Astley Hire wins Gold
30 September 2022
Astley Hire reports that it is one of the first industrial equipment hire companies to achieve carbon-neutral status, which has recently been verified by the NQA certification body and recognised with a Gold award from EcoVadis, the sustainability accreditation organisation.
Prior to 2020, Leigh-based Astley Hire had achieved an environmental standard under ISO 14001, which the company had held for many years, but the business committed to become carbon-neutral under the successor framework of PAS 2060.
This goal was inspired by the UK’s Net Zero initiative to create a carbon-neutral economy by 2050.
Astley Hire engaged with consultancy service Charis Ventures Ltd to assist with the project throughout 2020 and 2021. By working together to form and implement a comprehensive carbon scheme, the company was able to reduce a potential carbon footprint of 485.21 tonnes to a residual value of 476.95 tonnes, which has been alleviated via carbon off-setting.
The hirer joined the EcoVadis online community to better assess its sustainability management compared against other businesses monitored by the organisation, and has now been awarded Gold status, placing it within the top five per cent for its sustainability management.
“This is an important step forward for the business and something we are all passionate about,” said Martin Doran, general manager at Astley Hire. “It hasn’t been straightforward and we have learned a lot on our carbon journey so far.
“We realise that this is just the start, and we have more work to do over the coming years to reach our zero carbon targets. Hopefully, our customers feel the benefit of the changes we have made so far and the changes that will be driven as a result of achieving this high standard of accreditation.”
Martin says that immediate plans include continuing a shift from diesel-powered machinery to a selection of hybrid and electric-powered units in the hire fleet.
He adds that Astley Hire will continue developing its long-term goals regarding sustainability and reducing environmental impact, encompassing every aspect of operations and making improvements as new green technologies become available.
The business serves customers in seven specialist areas including cleaning equipment, access, cooling, heating, maintenance, scaffolding and training.
