Langley Names First ESG Director Amid Regulatory Change

Neel Bidessie headshot

Langley has appointed Neel Bidessie as its first director of ESG & people development as the construction sector tackles sweeping regulatory changes around competency, sustainability and social value.

The move positions the Northamptonshire-based roofing and waterproofing company ahead of mounting pressure on contractors to demonstrate compliance with the Building Safety Act’s competency regime, meet carbon reduction targets tied to the EPC C deadline for social housing, and satisfy new procurement requirements under the Procurement Act 2023.

Neel’s remit spans the full ESG framework – environmental sustainability, social value delivery and governance – areas now directly influencing contract awards in the public sector, which accounts for 60-70% of Langley’s workload.

Regulatory Change

“Procurement has fundamentally changed,” says Neel Bidessie, who joined Langley in 2022 after an 18-month recruitment process with founder Tony Silvestri. “If ESG isn’t embedded in your tender response, you won’t win that contract. It’s that simple now.”

The appointment comes as the construction industry faces compounding challenges: 25,000 housing managers and executives need to prove competency under standards enforced by the Social Housing Regulator; 26 million homes require retrofitting to meet 2030 energy efficiency targets; and the Future Homes Standard mandates 75% greater energy efficiency in new builds by 2028. Langley’s strategic response has been to integrate requirements in all parts of the business.

Building Infrastructure

Under Bidessie’s direction, Langley secured government-approved training provider status in 2023, enabling the launch of Langley Training Services – a social enterprise addressing the construction sector’s skills shortage while supporting contractor partners with mandatory competency requirements.

The company has since trained 42 apprentices and supported 101 industry professionals through accredited retrofit qualifications under DESNZ-funded programmes. The move directly addressed the competency gaps identified in Dame Judith Hackitt’s post-Grenfell review.

Environmental strategy at Langley has moved beyond policy documentation. Langley established its baseline carbon footprint at 3,436 tCO2e in 2024 and is now aligning reduction plans with Science-Based Targets initiative frameworks. The company’s renewable energy division, launched in 2025, offers PV systems with insurance-backed guarantees – a direct commercial play into fuel poverty reduction and the Future Homes Standard.

Social value has moved from corporate responsibility tick-boxes to audited delivery. Langley achieved Level 1 Social Value Management Certification from the Institute for Social Value UK and is progressing toward Level 2 accreditation – evidence of systematic measurement rather than anecdotal impact claims, the company says.

“The market used to treat social value as a nice-to-have,” explains Neel. “PwC research now shows 71% of investors require ESG plans for value creation. This isn’t about ethics – it’s about commercial viability.”

Integration Challenge

Neel Bidessie is candid about implementation challenges and cultural integration around ESG principles.

He notes: “You can’t bolt this on as an afterthought. ESG has to run through commercial, HR, product development, site operations – every corridor of the business. If we’re dealing with quality issues because technical competency is lacking, future legislation becomes irrelevant. You have to get the foundations right first.”

The long-term vision extends beyond corporate structure. Bidessie is exploring charity or foundation status to access grant funding exclusively available to registered charities, enabling Langley to scale its work around homelessness, cost-of-living pressures and community support.

“We want to leave tangible evidence of lives improved,” he says. “Data-driven quality improvements. Career progression through effective learning and development. That’s the legacy we’re building – and it requires evidence, not just good intentions.”

Langley’s ESG framework operates on four pillars – People, Planet, Places, Product – aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals around health and wellbeing, quality education, affordable clean energy, and sustainable communities.

The company’s 2024 ESG Report, independently audited by the Institute for Social Value UK, details SROI (Social Return on Investment) metrics showing £12.97 of social value generated for every £1 invested – a 23% increase on 2023 performance.