To achieve the level 3 rating, Willmott Dixon worked closely with two main supply chain partners; TJL Plastering and McDermotts Building & Civil Engineering.

Together, they drew up carbon management plans which included measures to cut site fuel use, office energy use and create a more sustainable approach to transport.

Both partners achieved carbon and cost savings of between 10-20%.

Willmott Dixon also examined the embodied carbon of the materials purchased, particularly concrete to develop carbon reduction strategies.

The Level 3 accreditation builds on six years of work, with Willmott Dixon achieving Level 1 in 2015.

This revealed Willmott Dixon’s supply chain emissions were 99 times greater than the private builder’s own operations.

In 2018, Willmott Dixon achieved Level 2, after helping three high-impact supply chain partners baseline, monitor and reduce their footprint, with McDermotts achieving ISO50001 as a result.

The criteria for Level 3 also required Willmott Dixon to expand the approach. They worked with three further groundworks contractors, helping them baseline their carbon footprint.

Marta Iglesias, associate director, The Carbon Trust, said: “Willmott Dixon is the first company in their sector to be certified to Level 3 of the Supply Chain Standard.

“This achievement is a reflection of their robust strategies and plans for climate action in their supply chain, and their successful engagement with suppliers.”

Julia Barrett, chief sustainability officer at Willmott Dixon, said: “Achieving this accreditation is key to meeting the objectives of our ambitious ‘Now or Never’ 2030 Sustainability Strategy, where we have set some of the toughest science-based targets in the industry.”