As a leading digital infrastructure specialist, Telent is committed to matching the UK’s climate targets to deliver ‘net zero’ by 2050. We have long taken into consideration the impact of our work on the environment as we help keep the country’s roads, rail, emergency services and national telecoms networks running.
Over the last six years, we have reduced
the carbon emissions intensity from our use of energy in our buildings and our
use of vehicles to deliver the vital services we provide to the critical
national infrastructure of the UK and Ireland. We have achieved this by making
timely decisions based on the long-term view.
Telent’s fleet management strategy incorporates the selection of the best vehicles for the task, including fuel efficiency and emissions performance in the purchasing decisions, with one of our key London fleets already converted to fully electric vehicles.
Across our facilities estate we have adopted a green energy procurement policy so that wherever we have the choice of supplier, we choose a renewable energy tariff. Additionally, in 2019 we went single-use cup free at our main offices and; as part of our ongoing maintenance and refurbishment programme, we have implemented a range of energy efficiency measures.
Our Achievement to date
These efforts so far have enabled us to reduce the tonnes CO2e/£million turnover from 23 to 14 and tonnes CO2e per employee from 4.9 to 3.5 whilst also successfully growing our business.
We report our carbon performance and climate related data not only through the regulatory regimes of ESOS (Energy Savings and Opportunity Scheme) and SECR (Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting) but also the voluntary global Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). We are recognised by this global benchmark to be taking co-ordinated action on Climate Change and are consistently above the average for the telecommunications sector.
Despite these achievements, we recognise that there is still more we can do and that is why we’ve signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), an initiative providing companies with a clearly defined path to reducing emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goals.
Setting the targets
Science-based targets help prevent the worst impacts of climate change and future-proof business growth. Targets are considered ‘science-based’ if they are in line with what the latest climate science deems necessary to meet the goal of limiting global warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C. With the SBTi, Telent’s own climate targets will be validated in line with a net-zero carbon reduction trajectory.
Telent are to proud to have completed the first
of five steps of the process which was to ‘Commit’ by submitting a letter
establishing the intent to set a science-based target. Our focus is now on the ‘Develop’
phase which will involve working on an emissions reduction target in line with
the SBTi’s criteria. The following stages will involve ‘Submitting’ our target
to the SBTi for official validation; ‘Communicate’ our target and inform Telent
stakeholders; and ‘Disclose’ by reporting company-wide emissions and track
target progress annually. We plan to formalise our Science Based Targets and ‘communicate’
them in 2022.
Committed to reductions
Telent already publishes an annual Sustainability Report, and since 2015 we have seen a steady reduction in the carbon intensity of our business operations. Also, in November 2020, we were awarded an EcoVadis Silver Medal in recognition of our sustainability achievements to date. This accredited benchmarking process demonstrates the investment that we have made to all stakeholders and that being an ethical organisation is a fundamental part of our business success. But we want to do more. As we look to the future, we will be offering more environmental and sustainable solutions to our customers to support their sustainability objectives. We will also continue to partner with our supply chain to share benefits and learning.
“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is good
for the planet and for our company and we’re proud to be taking a lead on
ensuring a net-zero carbon future and safeguarding a sustainable planet for future
generations” said Anmarie Landi QEHS Director at Telent.
For more information about the Science based targets initiative, visit https://sciencebasedtargets.org/.