10 July, 2023

Riwal Sustainability Report 2022

Our focus on sustainable growth lies at the heart of our business strategy. Through the strategy we seek to incorporate sustainability across our activities.

Measuring our environmental and social impact

Our focus on sustainable growth lies at the heart of our business strategy. We seek to incorporate sustainability across our activities. Through our strategy and responsible business practices, we contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which form the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for our planet.

By including social, environmental and economic factors in our operations and decision-making process, we have embraced sustainability as an integral part of our business. In our Sustainability Report, in line with the Global Reporting Initiative, you can read all about our efforts to accelerate these important developments.

What do we focus on in our daily activities? The highlights are:

  • Active UN participant
  • Materiality assessment
  • Sustainable procurement

Active UN participant

Riwal became a participant in the UN Global Compact this year. Our alignment with the UN 2030 agenda means we can make a significant contribution by focusing on 7 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs): to improve waste management, health and wellbeing, increase knowledge base in industry, increase water-use, energy and resource efficiency and increase diversity and our people’s engagement. By sharing ideas and best practices and creating engagement among the Riwal countries, we believe we can reach our 2030 targets and lift sustainability within our business.

As part of our systematic approach, we regularly perform materiality assessments, providing an opportunity to analyse our environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities. By doing so, we can identify and regularly review the potential impact of our business activities, prioritising our actions on the most impactful and relevant topics for our stakeholders. We also monitor external trends and other industries, to understand how to grow our business sustainably and make adjustments to our business strategy if necessary.

Materiality assessment

Sustainable procurement

On top of making our own operations and sourcing decisions more sustainable, we encourage the market to innovate and deliver sustainable products or services. Our suppliers play a very important role in achieving our objectives. We expect our current and future partners to follow the latest compliance requirements and adhere to similar values we work with, such as encouraging diversity in the workforce and investing in environment-friendly technology.

Latest news & blogs

Street smart – AWPs in public spaces
Long used in a managed and controlled environment for construction tasks, AWPs are now recognised as the preferred means of access across all industry sectors. This means both individuals and contractors responsible for undertaking work at height tasks should be aware of the safety measures necessary for responsible use in a public area. The safety principles of AWP management and operation are constant, no matter where or how an AWP is to be used, but public areas present extra challenges.
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Why is rental more sustainable?
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Reducing trapping and crushing injuries
Aerial work platforms are acknowledged to be one of the safest and most efficient means of providing enabling temporary working at height. In some work situations, however, operators have been trapped/crushed between the machine’s platform/basket and an overhead obstruction. This has resulted in a significant number of major injuries and fatalities. In some of these incidents, the operator’s body has been forced over the control panel, holding the controls in the “on position”, increasing the severity of any injuries.
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