30 November 2006

Strategy defined for a sustainable marine aggregates industry

The British Marine Aggregate Producers Association (BMAPA), which represents over 90 per cent of the marine aggregates industry, has released its sustainable development strategy for the sector. As a constituent member of the Quarry Products Association (QPA), and following on from last year's overarching QPA document, BMAPA has created the strategy to tackle the unique aspects of marine aggregates operations.

Although a vital industry in supporting the construction sector, extraction of marine aggregates takes place over a very limited area of the UK's continental shelf with typically 140km2 dredged annually - representing just 0.016% of the UK's overall continental shelf. Despite this small footprint, the industry recognises that the marine environment is sensitive, and accepts that it has a responsibility to manage its operations to minimise any effects on these environments and other marine users.

BMAPA's member companies believe this challenge should be approached as a partnership with the other stakeholder organisations involved with the marine environment, and the new sustainable development strategy provides a framework and a means of measuring progress into the future. Performance indicators to be measured are arranged across a number of sustainable development criteria falling within four broad themes: social progress, environmental protection, resource conservation and economic contribution. Against the criteria set out in the document, BMAPA will now quantitatively assess its sustainable development performance to establish an initial benchmark. These figures will be published in BMAPA's first annual report, due for publication in late summer 2007.

The sustainable development strategy features an endorsement from The Crown Estate's Chief Executive Roger Bright, who explains: "Marine aggregates continue to fulfill an important role in helping the industry to meet society's needs for construction materials and for beach replenishment as part of the UK coastal defence strategy. The Crown Estate, as the major UK marine mineral owner, is very conscious of its responsibilities in the management of these natural resources and is pleased to work with an industry that is so fully committed to sustainable development."

BMAPA's Chairman Kevin Seaman adds: "The aggregates industry has a particular responsibility towards sustainable living because, in providing nearly a fifth of the sand and gravel needs of England and Wales, we use energy, provide employment, contribute to the national and regional economies and have impacts upon the environment.

"How we maintain a proper balance in this complex social, environmental, economic and resource management equation will determine the extent of our sustainability. The new strategy sets out in clear terms how we intend to assess our progress against the sustainability challenge and will give both the industry and all its stakeholders the best understanding yet of our footprint."

You can access a PDF of the BMAPA Sustainable Development Strategy online here and (from Friday 1 December) on BMAPA's own site at www.bmapa.org.

ENDS

Notes to editors

For more information please contact Mark Russell by tel: 020 7963 8000 or e-mail mark.russell@qpa.org.

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