CLIMATE COMMITMENTS
We’re committing to be carbon neutral* by 2025, and net zero across all emissions by 2050 at the latest.
Carbon neutral
A company can say it’s carbon neutral when it reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere and uses offsets to balance their remaining carbon emissions. Offsetting involves activities that prevent, reduce or remove emissions from the atmosphere, such as planting trees.
Net zero
A company reaches net zero when all associated greenhouse gas emissions – that goes beyond carbon dioxide – from all of its operations and supply chain have been reduced as much as possible and any residual emissions that cannot be reduced are balanced through offsetting.
Our emissions
Since 2017 we’ve reduced our emissions** by approximately 11% per year;
| Emissions from: |
|
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope 1 – Combustion of fuel and operations of facilities | 1285 | 992.1 | 1001.7 | ||||||
| Scope 2- Purchased energy for own use | 2321.9 | 2001.7 | 827.7 | ||||||
| Tonnes of CO2e per average full-time equivalent employee | 1.66 | 1.27 | 1.14 | ||||||
We’re working hard to do better and are rolling out various emission reduction initiatives:
- Introducing LED lighting across our operations
- Recycling of our food waste
- Reducing our paper usage
- Reducing energy usage associated with data retention
- Providing colleagues with regular information on climate change and how they can play their part
Each year we aim to reduce our scope 1 and 2 emissions by at least 15% and expand our reporting of our scope 3 emissions. We also commit to reduce our tonnes of CO2e per average full-time equivalent employee by at least 20% per year.
*Scope 1, 2 and scope 3 business travel and employee commuting emissions
**Scope 1 and 2 tCO2e
As well as focusing on emissions reduction methods, we’re supporting local projects that can help restore our community. We’re:
- Planting around 2,000 trees in woodlands around Bristol
- Re-wilding local community spaces that will support biodiversity growth
Empowering our clients
As the UK’s number one investment platform for private investors, we support our clients with information and the tools they need to invest according to their values.
We’re helping clients with information that explores the different approaches to sustainable investing. It aims to help clients align their principles with their investments.
Guide to responsible investment
You can find more details of our progress on ESG and reducing emissions together with our Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures in this year’s annual report. It highlights the risks and opportunities of climate change to HL. We’re using this work to shape our ESG strategy, embedding climate-related risk management across the business.
You can stay up to date with our progress towards net zero in our annual report.