Reducing our impact on the environment continued...
Our journey to net zero Over the next financial year, we will work with Planet Mark to develop our net zero plan (following the net zero standard defined by the Science Based Targets initiative and associated timelines, including full Scope 3 emissions disclosures. This includes verification of our carbon footprint and workshops, energiser sessions and masterclasses for the Board, Executive and broader colleague community. Our net zero plan will allow us to identify areas of higher carbon intensity and allocate targets to reduce these in line with the Paris Agreement. Meanwhile our carbon footprint measurement calculated for our full financial year ended 31 May 2022 has identified our current usage, 1,253.6 tCO2e, and targets for our total carbon footprint to reduce by 62.7 tCO2e, our total carbon reduction to be 5% and our carbon reduction per colleague to be 0.03 tCO2e. Targets and metrics: • To reduce our carbon footprint by 5% over the next financial year • To develop our net zero plan and associated timelines by 31 May 2023 • To improve the scope of our data and analysis working with landlords of shared buildings and our supply chain Spotlight: Eco-design in practice We are building a network of climate change champions across our business and our aim is to empower colleagues to unleash their creativity and own our net zero journey. An example of this in action sits within the corporate affairs function, where our Global Head of Digital Communications, working with our digital partners Nexer, is leading the development of sustainable UX and development practices for our corporate and business websites. This eco-design approach, anticipating and taking action to minimise negative environmental impacts, also contributes to our governance approach to security as well as improving our user experience and supporting our growth strategy through increased efficiencies. Getting started We performed a sustainability audit, which enabled us to set benchmarks for future improvement measures – this included capturing the carbon footprint of our eight key website pages, chosen by their size and number of visits. We already use Microsoft Azure for hosting, which uses green powered servers, using c.50% renewable power to power its data centres. We’ve started to look at Microsoft’s Emissions Impact Dashboard, so that we can scrutinise usage, and start to make some logical recommendations to reduce our impact, based on what the data is telling us, scaling down on resources where we can, in line with users’ behaviours on the site. This broader range of insights has enabled us to consider where to invest development and in FY23 we will:
Car fleet We currently have several company car scheme vehicles in the UK and the Netherlands, of which a number are already electric or hybrid. However, in February 2022 it was agreed that in the UK we would move from a company car scheme to a salary sacrifice scheme offering only electric or hybrid vehicles to all colleagues. This will provide all UK colleagues with the opportunity to afford an electric vehicle and will help further reduce our carbon footprint for business drivers as well as reducing the impact on local communities for social and domestic use. Target and metric: By 2027 the car scheme will be fully electric or hybrid and have moved to a salary sacrifice scheme. Directors’ remuneration The CEO and CFO are assessed on climate related performance metrics as outlined in the Directors’ Remuneration Report section of our FY22 Annual Report on pages 106 to 127. A target is set on assessing colleague engagement, diversity and corporate social responsibility. • Upgrade our Umbraco Content Management System and hosting, which will run on less powerful hardware in Microsoft Azure with the same performance, leading to both cost and energy savings • Redesign website pages and components, based on these broader data insights, so users can find content quicker, in fewer clicks. We’ll also use this data to explore what devices people are using and whether there is an opportunity to make design decisions, such as device dark mode. “ Sustainability offers us the opportunity to be innovative and to challenge traditional design methods and thought processes that not only reduce our impact on the environment but create greater value for all our stakeholders
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