We built Jaguar Land Rover’s Logistics Operations Centre (LOC) during the pandemic, as part of a customer-led development project for the luxury car manufacturer.
In line with our Social Value Charter, introduced in 2018, delivering long-term social, economic and environmental benefits was key to the construction project. As a result, development of the building by construction partner Winvic Ltd contributed more than £12 million in Local Economic Value (as measured by The Social Value Portal): this included £11.1 million in Local Spend, 97 weeks of work experience opportunities and 118 weeks of training opportunities for those looking to develop skills working in the construction sector, as well community support and volunteering initiatives in the local area.
Like every new logistics building we’ve built over the past 13 years, JLR’s new building is net zero carbon in its construction (based on the UKGBC net-zero carbon framework) and will continue to deliver long-lasting environmental benefits through our unique approach to the mitigation of carbon involved in the construction process. Through our partnership with Planet Mark and climate action charity, Cool Earth, we measured and reduced the building’s whole life carbon footprint and mitigated 5 times the unavoidable embodied carbon emissions (carbon associated with the construction of the building) by protecting vital areas of rainforest. The LOC is protecting 760 acres of rainforest canopy in the Peruvian Amazon, that’s locking in 197,600 tonnes of carbon and supporting indigenous communities to protect the rainforest for the future benefit of everyone.
Speaking about the initiative, Simon Cox, our Head of UK Sustainability said:
“Even though it’s thousands of miles away from the UK, protecting the rainforest is essential in tackling climate change, as well as bringing wider benefits for society, cultures and biodiversity. Cool Earth’s work is centered around empowering local communities to help keep rainforest standing. As the planet’s global safety net, protecting the rainforest is the smartest, most positive climate action there is.
Rainforest trees lock in a quarter of the world’s carbon emissions and generate moisture, which travels around the world, and accounts for a fifth of the planet’s fresh water. Rainforests also protect over six million species of plants and animals (with many still undiscovered), forming an ecosystem which is essential to our survival.”
To ensure the sustainability message is passed on to the younger generation, our sustainability programme is also funding education officers from the Eden Project to go into six junior schools close to the LOC development, to help children understand the role they can play in protecting the planet.
Danny Nelson, Winvic’s Head of Industrial, Distribution and Logistics, added: “Sustainability and social value are two areas where Winvic and Prologis share the same values and over the past 20 years of working in partnership, we have very much grown together and developed strategies to deliver long-lasting benefits to local communities. The now completed Jaguar Land Rover Logistics Operations Centre (LOC) is an excellent example of what can be done with a project when principles, tenacity and a considered approach come together. We are very proud of our contribution to Local Economic Value on the JLR scheme and look forward to continuing our relationship with Prologis to deliver further social, economic and environmental benefits was in tandem.”