Environmental

Respect and protect the environment

Trollhättan, Sweden, GTC

Our objectives

  • Invest to improve operational efficiencies by minimising environmental impact through reduced energy consumption, CO2 emissions, water use and waste.
  • Align with recognised frameworks such as SASB, TCFD and CDP, to increase transparency of our actions.

UN SDGs

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001
Environmental performance 

We recognise that environmental issues are complex and interconnected, and their management demands an integrated approach. Our approach to environmental protection aims to address our operational impact on the environment through ambitious sustainability targets, and with the support of targeted investments. With the broader value chain in focus, it also aims to help our customers contribute to decarbonisation. We do this through a combination of investing in our own operations, contributing to the strategic UN Goals, and ground-breaking R&D aimed at developing innovative product solutions and processes to support the transition towards Net Zero. Our Environmental policy demonstrates our commitment to sustainable production methods and infrastructure, and minimising our potential negative impact on the environment over the longer term.

  • Download our Environmental Policy 0.17Mb PDF
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    Water management

    Water is an essential resource for production processes within our operations. Water scarcity is a global challenge and so conserving water is an increasingly important topic for our business lines and stakeholders. Our Water policy centres on the two key principles of: ensuring we remain resilient to any risks associated with water by minimising potential impacts on water availability and quality; and facilitating business contributions to addressing water challenges and improving water management practices. 

    The Melrose Board of Directors, supported by the Melrose senior management team and informed by the GKN Aerospace sustainability function, has overall responsibility for the Group Water policy. The executive management team of each business line has direct responsibility for ensuring effective management of their water-related risks and opportunities throughout operations and with suppliers. We support the requirements of our Water policy with a target to reduce the intensity of water withdrawal and a Water Stewardship Programme. 

    Some GKN Aerospace sites have already started to look into initiatives that can reduce water use by roughly 20% to 50%. They have achieved this through operational improvements such as maintenance and adjustment of irrigation systems, increased surveillance to avoid leaks, and improved maintenance of cooling towers. We distribute water-management case studies to environmental managers to ensure we can adopt best practice widely. 

  • Download our 2022 Sustainability Report for more details 2.97Mb PDF
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    Waste management

    We aim to reduce the amount of waste generated in operations and divert waste from landfill. Our existing waste target is to divert 95% of solid non-hazardous waste from landfill by 2025 and 100% by 2030. We have improved data-collection processes and our waste-management disclosure, and currently divert 90% of our non-hazardous solid waste from landfill, on track to reach our target. In addition, we send a larger proportion of waste to higher waste-hierarchy options of recycling.

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    Biodiversity

    We recognise the importance of biodiversity and how fundamental it is to our society, and so aim to preserve biodiversity for the benefit of future generations. Our Biodiversity policy sets out the foundational principles of promoting the growth of the natural world and helping prevent deforestation. In 2023, we started a top-down assessment of our biodiversity-related risks using the WWF biodiversity risk filter to identify and account for the physical risks associated with our operational sites. That is, the ways our operations both depend on, and affect, nature and surrounding ecosystems. The initial analysis showed the operational sites, based on their location and industry specifics, that had the highest risk of direct pressure on biodiversity. Of 30 industrial sites, five have a high physical risk score and 25 have a medium physical risk score. The analysis also indicated pollution and high risk of natural disasters as other relevant impact indicators to our operations.

    Our sites are mostly located in industrial zones and operate under general binding rules. Permitting processes, which review the impact of our emissions on the environment and set limits to prevent harm to the surrounding environment, provide the necessary safeguards against extreme natural events. Through this, we ensure our sites do not adversely affect the integrity of a location or local community, or change its ecological features and functions, meaning the operation of our sites should not contribute to any net loss in biodiversity.

  • Download our Biodiversity Policy 0.13Mb PDF
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    Product life-cycle management

    The global production system promotes a transition away from the linear model towards maximising resource intensity and value addition. We have updated our business processes for selecting technology and suppliers, and for new product development, to incorporate sustainability requirements, to ensure any selection decision takes into account the lifecycle implications. We assess the impact of our products on the environment in material use, waste, energy use and CO2 emissions throughout each product life cycle. We do this through rigorous data-based analysis of product lifecycles. This helps us better understand and measure the effects of product design, methods of production, and supply chain choices on the environment. 

    We also increasingly incorporate circular economy principles into design and manufacturing processes where possible. In line with these principles, our maintenance, repair and operation services aim to turn waste into a resource by reintroducing it into the production cycle, thereby extending product lifetime instead of its disposal at the end of its useful life. This approach will gradually lead us to a shift from quantitative-based concept of 'expansion of the recycling industry' to the pursuit of optimum resource recovery through 'waste as a resource'.

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    03 Prioritise health and safety, promote diversity and nurture the wellbeing and skills development of employees, and support the communities that they are part of