Our environment

Climate change is the most urgent environmental challenge of our time. Every business has a role to play in tackling this threat and AWE is taking definitive action. We are harnessing our scientific and technological expertise to reduce negative impacts, research green innovation ideas and deliver clean growth.

Our approach

Our Environmental Sustainability Strategy sets out our ambition to further reduce our environmental footprint and have a positive, sustainable impact across the organisation.

We have three key ambitions:

1. Carbon: we have developed science-based targets to ensure our carbon reductions are in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
2. Biodiversity: we aim to positively manage our natural capital and cultural heritage, to maximise the benefit for current and future generations.
3. Resource Consumption: we plan to reduce AWE’s resource footprint further by managing and conserving scarce and non-renewable resources, minimising waste production and reusing and recycling all controlled waste.

AWE’s commitment to continuing environmental improvement is demonstrated by our ongoing certification to the internationally recognised standard ISO 14001: 2015 Environmental Management Systems. A copy of AWE’s certificate can be found here. This certificate covers the sites of Aldermaston, Burghfield and Blacknest.

In support of ISO 14001: 2015, AWE has a single Environment Safety Health ESH Policy statement endorsed by our Chief Executive, which clearly sets out how we conduct business. The ESH Policy details AWE’s commitment to continual improvement and the prevention of pollution. It also provides a framework for the setting and reviewing of environmental objectives and targets through defined business plans.