Our sustainability commitment

Net zero by 2025

Our aim is to be the most sustainable mobile crane hire business in the UK.

We understand that our industry has a big impact on the environment, but we are determined to make a positive difference and play an influential role in mitigating climate change across the sectors we work in.

Since 2018, we’re exceptionally proud to have reduced our CO2 output by over 70%. But this is only the beginning…

We have pledged to become net-zero for our scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2025, twenty-five years ahead of government targets, and are currently developing our Scope 3 plans.

Our achievements so far

  • First UK mobile crane hire company to switch entire crane fleet to run on HVO – a renewable biofuel alternative to diesel
  • Wide range of EV charging points installed for both staff and visitors
  • Sensor activated LED lighting installed throughout our HQ
  • Waste management process in place to ensure correct recycling of paper, wood, steel, and plastic
  • Net-zero roadmap established with defined actions to help us reach zero-carbon by 2025

Our plans moving forward

  • Considerable investment in renewable energy sources at our HQ
  • All support and welfare vehicles to switch to HVO or fully electric
  • All company cars to switch to fully electric
  • Adoption of sustainable workwear for all staff members
  • Invest in the most meaningful carbon offsetting solution

Managing Director’s Sustainability Commitment

“When considering climate change it’s tough not to be overwhelmed by the scale of it. I do believe that action is needed right now to avert disaster, but I also think this can be a positive challenge for all of us.”

“An opportunity for us to pull together, use our ingenuity, and achieve something we can be truly proud of.

And for me sustainability isn’t just climate change, it’s also about our people, our families, our communities, our business and how we care for these things now and in the future.”

Matt Waddingham, Managing Director

Our environmental impact

It’s no secret that mobile cranes are notoriously unfriendly to the environment and play a key role in the production of harmful CO2 emissions found in today’s working landscape. Although manufacturer emissions continue to improve, their exceptionally heavy road-bearing weight and requirement for high-powered, diesel-thirsty engines contribute to the 26 million tonnes of CO2 produced by road going vehicles each year.

Immediate action is required to improve sustainability, reduce carbon emissions and work towards a greener future – and it’s not as difficult as you might think. Our switch to HVO biofuel has been instrumental in our carbon reduction and we are committed to doing everything in our power to reduce our impact on the planet in the shortest possible timeframe.

renewable fuel sticker on side of crane

What is HVO biofuel and why is it important?

Calculations discovered that over a 12-month period, we were producing upwards of 645-tonnes of CO2 on average, with 519-tonnes of this solely from the use of red diesel in our fleet of mobile cranes. With internal discussions already heavily centred around our goals for carbon neutrality, we took the leap and, in the summer of 2021, transitioned from the use of regular diesel to HVO – a hydro-treated vegetable oil biofuel that boasts CO2 reductions of up to 90%.

Based on an average round trip of 80 miles, we can help customers save up to 340kg of carbon per visit, directly lowering their greenhouse gas output, contributing towards their individual sustainability goals.

It is a huge achievement to be the first UK mobile crane hire company to run the entirety of our fleet on this new biofuel and we are extremely keen to speak to others within the industry to provide guidance on how they can follow suit, because collectively, we can make a huge difference.

Planning for future generations

We understand the extreme importance of protecting both our local community and the environment and accept that our work towards a more sustainable future will never be complete. We are committed to continual research and development that ensures we are always progressing and heading in the right direction.

As part of our future planning, we are continually reviewing our sustainability processes and analysing their effectiveness to provide options for improvements. We work closely with our supply chain to ensure that all companies we work with have similar environmental goals and offer support wherever possible to assist in them reaching important goals.

Milbank Group Pledge

Whilst we are part of a group of businesses that by their very existence are harmful to the environment, we believe that we can, under our custodianship, not only make a big difference to our impact but hopefully influence others to do the same.

We pledge to use the resources we have – our business, our voice, and our imaginations – to do something about it.

Our guiding principles will be:

  • Reduce our environmental impact
  • Balance decisions with understanding environmental and social impacts of our choices
  • Collaborate with our customers, suppliers, competitors, and other key stakeholders to reduce their environmental impact
  • Reduce health and safety risks
  • Support our communities to survive and thrive
  • Act with integrity by respecting people and human rights
  • Report transparently and honestly

Speak to an expert

We’re here to help. For more information, to discuss a project or to hire a crane, contact us directly or request a free site survey.

Emergency contacts

(Out of hours)

Matt Waddingham:

Nick Leather: