From Policy to Practice: Poppy on Leading ESG in Commercial Construction

ESG stands for ‘Environmental, Social & Governance’, it really represents the 3 pillars of sustainable development, which aim to ensure that what we do today does not have adverse impacts on our natural environment, our people, and our economic stability in the future. Most people will be aware of the climate crisis we have on our hands due to the intense release of greenhouse gas emissions and degradation to our ecosystems, which our industry has a large part to play in. Decades of extracting materials and carbon-intensive manufacturing processes have put our planet at risk of irreversible damage. When people think about sustainability and ESG, often the ‘E’ gets most focus, but improving our industry’s practices to be more sustainable will mean that people and communities’ benefit across the world, as well as economic stability.

Similar to all previous roles I have had in sustainability and ESG, my day-to-day can be massively varied, as I try to get involved in every corner of the business. I spend lots of time engaging with site teams, working to come up with sustainable solutions on site, and also helping them to collect important data for our carbon report. I spend a lot of time articulating our successes so that we can evidence these in tenders and work-winning pieces. I also spend time reviewing, developing and writing policies to ensure we are running a fair, safe, and inclusive business. I spend a lot of time understanding Virtus’s processes, and after almost 1 year in the role, I hope to make meaningful changes to ensure we are developing sustainably all around.

Taking on a completely new role for the business meant that I was not only learning what this looked like, but also making sure everyone else understood why I was here and what I wanted to achieve. Everyone has been so welcoming, and I like to make sure I visit all of our site teams as regularly as possible, to avoid getting stuck behind a screen. I think understanding what inspires different people is important when implementing any sort of change, so that everyone is brought along on the journey, and that we can enjoy it along the way!

I think I have been most proud of implementing our Circular Economy policy on site and getting some real success stories when it comes to re-use. I have felt a real sense of the site team’s interest and willingness when it comes to identifying items for re-use prior to strip out, which is neither something they had been asked to do before, nor anything we are yet to get a monetary benefit for, everyone just understands the bigger picture goal. I can’t wait to get some proper case studies written up to share with our stakeholders.

Our ESG strategy has 5 main focus points: Environmental Management, Carbon Reduction, Circular Economy, Social Value, and Employee Empowerment. As part of our Social Value focus, we have the following targets for 2025:

• Fundraise a minimum of £2500 per year for charitable donations
• Complete one company volunteering day per year
• Complete one educational or workforce upskilling engagement activity per year
In the year 2024, we raised £15,627 for charities including Mental Health UK, spent 783 hours volunteering and fundraising.

Some of our most recent community engagement initiatives include:

South Norwood Community Kitchen –volunteered hours of consultancy and labour to help create a community wellbeing garden to improve high levels of mental ill-health in the community. This garden is also helping to provide food for the community kitchen.
East Brighton Food Co-op – We are collecting food bank donations and volunteering to deliver hot meals to vulnerable members of the community.
UCL Knowledge Exchange Programme – Providing industry expertise to develop a model for retrofitting biodiverse green roofs around London.

Usually, sustainable choices can actually save money in the long run, however, it is sometimes hard to evidence that, and budgets always come first. I find that making sure you are aligning with the client’s own ESG agenda is important to allow for collaboration so that both parties are invested.

We carry out subcontractor PQQs to understand our supply chain and its commitments to ESG. However, I believe that the most impactful thing we can do is help subcontractors along their journey in sustainability, by providing time and support to make any changes, especially if they are a little bit behind the ‘curve’

As head of ESG, my only expertise is in this. I really rely on working with everyone at Virtus as the real construction and commercial experts to understand first how our practices work, to then be able to consider any changes we make. Regular catch-ups to ensure all parties are aware of any changes are essential, because I need honest feedback and insight into what will and won’t work on the ground. There is no point in implementing the most ‘sustainable’ choices if it means that what we do on site is compromised. This goes against the very essence of ‘sustainability.’

We need to start thinking about waste as ‘excess material’, and we need to consider this at the very earliest stages of every project. Architects, clients, and contractors need to collaborate to first design out waste as a priority, and to consider what resources are available already, especially in the fit-out industry, where often good material gets thrown in the bin for reasons other than ‘impressing the client with something new and shiny’. 91% of all carbon emissions from fit out projects come from the disposal and processing of material. If we can push circularity and re-use good materials where possible, this can be tackled.

At Virtus we carry out pre-refurbishment audits prior to any strip-out works. We then work with partners such as Material Index to find new homes for valuable materials. This can include selling, donating, or simply retaining elsewhere across our projects.

I think people are starting to realise that everyone’s role needs to become more sustainability focused. We need to move away from having 1 (or a few) stationarity champions who are trying to do everything, to models where everyone is aware of their part to play, as experts in each field.
At Virtus we are halfway through our 12-month ESG upskilling programme, where we are delivering monthly CPD sessions and toolbox talks to all employees. This is with the aim of addressing the green skills gap in the industry, and to hopefully inspire and inform everyone to make more sustainable choices and business decisions.

I sometimes find it hard to believe it can be possible, thinking there is such a long way to go, but I do have hope for upcoming technologies such as those in carbon removal and materials. Science has a massive part to play, but I think the most important factor is human collaboration and shared goals around the world, which can be a little bit harder to predict. We must stay positive and keep taking all the little steps, and eventually, I do think we will get there.

Meat-free weekdays, cycle everywhere possible & try to only buy second-hand clothes.

Net zero should always be the goal, as this is more measurable and focuses on making actual reductions by changing the way we do things, before considering any offsets.

I’d love to work in conservation or ecology where I could be outside all day.

Can I have 2 things – 1. That it’s not just about the environmental part. 2. We have to look at the bigger picture, making changes won’t always save money initially, but the benefits for the industry in the long term are the real goal!

As our conversation with Poppy reveals, ESG at Virtus isn’t about ticking boxes – it’s about transformation. Whether it’s launching our circular economy policy on site, collaborating with communities, or educating every employee through our upskilling programme, her work is creating tangible, lasting change. The future of construction will require resilience, innovation, and shared accountability – and with leaders like Poppy at the helm, we’re confident Virtus will remain ahead of the curve. Because building better doesn’t just mean smarter – it means more responsible, more inclusive, and more sustainable.