Peab’s sustainability work
As the Nordic Community Builder with extensive local presence we have a self-evident responsibility for our communities. This responsibility begins with our role as employers and business partners and stretches all through our production chain and into the community. Naturally this responsibility also includes the environment and climate. Working sustainably is strategic for Peab and should be completely integrated into our operations. Every employee should work sustainably based on our core values, business concept, mission, strategic targets and Code of Conduct. Our business has a life cycle perspective and we take responsibility for both making and meeting demands in the value chain regarding suppliers and customers.
Our material sustainability aspects are summarized in two of our four strategic targets: Best workplace and Leader in social responsibility. Our four business areas collaborating locally give us better control over the supply chain. Our 15,000 employees ensure that we as far as possible use local resources in the form of our own employees, our own input goods and subcontractors. With our engagement in the community and integrated climate and environmental work this is the basis of our sustainability work and what we call locally produced community building.
Regarding Peab’s climate impact our material use is a particularly important area where our operations generate carbon emissions. This is why we try to husband resources, use more local material and develop more climate-improved material. Our investments in ECO-Betong (ECO-Concrete) and ECO-Asfalt are two practical examples where we both reuse material and mix in alternative binder to reduce our carbon footprint. Peab is also a driving force in several development initiatives to optimize material and verify quality. In 2021 we became the first Swedish construction and civil engineering company to partner with SSAB in fossil free steel, which means that as of 2026 we will begin to use steel that has been fossil free manufactured in our projects. In 2022 The Swedish Construction Industry’s Development Fund (SBUF) granted funds for a research project where together with SSAB we are investigating possible climate savings in the construction and civil engineering industry through the hydrogen gas based HYBRIT technology. A preliminary rough analysis shows that over 90 percent of the steel in a conventional steel frame for an office building can be replaced by steel via HYBRIT technology. This equals a climate reduction of about 70 percent compared to conventionally produced steel. The research project will also perform a detailed study of the fossil free steel’s climate impact and the effect this climate savings can have on the total climate footprint of construction and civil engineering projects.
Research and development
The purpose of Peab’s R&D is to provide society, our customers and other stakeholders with added value. Through new discoveries we can improve or develop new products, services and production processes. In 2022 we created the new function Research and Innovation aimed at supporting our business in its transition to climate-adapted products and with investments in new technology. Circular material and new energy services are examples of areas the function deals with. In 2022 the function started up new collaborations and identified new partnerships that include new circular processes where we use more and more residual products from other industries as raw materials. For example, we are running a research project until the spring of 2023 with financing from SBUF that studies manufacturing construction material in the form of new mineral aggregates by storing biogenic carbon from wood and other biomaterial in residual products from quarry and concrete operations. This would give mineral aggregates a role in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), i.e. capturing and permanently binding carbon dioxide to reduce the amount in the atmosphere. Peab has the right prerequisites for this considering our operations comprise the whole circle from excavation to use and finally recycling of mineral aggregates material.
Peab also collaborates with universities, colleges and trade organizations and is an active participant in many industry projects. We participate in strategic, innovative and tactical operative programs to take responsibility with a long-term perspective and for current needs. In 2022 Peab and Luleå University of Technology entered into a long-term strategic partnership in sustainable construction, digitalization and resource efficiency which lets Peab take advantage of the latest research. At Chalmers in Gothenburg we participate in the research program “Future Transportation Infrastructure” and at The Faculty of Engineering, LTH we are active in the “Center for construction robotics”. For years we have worked together with The KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm in road technology and geotechnical engineering. We also participate in other forms of collaboration such as LFM30 (Local roadmap for a climate neutral construction and civil engineering sector in Malmö 2030), Infrasweden 2030 (promotes a competitive and climate neutral transport infrastructure sector by 2030), Smart Built Environment (innovation for the community building sector) and Mistra Carbon Exit (research for climate neutrality 2045).
Peab’s investment in the above-named ECO-products is important where, for instance, ECO-Betong (ECO-Concrete) has been developed to further reduce climate impact and dependence on cement.
Greater focus on construction sites
Construction sites are receiving greater attention and Peab energy classifies construction barracks in order to reduce energy consumption through a new energy classification system that promotes energy efficient barracks and barrack establishment. The project is a collaboration with other actors in the industry like contractors, barrack renters, barrack-makers and general contractors. Peab also has well thought out conceptual measures on how to best establish a construction site to meet future climate requirements and drive development aligned with both national guidelines and customers’ demands.
In accordance with the Annual Reports Act chapter 6 paragraph 11 Peab has chosen to present the statutory Sustainability Report outside of the Board of Directors’ Report. The parts required in a sustainability report can be found under sections Targets and strategies (page 14–15), Best workplace (page 20–27), Leader in social responsibility (page 32–45), Our take on sustainable business (page 46–51), Reporting according to the EU Taxonomy (page 52–55), Summary sustainability data (page 56), Risks and risk management (page 81–84) and Corporate governance report (page 157–161).