Overview
Helping Africa meet its infrastructure and energy needs while minimizing the impact on the environment is a big challenge which requires concerted efforts. Our desire is to deliver Infrastructure and energy where it is needed the most affordably while preserving the African environment by reducing CO2 emissions.
We have a responsibility to use the Earth’s resources wisely and ensure our actions do not compromise the Earth’s ability to support future generations. We recognise this responsibility by complying with all environmental laws, rules and regulations and following best practices to mitigate the environmental impacts of the projects and activities of Webuild.
We also undertake to safeguard the environment in all of its activities. We do this through processes, technologies and materials capable of reducing energy and natural resource consumption, therefore avoiding or limiting impacts deriving from company activities (pollution, greenhouse gases, waste production and inconvenience for local communities). It also undertakes to restore worksite areas to their original state.
Throughout the life cycle of our projects and operations, we aim to manage environmental impacts and address any related impacts on local communities. We are committed to building sustainable works because it is in our business model. We create change to meet global challenges and support growth and the territories where we work.
Our Environmental objectives include:
- Environmental awareness campaigns throughout the year – VIA IQR FOUNDATION
- Promoting the use of green products
- Sourcing environmentally friendly products or companies committed to environmental sustainability, where possible, in partnership with the procurement department.
Our carbon footprint quantifies and reports emissions associated with the following activities:
- Scope 1: fossil fuel consumption – diesel and petrol
- Scope 2: use of national electricity grid
- Scope 3: business travel (road and air)
Water affects the triple bottom line of many businesses. Its availability has an impact on economic development, social upliftment and the wellbeing of the environment. As a business, our risk lies in stricter controls on water access for use.
We monitor water consumption at our operations. To save water, rainwater from building roofs and groundwater from the subsoil drainage system is collected in storage tanks and used for irrigation, alleviating pressure on the municipal water supply.
A detailed plan ensures waste management is properly implemented. We continue to separate our waste to comply with legislation, and reduce our impact on the environment. In managing our waste, we follow the waste hierarchy, namely:
- Prevention (most favoured option)
- Minimisation
- Reuse
- Reduce
- Recycle
- Energy recovery
- Disposal (least favoured option).
Our Vision for Health & Safety
Our Vision for Health and Safety was created from an internal, shared culture, in which our management and employees have together endorsed their commitment.
A commitment to guiding principles which goes beyond a correct application of Health and Safety procedures and takes a responsible, wider approach of prevention and protection in professional and personal life.
Our principles of Health & Safety:
- Safety means Life, for us and for our loved ones
- Safety must be a duty for each one of us. It comes from following procedures, encouraging each one of us to intervene when safety may be compromised
- We want to become Safety Builders on the job every day to guarantee a safe future
Our Commitment
We prioritise the protection of Health and Safety at work and have always been committed to ensuring the protection and wellbeing of our employees and third parties, by adopting a prevention and protection system to all operational activities, both in our offices and on our construction sites.
An effective management of the aspects of health and safety at work is guaranteed on every construction site by dedicated staff, working to assess the risk, plan and implement training activities, actively involve all direct personnel and subcontractors and monitor all activities.
By using the Health and Safety at Work Management System, certified in compliance with the ISO standards, we have achieved major results over the years, including raising considerable awareness among our employees on the topic of safety, a significant reduction in accidents at work, the prevention of industrial illnesses and a considerable reduction in insurance and compliance costs.
Each year, we continue to promote the importance of health and safety in the workplace by investing in staff training and raising their awareness.
AS AN IQR PERSON OR PARTNER YOU SHOULD:
- Attend and participate in HSE training sessions;
- Use the personal protective items given for each activity correctly;
- Take note of workplace hazards and ensure to report them to the appropriate person who can correct them;
- Ensure that any work you have been assigned is properly risk assessed;
- Intervene immediately if safety is being compromised in any way;
- Maintain situational awareness by avoiding distractions on the job site or in the workplace;
- Use the equipment assigned responsibly and follow manufacturer recommendations and guidelines given for their products;
AS AN IQR PERSON OR PARTNER YOU SHOULD:
- Attend and participate in HSE training sessions;
- Use the personal protective items given for each activity correctly;
- Take note of workplace hazards and ensure to report them to the appropriate person who can correct them;
- Ensure that any work you have been assigned is properly risk assessed;
- Intervene immediately if safety is being compromised in any way;
- Maintain situational awareness by avoiding distractions on the job site or in the workplace;
- Use the equipment assigned responsibly and follow manufacturer recommendations and guidelines given for their products;
- Adhere to all proper protocols to control the spread of infectious diseases;
- Report any and all workplace accidents or near misses to the appropriate HSE personnel.
AND YOU SHOULD NOT:
- Think safety is someone else’s responsibility;
- Take risk that could endanger your physical integrity or that of others;
- Put other employees in danger by behaving playfully;
- Deviate from established plans without ensuring the new ones are safe;
- Accept compromises with respect to unsafe or unhealthy practices or conditions;
- Conduct operations in a way that is unsafe for the general public.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSBILITY, CRS
As a company based in Africa with a huge infrastructure and energy deficit, we have made our CSR strategy an integral part of our core business and the aim is to enable as many communities as possible benefit from infrastructure clean energy at a price they can afford.
We are cognisant to the fact that the ability to pay for energy in Africa hinders many communities from accessing energy. We are therefore constantly finding ways to revolutionise energy by turning it into an affordable necessity from a luxury need.
Our projects are designed and implemented to enhance economic and social growth through productive uses while creating a positive environmental impact.
We are also running action-based sensitization programmes to communicate the need to take action on climate change.
Although most of our business activities are projects with specified durations, our aim is to leave a legacy wherever we operate by contributing to sustainable initiatives that enhance communities' lives and create opportunities for them to become self reliant and economically active. We belive strategic CSR offers an opportunity for shared value between our business and the communities they intend to serve.
We believe real stakeholder engagement must address real needs. However, the scale of needs in Zambia and Africa is beyond the means of a single company. As such, a coordinated approach to social responsibility that harnesses the resources and skills of our people, our partners, government stakeholders and even our competitors is most likely to leave a lasting legacy.