SUSTAINABILITY

We at McGovern have a clear ambition – to be the hub of sustainable building materials.

Sustainability is at the core of everything we do. Since the construction industry is responsible for about 45% of carbon emissions in the UK, it’s fair to say it’s pretty important!

We enable people to design, build and live in beautiful, sustainable and affordable housing. Whether it’s an extension at home, a new build development or the construction of commercial properties, McGoverns help to source and supply the very best sustainable materials for you.

14.4% of households living in the North East of England are living in fuel poverty and less than half of the homes in the region are rated EPC C or above. We won’t stop until this gets better and people have better homes to live in!

We’re known for selling bricks (& blocks), but we also provide:

Brick Slips: We help you source purpose made brick slips, which help to reduce waste, by three quarters.

Retro-fit Airbricks: These airbricks can help you save 12-15% on your heating bills and add 2-4 EPC points to your home.

Heated Wallpaper:That's right - heated wallpaper that can reduce your energy consumption up to 30%.

ICF units: An innovative offsite insulated concrete form building solution. Easy to install, affordable and eco-friendly.

Biobased Composite Stone: window sills and wall coverings suitable for new-build and renovation projects.

Automatic Brick-laying Robot: Aimed at solving some of the skills-gap, we’ve been donating bricks to this innovative solution to bricklaying.

HELPING YOU BECOME CARBON EFFICIENT

Our focus is to help the construction industry achieve the government’s target of net zero by 2050, by building a brighter future for the country and the planet.

People, planet, profit – in that order!

We’ve already successfully introduced several new ranges of materials and we’re always experimenting to become as sustainable as possible without compromising on quality. We look at new technologies, building techniques and ways to solve the skills-gap to constantly innovate in the construction sector.

EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY

Taking it further? We’ve already installed electric car charging points at our offices, with several vehicles in the fleet going all electric or hybrid (although it’s still a bit too soon for that Electric Truck we’d like!).

CREATING A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

The way we see it, if we keep speaking to suppliers, builders and architects about changing their ways, we can each contribute to creating a circular economy that positively impacts us all.

So, if you’re interested in anything to do with sustainable construction and would like to find out more, contact our team and let’s discuss the ways in which we can help each other to build a better future.

EMBRACING SUSTAINABILITY IN BRICKLAYING

At McGovern, we're eager to initiate a dialogue about sustainable practices in the bricklaying industry. By considering alternative materials like concrete, we can potentially reduce lead times and increase carbon efficiency. This approach could help address housing shortages and provide affordable, eco-friendly homes for future generations.

To promote sustainable practices, we aim to establish a Bricklaying Academy, where young bricklayers learn about various materials and their advantages. This educational initiative will encourage innovation and eco-conscious thinking in the construction sector.

So why aren’t we educating young bricklayers on the benefits and drawbacks of all the materials available, rather than sticking our heads in a bag of cement and hoping for the issue to go away by itself? That's why it's our ambition to create our very own Bricklaying Academy, so we can teach future generations how to build amazing homes using a variety of different materials.

Let's begin this vital conversation and work collaboratively towards a carbon-neutral future in the construction industry.All of these are things to consider, and while we aren’t set to change how we operate and the materials we use anytime soon, a conversation needs to start happening in the construction industry so we can all work towards the common goal of carbon neutrality in the future.

START THE CONVERSATION