Robertson reports 85% cut in operational carbon intensity since 2014/15

Robertson Group has reported a reduction of more than 85% in operational carbon intensity against its 2014/15 baseline in its 2025-26 environmental, social and governance (ESG) report, published on 9 November.

The family-owned contractor said carbon intensity, measured in tonnes of carbon per £1m of turnover, fell 16.7% year on year. The report attributes the fall to fleet decarbonisation, lower-carbon site set-ups, renewable electricity tariffs and improved energy management, along with a shift towards refurbishment, retrofit and decarbonisation projects.

Robertson said the two figures are measured on different bases: the annual comparison uses its 2020 reporting scope, while the 85% reduction is against the original 2014/15 scope. In its 2024-25 report, published on 30 October 2025, the group reported a 73.72% reduction in carbon intensity over the ten years since it baselined its footprint.

Elliot Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, Robertson Group, said: "As a family-owned business with a long-term outlook, we believe that success should be measured not only by what we deliver, but by the legacy we leave behind."

The 2030 targets

The report measures progress against the Responsible Business Strategy Robertson launched on 3 December 2020. That strategy committed the group to enhancing 10,000 lives by 2030, generating £1bn of social value by the same date and producing zero emissions from offices, commercial fleet and construction sites within its operational control by 2030. At the 2020 launch, Robertson said carbon intensity had already fallen by more than 40% since 2014/15.

Robertson said it has now recorded 8,292 lives enhanced since 2020 through employment, work placements, apprenticeships, qualifications and mentoring. In 2025-26 it supported 772 apprentices on its projects, provided 229 work experience placements and helped 92 people from disadvantaged backgrounds into new employment, with 1,663 lives enhanced in total during the year. A year earlier it reported 1,753.

Reporting year	Lives enhanced
2024-25	1,753
2025-26	1,663

On social value, Robertson said it has generated £1.42bn in equivalent terms since 2020, having passed its original £1bn target in 2024-25, five years ahead of schedule.

Spend and community

Robertson spent £323.4m within 40 miles of its projects in 2025-26, which it said was 66% of reported spend, and £370.7m with small and medium-sized enterprises, or 76%. It donated more than £600,000 to local communities through cash, in-kind support and materials.

The report also points to work by RFM (Robertson Facilities Management) under its partnership with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Alongside maintaining 600 buildings, RFM has supported the installation, repair and maintenance of publicly accessible defibrillators, with 26 installed or repaired through the programme. RFM announced the five-year contract on 13 April 2022, describing it as worth £70m with an annual value of £14.35m.

A new partnership with MCR Pathways is creating mentoring, work experience and career insight opportunities for young people experiencing disadvantage, Robertson said. The charity runs its mentoring programme in 163 secondary schools, further education institutions and community settings across 22 Scottish local authorities and says it has supported around 18,000 young people since 2007.

Mr Robertson said: "Our Responsible Business strategy provides the framework for that ambition and remains central to how we operate, how we make decisions and how we define success."

The business

Robertson describes itself as employing 3,000 people across the UK, with Robertson Construction operating through eight regional businesses. The group reported revenue of £793m for the year to 30 June 2025, down from £824m, and a pre-tax profit of £20.2m after a £9.7m loss the year before.

In its previous ESG report, Robertson said it had become the first tier-one contractor to achieve Platinum status in the Supply Chain Sustainability School Plant Charter, and that its Ideal Candidate employability programme had passed 1,000 participants.

What happens next

Robertson said its priorities for the coming period are developing skills, improving supply chain carbon data and implementing Social Impact+, a framework designed to help supply chain partners increase their social impact. Its Carbon Footprint+ programme measures wider supply chain emissions using spend-based estimates alongside supplier and product-specific data.

The group's 2030 targets remain 10,000 lives enhanced, against 8,292 recorded so far, and zero emissions from offices, commercial fleet and construction sites within its operational control.