From working towards net zero, diverting the amount of waste we send to landfill and increasing the percentage of material we recycle, we are focused on building responsibly.
Our commitment to reaching net zero
Our ambition is to create better places where people and planet prosper. This means building high-quality homes and becoming a stronger, more resilient business for our people and the communities we serve.
To achieve this, we must play our part in addressing climate change.
Our pathway to achieving our net zero goal
We have committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions across our value chain by 2045. This means reducing emissions from our own operations, our supply chain, and the homes we build once they are lived in by our customers.
We have set ambitious but realistic near and long-term targets for carbon reduction and identified a clear pathway to achieve our goals. Our carbon targets have been validated by the Science Based Target initiative.
Reaching net zero won't be easy, but it's absolutely crucial for the planet, our customers, and the resilience and sustainability of our business.
Our Environmental Sustainability Strategy is a roadmap to guide us toward meeting our ambitious targets over a three-year period, focusing on climate change, waste and resource management, and nature.
Read more about our validated, science-based targets and the actions we are taking in our Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2024
Towards net zero
Short-term Carbon Reduction
The Science Based Targets initiative officially approved our targets in September 2024.
Our short-term commitment is to deliver a 51.4% reduction in carbon emissions by 2032, against our baseline year of 2022. This is a challenging target which needs decisive and determined action over the next few years.
How we do it
A number of projects are already underway, including solar technology trials, hybrid generators on sites, and increasing the supply of renewable electricity across our operations.
Other projects such as reducing unnecessary fuel use, solar-backed sales facilities, and increasing our use of electric vehicles are also being considered.
A major step on our journey is introducing Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel as a replacement for diesel, and accelerating connections to the grid will significantly reduce the need for on-site generators.
How it is measured
We measure our progress through our absolute reduction in tonnes of carbon equivalent, or TCO2e. We also track our emissions against build area and number of homes completed each year. This allows like-for-like comparisons to be made with our peers and helps us keep track of how efficiently we operate.Commitment to Net Zero - Scope 3
To achieve our goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2045, we need to address our entire supply chain, including Scope 3 or ‘indirect’ emissions.
Scope 3 emissions are usually much larger than Scope 1 and 2 emissions. The design of our homes, the heating fuel used, and how customers use their homes after they move in has a significant impact on Scope 3.
As the UK’s electricity supply continues to decarbonise, the impact of carbon emissions from our supply chain will become most significant.
This is particularly true for materials which require a lot of energy to produce, such as bricks, cement and roof tiles. Waste generation, business travel and commuting also contribute to this group of emissions.
How we do it
We have assessed our Scope 3 emissions and developed a roadmap to deliver significant short-term carbon reductions.
Critical actions include designing our homes in line with the new building regulation requirements for carbon reduction in England and Scotland.
The current Part L regulations in England will deliver a carbon emission reduction of around 31%, and from 2025 the Future Homes Standard will drive this improvement up to at least 75%. Homes built under the Future Homes Standard will be able to run wholly on clean energy, ready to reach zero emissions when the electricity grid is fully decarbonised.
We are also considering how alternative materials could help reduce the carbon emissions created by manufacturing construction materials. By working closely with our supply chain, we will better understand how their carbon reduction plans can help our sector reduce embodied carbon.
We are already taking action to reduce waste in our business and are transitioning our company car fleet to fully electric and hybrid electric vehicles.
How it is measured
Measuring Scope 3 emissions is a complex and iterative process which follows recognised standards for carbon accounting and reporting.Our energy, materials, cost, waste, services and travel data is collated annually. Carbon factors are applied to each element to create a carbon footprint for the entire value chain of our business.
Reducing waste
Every year, billions of tonnes of resources are extracted, damaging the environment and generating significant carbon emissions. Too many of these materials ultimately become waste. We are focused on reducing our use of raw materials, increasing recycling rates, and avoiding the incineration or landfill of unwanted materials.
Diversion of waste from landfill
*we rely on our contractors to facilitate the journey from 99% to 100%
How we do it
Diversion rates across our regions are driven by on-site controls and segregation, and working with waste contractors who can recover high levels of waste materials through their processes.
How it is measured
Diversion rates across our regions are driven by on-site controls and segregation, and working with waste contractors who can recover high levels of waste materials through their processes.Recycling rate across our Group
Reducing our use of raw materials is essential. Recycling waste back into usable materials, ideally for the same purpose, is one important way we can achieve this. We aim to achieve a recycling rate of 85% by 2030.
How we do it
Analysis of recycling rates across our suppliers has highlighted the waste contractors who deliver good recycling rates and those that require improvement. We aim to place more waste with the best performing processors in the sector.How it is measured
We use a reporting template for our waste contractors to ensure we can accurately and easily track our recycling rate.
Reduction of waste per plot
Preventing waste at source is the most effective way to reduce resource consumption and limit the environmental impact of managing waste.
How we do it
In 2024 we launched a major initiative to reduce waste per plot. Our Tackling Waste for A Better Place project focuses on reuse of materials such as hardcore on site, and ensuring that reusable waste streams, such as pallets, are returned to suppliers.
We are exploring more opportunities to prevent waste arising on site, including pre-cutting materials such as plasterboard and flooring.
How it is measured
Our waste contractors provide reports with data on total tonnes of waste produced at each site. We divide these volumes by monthly production numbers to derive a waste per plot number for sites, regions and the entire Miller Homes business.
Our site teams have targets to reduce waste per plot. Since the initiative began, engagement with our sites and our waste service suppliers has driven down the amount of waste disposed of.