Duffy GRoup:
a blueprint for scope 3
emission reduction
Duffy Group, the firm behind the Aquatics Centre for the 2012 London Olympic Games, Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium and the Brighton Dome, could have a profound impact on how the construction industry sees Scope 3 emissions, and influence more organisations to begin their emissions reduction journeys.
Scroll to see their journey
Who is Duffy Group
Operating in a few construction segments, Duffy Group is the parent of three main companies, consisting of its contract services business, logistics, and plant hire. Duffy Construction is the firm behind many large-scale building projects, having worked on the Aquatics Centre at London Olympic Park, partial demolition and reconstruction of the Arsenal FC’s Highbury and Emirates Stadium respectively, and was contracted for refurbishments to the Brighton Dome.
In such a complex area of business, carbon reduction is paramount as the team takes on even greater projects year-on-year. The team, including its Group Safety, Health, Environmental & Quality (SHEQ) Director Stephen McCarthy, have made sustainability a core component of their growth moving forward with the end goal of developing the UK’s built environment while reducing their own environmental impact.
The Challenge
Having taken initial measures to reduce its environmental impact over the years, Duffy Group sought a deeper understanding of its entire commercial footprint to determine its internal impact, and that of its supply chain.
Duffy Group was yet to hold a clear view of its Scope 3 emissions; sifting through data proved to be a difficult task for the multifaceted firm. Stephen had already recognised the immense challenge of extracting insight from an abundance of unorganised data, and so sought our help to simplify Duffy Group’s collection of data in a way that could streamline reporting initiatives now and in the future.
Stephen McCarthy - “We engaged MyCarbon to help us gauge where we were and help guide us to where we want to be—to gain clarity on the path we need to go on. I was also mindful of the fact that we can’t dictate too much as a tier 2 contractor. The real challenge was knowing what to do, considering the fact we need better forms of concrete, which are being developed, but also navigating the costs.”
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory Insights
The GHG inventory threw out some compelling insights, pinpointing emissions hotspots within Duffy Group’s supply chain. Notable materials were aluminium and steel products like rebar, which are prone to high emissions from energy-intensive smelting.
However, the more challenging components to measure were Duffy Group’s downstream leased assets, which was a matter of acquiring data from 12 different internal systems. It’s safe to say that our consultant Leah McLaughlin stepped up to the task! Not only did she learn the ins and outs of the company, but also the industry. Leah worked tirelessly to educate herself on the inner workings of the construction industry to fully understand the data and marry it with sector trends.
Stephen McCarthy - “I knew our emissions were greater than we could physically see. Scope 3 was over 95% of our overall count, which I hadn’t grasped until I was able to look at it properly. I had my assumptions, but the inventory was a real eye-opener.”
With newfound clarity, Stephen was able to cite the impact Scope 3 has on the business. Whilst this is entirely in character for the industry, having a robust GHG inventory allows Duffy to better-manage its data to effectively set a net-zero that focuses on pragmatically reducing emission hotspots.
Managing the Uncontrollable
As Duffy Group is already taking strides to decarbonise Scopes 1 and 2, the final leg of its carbon marathon requires collaborative efforts from its supply chain. Some of the core components of its trade, including concrete and steel, fall within the Scope 3 category. Without proper consideration, the team was firmly grounded at the next hurdle.
One major implementation challenge is stakeholder engagement—Duffy Group is largely governed by other businesses and their ability to report on, and reduce, their emissions. Stephen recognised supplier communication as a major component of its overall Scope 3 emissions reduction, which, while aided by a clearer and more representative report, has led him to both upstream and downstream businesses to mobilise their teams where possible.
Crafting a Long-Term Carbon Strategy
Working with us long-term, Duffy Group plan to annualise its GHG inventories by better-using its data, and benchmarking against its first-year report. Not only will this provide greater clarity to clients but will also make the business more attractive to investors in an industry that is historically lacking robust carbon reporting.
Recognising the financial constraints on clients, Stephen understands the influential role that Duffy has to play, and it begins with a clear carbon inventory and a vision for the company's journey to net zero.
To learn more about Duffy Group's first steps towards construction decarbonisation read our article: Duffy Group’s GHG Inventory: A first step in mobilising the construction sector
Reflections and Next Steps
Leah McLaughlin, Senior Carbon Consultant - “The next step is to annualise Duffy Group’s carbon footprint measurement, giving the company the ability to identify relevant trends, highlighting the areas it performs best, but also actions to improve upon.
“We’ll be working with Stephen to build upon this as a way of tracking what’s going on at the company, but also in its supply chain network. It also feeds into the leadership aspect, providing insights to share with partners, suppliers, and customers, to influence their reduction strategies.”