Sustainability is about much more than reducing carbon. It’s about how we grow, how we look after our people, how we manage risk and how we make decisions that leave the business in a stronger position for the future.
As part of our Internal Sparks series, we caught up with Mhairi, Health, Safety, Environmental & Quality Advisor at Booth Welsh, to talk about responsible growth, changing client expectations and why sustainability should ultimately become part of everyday decision-making.
- When we talk about sustainability at Booth Welsh, what does that mean beyond reducing our environmental impact?
Sustainability is much more than simply reducing our carbon footprint. It’s about making responsible decisions across the business, looking after our people, delivering quality work, managing risk, supporting our clients and thinking about the long-term impact of the decisions we make.
For me, it’s about building a business that is successful today while creating a resilient foundation for the future.
- Why is responsible growth particularly important as Booth Welsh looks to the future?
As we grow, the decisions we make naturally have a bigger impact, so it’s important that we grow in the right way.
We don’t want to lose sight of the things that have made Booth Welsh successful in the first place, like, looking after our people, keeping safety high on the agenda, maintaining our values and continuing to deliver a high quality service.
There is no denying growth brings opportunities, but it can also bring new risks. Responsible growth is about making sure our skills, resources and processes develop alongside the business, so that we strengthen Booth Welsh while protecting our people and our reputation.
A lot of it comes down to asking the right questions; Does this opportunity fit with our values? Do we have the right skills and resources? Can we deliver it safely and to the standard our clients expect?
- What role does HSEQ play in supporting that growth?
HSEQ covers a lot of different areas, but they’re much more connected than they might initially appear.
We’re not here to create barriers or just point out what’s wrong. Our role is to work alongside teams, identify potential risks and help find practical solutions that support successful outcomes.
We also help maintain the standards and accreditations that provide a consistent framework for how we operate, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001, alongside external assessments and certifications such as EcoVadis, Achilles and SafeContractor.
Those standards help us continually improve, but they’re also increasingly important when it comes to meeting client requirements and securing future opportunities.
- Are you seeing sustainability become more important to clients?
Definitely. We’re seeing a couple more sustainability questions coming through tenders and supplier audits than we perhaps would have a couple of years ago.
Clients increasingly want partners who can demonstrate responsible practices, manage risks effectively and support their own sustainability objectives.
Financial cost will always be important, but we’re also beginning to hear more about the ‘carbon cost’ of doing business. There are more questions around things like product lifecycles, environmental impact and being able to provide evidence that you’re actually doing what you say you’re doing.
- How can sustainability influence the way we deliver projects?
A lot of it starts with good planning.
It’s about considering how people, materials, equipment and other resources can be used effectively, whether we can reduce unnecessary travel, minimise rework, reduce waste or identify risks earlier.
Procurement is a good example. Could several orders from the same supplier be consolidated into one delivery? Can something be sourced more locally? Is there a more efficient piece of equipment available?
Even design decisions can make a difference. Something like considering a variable speed drive rather than a fixed-speed pump could improve efficiency over the longer term.
Individually these decisions can seem small, but when they’re repeated across multiple projects, the cumulative impact can be significant.
- Where does early HSEQ involvement fit into that?
The earlier we consider safety, quality, environmental impact and risk, the more opportunity we have to influence the outcome.
Not every project will require the same level of HSEQ involvement, but if we’re brought into the right conversations early enough, we can look at a project from a slightly different perspective and potentially identify something before it becomes a real issue.
Generally, it’s much easier and more cost-effective to address something during planning or design than it is to fix it later.
It can also strengthen our relationships with clients. Having HSEQ visible gives them another point of contact and another area of expertise they can draw on.
- How does that help build trust with clients?
Trust comes from consistency.
If we demonstrate that we take sustainability, safety, quality and responsible business seriously throughout a project, clients know they can rely on us as a “safe pair of hands.”
It’s also about being honest when challenges arise and working together to find the right solution. That’s how you move beyond simply delivering an individual project and start building a trusted, long-term relationship.
- Booth Welsh talks a lot about being a people-centred business. What does that mean from an HSEQ perspective?
From an HSEQ perspective, that means creating an environment where people can work safely, feel supported and, importantly, have a voice.
Our Good Catch initiative is one way of encouraging that. We want people to raise concerns, but also ideas. The people closest to the work can often see opportunities that somebody else might miss.
People have worked in different businesses, sectors and environments and bring all of that experience with them. We should be making use of it.
- Does being employee-owned change that sense of responsibility?
I think it naturally encourages us to think beyond the short term.
When employees have a genuine stake in the business, there’s a stronger sense that the decisions we make today affect all of us – and the people who will work here in the future.
Sustainability isn’t something that sits with one department or one person. Much like safety, it’s a shared responsibility.
Whether that’s challenging a wasteful practice, reporting a concern, suggesting a more efficient approach or simply asking why we do something a certain way, everyone has an opportunity to contribute.
- How do you encourage people to challenge existing ways of working?
We encourage people to have a questioning attitude.
Particularly if you’re younger or newer to the business, it can be easy to assume that because somebody has more experience, the way something is being done must be the best way.
But it’s absolutely OK to ask: “Why do we do it like that?” or “Could there be a safer or more efficient way?”
If the only answer is “because we’ve always done it that way,” then maybe it’s worth another look.
That’s where tools like Good Catch, speaking directly to HSEQ or simply starting a conversation with your manager or colleagues can make a difference.
- What would you like sustainability to look like at Booth Welsh in the future?
Ultimately, I’d like it to become business as usual.
Safety is a good comparison. Things like inductions, PPE and clear safety standards are simply expected now. They’re part of how a responsible business operates.
Sustainability needs to move in the same direction. It shouldn’t feel like an additional exercise or something we do because it looks good externally. It should naturally be part of the decisions we make every day.
- Where do you see the biggest opportunities over the next few years?
We’ve already built sustainability into the strategic direction of the business and have seen reductions in our annually measured carbon footprint.
The next opportunity is to build that thinking further into how we design and deliver projects, and to use technology and data to make better decisions, improve efficiency and reduce waste.
We’re already seeing practical changes internally. Improvements to procurement have helped consolidate orders where possible, reducing processing, deliveries and associated impacts. We’re also exploring opportunities to improve energy efficiency at Head Office, including energy-saving measures and potential on-site renewable generation.
We’ve also had our carbon reduction targets approved by SBTi, which is an important milestone, and we’re progressing our CDP disclosure. Employee involvement through volunteering and our Net Zero Heroes group is another important part of that progress.
As the business grows and enters new sectors, the challenge will be making sure our systems, skills and processes continue to develop too, without compromising the standards and culture that have helped make Booth Welsh successful.
- Finally, if everyone could take one practical action, what would it be?
Stop and think before you act.
Ask yourself: Is there a safer way to do this? Is there a more efficient way? Are we creating unnecessary waste? Could we do something differently?
You don’t need to be a sustainability expert to make a difference. Being curious, speaking up and looking for opportunities to improve can have a real impact.
And if you see something – raise a Good Catch.
- When you think about the future of Booth Welsh, what does responsible and sustainable success look like?
For me, success is continuing to grow Booth Welsh without losing sight of what makes us a responsible business. That means doing the right things for our people, our clients and the communities we work in, while continuing to deliver high-quality work and maintain the standards we’re known for.
Ultimately, success would be knowing that Booth Welsh continues to be a business that people are proud to work for, that our clients trust to deliver, and that builds on its strong foundations while remaining equipped for future growth and success.
If we do these things well, everything else will follow.