ISO 14001 Certification – One year on

In September 2024, Smith Brothers proudly achieved ISO 14001 certification, a prestigious international standard that provides a robust framework for measuring, managing, and continually improving our environmental performance. Securing this certification was a significant milestone in our sustainability journey; one that not only demonstrates our compliance with environmental regulations but also reaffirms our long-term commitment to building a more sustainable and responsible future.

Now, one year on, we have taken deliberate and meaningful steps to build on the strong foundation laid during the initial certification process. From reducing our environmental footprint across branches and operations to embedding sustainability into our culture and decision-making, our progress has been both measurable and impactful.

What have we been working on?

• Digitalisation: Working to eliminate printing wherever possible, and significantly reduce it where it remains necessary.
• Energy efficiency at branches: Improvements include LED lighting, PIR sensors, and the implementation of KPIs to monitor and manage energy usage.
• Fleet emissions: We’ve achieved measurable year-on-year reductions in fleet emissions (2022, 2023, and 2024).
• Staff training and waste management: Environmental training has been rolled out to all staff. Waste segregation practices and reduction objectives are now in place across our operations.
• Sustainable supply chain: We’re collaborating with suppliers to eliminate unnecessary packaging. Where elimination isn’t feasible, we encourage the use of more sustainable materials.
• New branch criteria: Sustainability and energy performance are now key considerations when selecting units for new branch openings.
• Leadership focus: Environmental and sustainability initiatives are now regular topics at senior-level meetings.
• Employee engagement: We’ve launched an employee suggestion scheme to encourage feedback and innovative ideas from across the business.

Offering sustainable products

Our sustainability commitments extend to our product offerings. For example, the introduction of heat pumps into our market range responds to growing demand for eco-friendly heating solutions in domestic and light commercial installations. These products provide cost-effective, sustainable alternatives to traditional heating systems.

Explore our Heat Pump Range here.

Recent Audits

The improvements implemented over the past year were clearly demonstrated during our one-year recertification audits. Notably, our Cardiff branch received zero non-conformances, and our two-day Head Office management system audit resulted in zero non-conformances and zero opportunities for improvement.

Auditors remarked that this is an outstanding and rare achievement, especially for a system that is still in its maturation phase.

The British Standards Institute (BSi)

Our efforts have also been recognised by the British Standards Institute, which selected SBS to feature in a video testimonial highlighting the significant improvements we’ve made in a short period of time. Keep an eye on our social media channels in the coming months for more details!

Looking ahead

While we’re proud of the progress we’ve made so far, we recognise that sustainability is an ongoing journey, and we still have work to do to reach our long-term goals. However, the results achieved to date reflect the dedication and momentum we’ve built across the business.

With the continued support of our incredible team, we remain motivated to push even further, driving meaningful change and setting even higher standards for environmental performance in the years ahead.