Sustainability
We want to ensure that our actions and decisions continue to have a lasting, positive impact
Becoming a leader in sustainability
Decommissioning is about much more than waste management, demolition and other physical work. How we go about our work is very important to us and we must deliver results safely, responsibly, and sustainably.
Our commitment to creating environmental and social benefits builds on our long history of providing value for the UK and we want to ensure that our actions and decisions continue to have a lasting, positive impact.
Social value
We have a unique legal duty set out in the Energy Act (2004) to have a regard for the impact of our activities on communities near our sites, as well as the wider responsibilities all public bodies have under the Social Value Act (2012).
Across the NDA group, we collectively invest around £15 million of public funds in socio-economic interventions every year. This commitment has helped to leverage millions more from other organisations and funds. To date our work has seen the delivery of new schools, jobs, skills and training facilities in the communities in which we operate. Our socio-economic development role recognises the importance of delivering our decommissioning programme in a socially responsible way.
Case studies
Sustainable decommissioning
We want to ensure that our actions and decisions continue to have a positive impact. Step changes continue to be made that will bring longer-term benefits in the future.
For example, the process for preparing a business case now requires sustainability considerations to be included, ensuring that it is at the heart of the NDA group’s future decision making.
We’re already making progress including recycling 100% of one of our specialist transport vessels and using plastic originally destined for landfill to help resurface some of our roads.
Research and development
Research and development plays a critical for solving the wide range of complex, often unique, challenges that our sites face. Investment also develops the key technical skills that are critical for the continued delivery of our mission over the next 100-plus years.
Our work in this area has resulted in :
- safer working environments through the development of innovative remote technologies, including laser cutting, robotics and improved radiation detection
- more funding for the supply chain through our collaborations with other public organisations
- a vibrant supply chain working to solve long-standing technical challenges
- a sustained programme of academic research into nuclear decommissioning
- the establishment of a unique, world-class research centre, the £20 million Dalton Cumbrian Facility (DCF), specialising in radiation science and decommissioning engineering
