Let's talk sustainability.
We know businesses like ours have big shoes to fill as the pressures on the world’s resources have never been higher. So, we’re changing the way we do things.
What’s that mean? Well, our Climate and Sustainability Strategy focuses on a few key objectives:
Efficiency – Mindfulness in the use of our resources through reduction, recycling and reuse
Impact – Making a positive impact for the communities most affected by climate change
Resilience – The company remains stable through the transition to a low-carbon economy
Innovation – Creatively inspiring our people to embrace environmental principles in all we do
Our Actions
In 2022 we started working with Environmental Consultants Eshcon Ltd who helped us develop our Low Carbon Action Plan (LCAP for short, it sounds a bit snazzier). It covers a range of focus areas mainly within Scopes 1 and 2, that is direct emissions from sources we own or control (such as car travel for business use or gas boilers).
We're trying hard to reduce our footprint and First Central Services UK Ltd (FCSUK) now uses traceable energy that's 100% generated from renewable sources. However, some CO2 emissions are extremely hard to measure, reduce or avoid. We're also starting to look at what we can do to measure our Scope 3 footprint in the supply chain.
In 2023 our Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) for FCSUK and First Central Insurance Management Ltd (FCIM) recorded we produced total Scope 1 and 2 emissions of around 166tCO2e. The elements of Scope 3 we've been able to calculate so far (including things like postage, paper and water) amounted to 1,458tCO2e. Together that totals 1,624tCO2e, about the same as 1,246 long-haul flights.
Our impact
In 2024 we began working with Ecologi, one of the UK’s leading all-in-one climate platforms. Their mission is to inspire and empower businesses to accelerate global climate action. As we’ve set our sights on not only reducing our carbon footprint but also on investing in projects which promote a more sustainable future, we’re excited about learning, growing and making a difference in this area.
Carbon avoidance and carbon removal are both examples of carbon offsetting. Through Ecologi we’ve been able to compensate for some of our 2023 emissions by funding carbon avoidance projects to an equivalent amount. These are schemes which avoid emissions that would otherwise have entered the atmosphere. We’re contributing towards:
Exciting, right? And this is just the start! Find out more by having a look at our Digital Forest here.
Encouraging our colleagues to go green
To engage our people in climate positive action we offer:
- Electric vehicle (EV) charging points in our offices
- Cycle Scheme
- Tusker Drive Electric Car Scheme
- Season Ticket Loans
- Environmental newsletters
- Volunteering opportunities
We have an internal Climate and Sustainability Network through which our colleagues can get involved in developing the strategy and help us shape our future.
There will always be more to do to stay ahead but we’ve made a start. The systems we’ve set out will help keep us all accountable; we need to work responsibly so the world’s better for everyone. We can do it.