SGP is committed to delivering long-term sustainability and social value. We recognise these under the heading of Social Responsibility and view it as an integral discipline within the practice. This document provides an overview of how we are making a positive impact on people and places through our activities.

At the heart of our overall approach to Social Responsibility is the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). By utilising these, as an adopted framework, we have focused on three main ways we deliver SR:

Education SDG 1, 4, 8, 10;
Social Value SDG 1, 9, 10, 11, 17;
Environmental Conscience SDG 12, 13, 14, 15.

As a RIBA Chartered Practice, we invest in our employees’ continuing professional education and we are extending that commitment to address emerging skill gaps and highlight the breadth of roles available to all students.

We have a national agenda, entitled ‘Stephen George + You’, where we are making strategic investments in local communities through our academic programme. For this, SGP, in partnership with The Heaven Company, has carried out several ten-week education programmes involving groups of Key Stage 3 & 4 – Years 7 to 10 students – at selected schools in the South, Midlands and North of England.

Working hand in hand with the principles of The Heaven Company’s Brief Cases programme and the schools we are delivering a thought-driven and innovative programme asking students about their understanding of the built environment today, what it means to them and what the future holds.

Serving as an umbrella term for our initiatives, that we believe add positively “to the long-term wellbeing and resilience of individuals, communities and society in general” (The Social Value Portal), we have commenced several projects:

Fund
We aim to strengthen the social infrastructure in locations where we operate and deliver worthwhile benefits to individuals and communities. To do this we have established a fund in order to work collaboratively with business associates and industry partners to contribute to local investments close to where our projects are carried out.

By putting in place funding it will leverage the impact of the value proposition brought to a local area where a project is being built and allows us to work ever more closely with clients, contractor partners, councils, local authorities, communities, framework associates and delivery partners to support their, or a wider, social value initiative.

TOMS Calculator
Under the National Social Value Measurement Framework, over the last two years, we have been entering data into their TOMS (Themes, Outcomes and Measures) calculator, providing us with a methodological approach, to obtain a social value figure expressed in financial terms. Utilising the Office for National Statistics and Unit Cost Database, the data the calculator produces allows us to hone our efforts over the coming months and years.

Thought Leadership
With expertise in low carbon construction, energy use and carbon neutral developments, we are in a strong position to share knowledge, best practice and exemplar cases in order to help educate people in the issues of sustainability whatever background or role they play in society.

Wombling
Endeavouring to inspire others to take pride in their environments, we carried out a womble (picking up litter and waste) in our local area. In the space of one hour, we had collected several bags of rubbish, the content of which was recycled where possible, but otherwise disposed of properly.

The Planet Mark and ISO14001:2015
To demonstrate our environmental conscience, we hold the ISO14001:2015 Standard and The Planet Mark certification. The former holds all our operations to a high level of accountability, meeting or exceeding all legal and environmental requirements, as well as reducing our carbon footprint. The latter demonstrates our commitment to measure, engage and communicate sustainable operations and facilitates an increasing awareness of environmental challenges we face today.
Formalising our actions within the above Standard and Award allows us to:

• Review our efforts against key performance indicators (KPIs);
• Effectively communicate our plans within and outside our business;
• Share our results and successes;
• Ensure that our emphasis on ethical and social issues is well aligned to local authorities, councils, corporate entities and Government thinking.

Carbon Reduction Plan

SGP Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP)

Click here to download:

SGPAPPROVED Social Responsibility Policy 2024

Guide to Building Materials and the Environment v3