to deliver a sustainable future.
“To achieve mass impact, technology will be a key focus moving forward. It is our hope that this additional technological investment and expertise will not only support the School’s growth, but ensure it is armed for arising opportunities so we can continue to provide membership with accessible and credible learning.”
73% of survey respondents said the School has helped them to better understand their organisation’s sustainability impacts. The School has also helped 65% of members improve their understanding of modern slavery, and 54% to increase their understanding of fairness, inclusion and respect.
Members also shared how the School has helped them to improve their sustainability impacts. This includes reductions in carbon emissions (52% of members) and total waste (50%), as well as increased community engagement (57%) and apprentice numbers (50%).
Julia Barrett, chief sustainability officer at Willmott Dixon, commented, “The School continues to drive massive change for the industry by providing free virtual learning across a huge range of subjects. This year once again, it’s proven that through collaboration the industry can thrive. To increase our sustainability impacts further, we would love more members to register and learn through School, and more partners to work with us to identify key issues and share new ideas.”
The School is part-funded by CITB and industry partners. Working in collaboration, partners share knowledge and free resources to inspire and help drive change. Last year, the School was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in recognition of the environmental, social and economic benefits it has delivered.
