fuelled by innovative ideas: tom redfern's dedication to sustainability
Tom Redfern’s career has always been focused on sustainability and improving the environment. Whether he was making sure water companies were staying compliant with environmental legislation or changing flight plans to reduce the noise impact and improve fuel efficiency Tom’s career experiences put him in good stead for his current role as head of sustainability at Holcim UK.
sustainability in the air and in the ground
Tom’s passion for the environment and improving businesses’ commitments to sustainable work practices can be traced back to his early days at university, where he studied for a geography degree at Liverpool John Moores. His first working experience in the sustainability sector came when he was accepted for a job at a water company, ensuring the systems in use were fit for purpose and compliant.
That’s when Tom’s passion for the environment really took off. He became an environmental specialist at Birmingham Airport, working his way up to head of sustainability over the course of the next eight years.
Tom said: “I loved my time working in the aviation sector. I was responsible for delivering the airport’s sustainability strategy, which included looking at flight paths, aircraft noise, waste and air quality. I did a bit of everything in that role, to be honest: I even did the simulator safety validations for the new flightpaths and was often out and about at public roadshows.
“After eight years, I felt like I had become an experienced sustainability professional and I was ready for a change. That’s when I looked towards the construction sector and joined Holcim UK. I knew the move would be a big shift for me and I quickly realised that sustainability in the construction sector is a whole different ball game.”
After joining Holcim, Tom quickly discovered that while the aviation sector has a huge impact on the environment, the construction sector’s production and manufacturing processes are vast and complicated, with many different levers that need to be pulled to successfully reduce carbon emissions. And with that, he saw just how much opportunity there was to make a positive impact in the industry.
swapping flights for quarry sites
Another huge part of Tom and his team’s role is ensuring Holcim cares for the surrounding environment its teams work in, making sure the company is encouraging nature across all sites. When Holcim UK thinks about nature, this covers freshwater, biodiversity, land and oceans. This broad spectrum includes everything from a focus on freshwater consumption, the circular economy to minimise the impact to land to the proactive management of biodiversity.
“Did you know Holcim UK has its own set of ponies that sustainably graze a restored quarry?” Tom said. “They’re in the south of the UK and we are looking to rehome them later this year at another site so they can carry on their good work. They’re fantastic.”
Tom understands that while he and his team are working at speed to ensure the construction sector minimises its impact, there is a long way to go.
“On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the most important, sustainability is a 10 in terms of how much it matters to the sector,” Tom explained. “But in terms of where we currently are, I’d say we’re middle of the road, at about a five.
“One of the reasons for this is the fact that the industry is just so huge and within it there’s so many subsectors. Underpinning the industry are a lot of small independents, and it can be hard to engage them in sustainability. But that’s our job, as an industry leader, to prove that sustainability can be done and must be achieved, while bringing smaller companies along with us to make sustainable construction a reality.”
With Holcim UK’s net-zero target aligned with the government’s own 2050 target, Tom sees Holcim’s sustainability plans and strategy as being mature in its approach. And he’s well prepared for the bumps that will come along the road.
a greener future starts with fresh talent
The construction industry hasn’t had to historically consider sustainability in the same way as it has more recently and this has meant attitudes and processes have had to alter significantly.
Tom said: “For decades, the construction industry has been consistent in it’s approach; it’s been about getting minerals out of the ground and making a product at the end of it. But the world has, rightly, changed and with that so too have the needs and demands of customers.
“It is an industry that is absolutely ready to build on the momentum of change that has already started and that’s why we need young people who want to make a difference and who truly care about a sustainable future for all of us coming into the sector.”
While it’s clear to see how passionate Tom is about his role at Holcim, he acknowledges there are challenges that come as part and parcel of his job too.
“The most challenging part of my job is trying to remove the hearsay surrounding new decarbonisation technologies and working to ensure that we continue to lead with new and innovative ideas,” Tom said.
“That’s a significant part of my job – presenting facts and data that prove how something can reduce carbon by ‘X’ amount. I understand people are nervous about change, but this is necessary to make sure our sector can grow and evolve sustainably and be here for future generations.”
From studying geography at university to managing sustainability in some of the hardest to abate sectors, it’s safe to say the fuel powering Tom in his quest for a cleaner future isn’t hydrogen or diesel; it’s passion.
Read more of our stories
Related News and Services
