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Recruitment across the Built & Natural Environment
ALLEN & YORK have a unique blend of recruitment skills and technical knowledge. Every consultant is an expert in their field and has an extensive specialist network.
We are dedicated to making a positive difference to the global sustainable economy, by continuing to deliver excellent specialist recruitment services across our markets.
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Latest News
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Landmark 20GW UK Wind Generation
The UK has hit an historic landmark this month, reaching 20GW of wind generation capacity. The opening of Ørsted’s 659MW Walney Extension (the world's largest offshore wind farm) off the coast of Cumbria this month pushed the total amount over the 20GW mark. Total operational capacity of onshore and offshore wind in the UK currently stands at 20,128MW, which is enough to meet the annual power needs of more than 14 million homes, cutting carbon emissions by 25 million tonnes a year. Wind is the UK’s largest source of renewable electricity, accounting for half of the 30% of power that came from renewables in 2017. RenewableUK’s Executive Director Emma Pinchbeck said: “It took 19 years to install the first 5GW of wind energy in the UK and we’ve now installed the same amount in under two years. That phenomenal growth shows just how quickly the UK is moving to a smart, low carbon power system and wind energy is at the heart of that. “Over half of the UK’s wind energy capacity is onshore, which is the cheapest option for new power. However, Government policy preventing onshore wind from competing for new power contracts means that consumers will miss out on low-cost power that will keep bills down. “It was the opening of the world’s largest offshore wind farm that has took us over the 20GW mark. We’re confident that offshore wind alone can reach at least 30GW by 2030 to become the backbone of a clean, reliable and affordable energy system.” If you are looking to recruit or for jobs across the renewable energy industry, please contact Richard Hawkesford at ALLEN & YORK See all energy jobs
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The Plastics Cloud
SAP UKI has announced plans to pilot a ‘Plastics Cloud’ database, which will collect existing and live data across the plastics supply chain to better understand how to reduce single use plastic. The technology used is SAP Leonardo which includes intelligent technologies which can be used to forecast trends in plastics purchasing and recycling. Data could also be shared with consumers to help them understand their own plastics impact. SAP UKI will be presenting the Plastics Cloud on September 21 at the London Design Festival which has named plastics as its ‘material of the year’ in a bid to reduce single-use plastics by repurposing it in new and more valuable ways. If you are looking to recruit or make a career move within the waste and reycling sector, please contact Charles Cocklin at ALLEN & YORK See all waste jobs
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ALLEN & YORK Award Winners - August 2018
At ALLEN & YORK we really enjoy celebrating success and rewarding excellence. So, it is with great pleasure that we present our August Award Winners Paul Smith (Assistant Accountant), Charles Cocklin (Principal Recruitment Consultant Waste & Recycling) and Bev Brackpool (Recruitment Consultant Construction) Congratulations everyone! Work for Us - we're currently recruiting
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Record Breaking Scottish Tidal Power
The record breaking SR2000 tidal power system, developed by Scotrenewables Tidal Power is now being moved from its test berth at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney (EMEC), to prepare for the build and installation phase. In 12 months of continuous operation, including during the worst winter storms in recent years, the pioneering SR2000 – the world’s most powerful operating tidal stream turbine - has supplied the equivalent annual electricity demand of around 830 UK households and at times has been supplying over 25% of the electricity demand of the Orkney Islands. The 3GWh generated by the SR2000 over the past 12 months is more power than that generated by the entire wave and tidal energy sectors in Scotland in the twelve years prior to the launch of the SR2000 in 2016. CEO Andrew Scott said: “The last 12 months have provided unrivalled validation of our engineering and, more importantly, our low cost, low risk solution for tidal stream energy. Our priority now is to ensure we build on this success with the delivery of our next generation turbine, which is supported by EU Horizon2020 funding under the FloTEC project. Having completed the engineering designs for the SR2-2000, we are now preparing for the build and installation phase – this will see the new, optimised unit installed at EMEC. As such, we need to start preparing the site for that installation and concentrate our resources on the build.” In May 2018, a report from the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult said that the tidal stream industry could generate a net cumulative benefit to the UK of £1,400m, including considerable exports, and support 4,000 jobs by 2030. The new SR2-2000 is scheduled to be launched next year and deployed in the early part of 2020. If you are looking to recruit into the renewable energy sector, please contact Richard Hawkesford at ALLEN & YORK 01202 888 986 See all energy jobs
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Revisited: Interview With Christèle Delbé Head of Sustainability for Enterprise at Vodafone Group
Part of our Global Sustainability Leaders Inteview Archive, this interview dates from 2015 As part of our series of Global Sustainability Leader Interviews, ALLEN & YORK were privileged to interview, Christèle Delbé, Head of Sustainability for Enterprise Vodafone Group - about how she became involved in sustainability and her views on sustainability within the commercial marketplace today. What or who inspired you to pursue a career in sustainability? Typically, when I finished my initial studies I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so when the opportunity arose to volunteer for Greenpeace and travel to Sweden, I took it. I really enjoyed the passion of the people I was working with, it almost didn’t seem like work and it was a real inspiration. When I discovered that the Swedish government were starting an international MSc in Environmental Management and Policy, I jumped at the chance. It was the mid-nineties and when I returned to France sustainability jobs didn’t really exist, so I looked across the channel to England to begin my career and was fortunate to join John Elkington (another great inspiration) at SustainAbility, a consultancy which was at the forefront of the movement. Were you naturally drawn to the corporate sector and away from consultancy? Consultancy was a great place to learn and gain experience across a wide range of disciplines and to have fingers in many pies, so I am glad to have started my career there. It also offered an introduction to forward thinking clients and provided a great springboard into the corporate sector. I feel at home in corporate business, as I like to see change developing from within. I always thought in the past that it was a shame when sustainability was done by just ‘tinkering around on the edges’, I believe it needs to be fully embedded within the agenda of business to make a difference and this is what I am experiencing in business today. How does the sustainability role fit into business today? Historically, at Vodafone for instance the sustainability team would partner with a functional group, say ‘supply chain’; identify areas for improvement, create initiatives, put the business case together and guide them through it. Nowadays, the groups are so good at driving their own sustainability agenda the role of the sustainability team has changed. We now offer a centralised framework and joined-up approach which can both drive the company agenda forward and hold up an internal mirror to ensure the each functional group is achieving exactly what they set out to achieve. The sustainability team is integrated with every business function, creating a cohesive and compelling narrative across the business. This is also reflected personally, in my own job. The Vodafone Enterprise team created a role for me to move into, which means that I now sit within the operational functionality of the company, rather than outside. What key advice would you give to someone looking to start a career in sustainability? If I were talking to a school leaver I would say, don’t limit yourself. Keep an open mind and look at functional team roles, e.g. HR, communications, supply chain, finance etc. and then look to include sustainability into your career. What I see increasingly, especially in the higher level positions, are companies who are looking for core business people with strong ‘functional’ skill-sets, with the additional wrapper of sustainability. Rather than solely a straightforward sustainability practitioner. Qualifications are important and you may even feel over-qualified at the start of your career. However, to have core business skills coupled with a strong sustainability credentials is a winning combination. If I were talking to someone who was already working and looking to move into sustainability, I would say; Look at your existing role and how you can add sustainability into your job function. Take the initiative. If you can, look at flexible working or giving your personal time to volunteer or gain experience with an NGO or charitable organisation. This shows real commitment and will also give you valuable experience and opportunities to build your network. Gain relevant qualifications, which coupled with your business experience will strengthen your skill-set. What skills are important for the sustainability professional? Influence and persuasion. Listening, not preaching. Understand the pressure points of the business and using sustainable practices to achieve goals. The ability to translate technical jargon into everyday speak – mainstreaming sustainability. Make it simple. Understanding the commercial imperatives, in order to help the business to achieve its goals. Where do you see the future of sustainability? I see strong progress within the FMCG consumer sector, which is more and more being driven by sustainable economics. There is increasing pressure on consumer goods companies to better manage their resources, work-force and supply chains. Raw materials are becoming scarcer, resources such as water have to be managed more carefully and people are more socially and economically mobile. Cocoa farms, tea plantations and mining operations for example, all have to be well managed in order to be productive into the future. The FMCG sector is starting to have a language in which growth strategy becomes sustainability strategy and not just for philanthropic or compassionate reasons. This is because of the need to secure a strong global value chain, to ensure a quality product and a successful and sustainable business future. It is not us and them anymore. We'd like to say a big thank you to Christèle for a great insight into her sustainability career thus far and invite you to watch her superb TED Talk which she delivered in February, earlier this year. Mobilizing social change: innovations in mobile technology | Christèle Delbé | TEDxLausanne Read More Global Sustainability Leader Interviews
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Revisited: Interview with Claudine Blamey
Part of our Global Sustainability Leaders Inteview Archive, this interview dates from 2015 Interview with Claudine Blamey, Head of Sustainability & Stewardship at The Crown Estate As part of our series of Global Sustainability Leader Interviews, ALLEN & YORK were delighted to interview, Claudine Blamey, Head of Sustainability & Stewardship at The Crown Estate, about how she became involved in Sustainability and what she believes are the upcoming trends within sustainability careers. Who or what inspired you to go into a career in sustainability? I liked science at school and didn’t want to limit myself to just one. At the time environmental science was an emerging career subject and environmental activism was coming to the fore; Greenpeace’s occupation of Brent Spar I remember was in the news and there were big challenges facing the environment. I wanted to get involved within the corporate sector and I had a particular interest in legislation. After achieving a BSc in Environmental Science and then an MSc in Environmental Legislation and Management, my first job was with Honda, which was a really innovative company. At the time there were no sustainability professionals or heads of environment, but Honda started to look at social issues and CSR and I particularly enjoyed driving through change, in the face of some scepticism, and influencing key players to create positive action within the business. Change Agent, would have been an alternative career, as I was and still am, interested in affecting change and making a real difference. What would you be looking for in a sustainability professional today? Influencing, challenging up and down an organisation, being able to speak the language of the business and mobilising people, all crucial within the sustainability role. Sustainability works best when it is an integrated part of the business, rather than sitting outside. Often this involves a culture shift, which needs to be driven by the Sustainability professional; influencing culture and winning hearts and minds, both up and down the company. At The Crown Estate, a particular project’s impact on the local economy, employment, resources, environment, are all integral to the way we do business and cannot be picked apart. Sustainable business as an integrated business model is what progressive CFOs & CEOs have adopted, as it makes economic and environmental sense and is the way forward. What do you see as trends within sustainability in the next 5-10 years? Integrated reporting is getting good interest and I believe we will see a move away from simple mitigation to legislative reporting. Social value; measuring the value an organisation has is a growing trend. Articulating a purpose beyond shareholder return and profit. Huge rise in start-ups and innovation across all sectors. The creation of new products, a movement away from using raw materials, creative building design, 3D printing and the use of innovative building materials – are all trends which we are seeing within the property sector. What is the future for sustainability careers in the next 5-10 years? The seniority of the sustainability professional will rise and rise. We need sustainability professionals who understand business and commerce at all levels; government ministers, company board and across operational levels. Strong influencers, change managers and those with the ability to implement an agenda are skills that are required. Sustainability professionals need to be able to get under the skin of the business, to challenge and change in a constructive way. Read More Global Sustainability Leader Interviews
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Record Breaking Annual Beach Clean
ALLEN & YORK took part in the Great Annual Beach Clean again this weekend, down at Studland beach in Dorset. It was a glorious sunny morning and there was a great turn out with about 30-40 volunteers in total. The Marine Conservation Society, organisers of the beach clean, have been overwhelmed by support. Last year 6,944 volunteers took part, covering 339 beaches. This year 7,391 volunteers preregistered over 432 beaches. The MCS undertake detailed surveys on each beach, recording the rubbish collected over specific 100 metre sections. This information is recorded and fed into a national database, used to inform government policy. They were instrumental in influencing the 5p charge on plastic bags and also increasing the pressure for a charge on single-use plastics, such as straws and cutlery. Last year the number of wet-wipes increased by 94% and judging by the contents of the rubbish collected, the same will be reported this year. The Great British Beach Clean is sponsored by Waitrose for the second year in a row, with cash from its carrier bag sales in England supporting MCS’ year- round beach clean programme. This is great, but isn’t it about time we got rid of wet-wipes and banned plastic bags altogether? If you would like to find out more about recruitment and jobs across the environment sector, please contact Barrie Dempster 01202 888 986 See all environment jobs
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Ocean Clean Up
On the 8 September 2018 the Ocean Clean Up company, founded by Dutch entrepreneur Boyan Slat, will launch its first system into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, in an attempt to remove 50 percent of the plastic island over the next 5 years. This project is not without risk and it has many sceptics, but with investment raised to the tune of $35K, there has been enough belief in success to get the system on its way. Boyan Slat, 24 year old, Dutch entrepreneur, has been working on this project since he was 17. He studied Aerospace engineering at TU Delft and dropped out to found the not-for-profit, Ocean Clean Up company. The first system will hopefully be the first of sixty. Risks to success Will the system work as predicted, will it create the required U-shape to enable it to collect the plastic, will it work with the currents and motion of the waves as predicted? Interaction between the system and plastic; will the system be able to collect and retain the plastic for long periods, before it’s collected by garage ships? Will the system be robust enough to survive the punishing Pacific Ocean? Professionals who’ve worked in the oil and gas industry have been working on the system and are confident they have produced robust mechanics, but only time will tell if the system can stand up to the weather, corrosive salt water and ocean creatures. Can you capture the plastic without harming marine life? The system has a 10-foot skirt underneath, which fish and mammals should be able to swim under, but again this can only be fully tested in the ocean, over a prolonged period of time. The project is exciting and risky, but as Roald Dahl once said “if you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it full speed. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all become passionate about it. Luke warm is no good.” We wish them good luck! Find out more about the The Ocean Clean Up If you are looking to recruit or for jobs across the environmental sector, please contact Katie Pereira at ALLEN & YORK See all environmental jobs
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