Sustainability
Our aim is to be a sustainable business that takes responsibility for how we manage the impact we have on the environment and climate change
Climate commitments
Sustainability Reporting
As a company, we believe in providing as much transparency and clarity as possible to our investor base for them to make informed decisions. This is why we continue to work hard on supplying information on our sustainability goals and carbon emissions to ensure consistency and accountability. You can find our Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) report in our annual report. Please find our Financial Year 2021 Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) disclosure below, along with our scope one, two and three carbon emissions data for the year.
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board Disclosure
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 | 975.5 | 942.1 | ||||||||||
| Scope 2- Purchased energy for own use | 2321.9 | 2001.7 | 827.7 | 672.1* | 476.1 | ||||||||||
| Tonnes of CO2e per average full-time equivalent employee | 1.66 | 1.27 | 1.14 | 0.89 | 0.71 | ||||||||||
| Energy used (MW) | N/A | N/A | 4.985 | 4.446** | 3.851 | ||||||||||
| Scope 3 - Business travel | N/A | N/A | N/A | 0.63 | 29.9 | ||||||||||
| Scope 3 - Employee commuting | N/A | N/A | N/A | 193.3 | 404.0 | ||||||||||
*The purchased energy for own use figure includes 34.9 tonnes of CO2 emissions relating to our operations in Poland. It is not feasible to split any other metrics by country. **The energy used figure includes 180,594 KwH relating to our operations in Poland. It is not feasible to split any other metrics by country.
We’re working hard to do better and are rolling out various emission reduction initiatives:
- Introduced LED lighting across our operations
- Reducing energy usage associated with data retention and transition to cloud storage
- We recycle 100% of our general waste, as part of our target to ensure 100% of the general waste and mixed recycled packaging disposed of in our head office is recycled
- Our colleague-led Sustainability network aims to educate and promote initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint
- We encourage colleagues to walk or cycle to work. We promote our ‘Cycle to Work Scheme’, offer bike storage and showering facilities
- Old office equipment, including IT equipment, is either donated to schools and charities or disposed of by specialist third parties
Each year we aim to reduce our scope 1 and 2 emissions 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’ve:
- Committed to planting 2,000 trees in woodlands around Bristol
- Worked on 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.
Reducing the use of paper
We focused on making it easier for people to manage their money online with the result that 81% of our clients now use our paperless service.
Minimising the use of plastic
All editions of our Investment Times magazine are sent in recyclable envelopes rather than degradable plastic which has improved our impact on the environment.
Responsible Investment
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 launched our Responsible Investment hub to help 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.
Wider community initiatives
Renewable energy
We are committed to our target of 100% of our electricity coming from renewable sources.
Volunteering initiatives
HL colleagues have the opportunity to volunteer in projects which have a positive impact on the environment, such as planting trees and maintaining local woodlands with Avon Needs Trees, Beach Cleans for the Marine Conversation Society and the YourPark College Green rewilding project to encourage greater biodiversity in the city.
Bristol Green Capital Partnership
HL are a member of the Bristol Green Capital Partnership working towards making Bristol a sustainable city with a high-quality life for all, in addition to being involved in the Bristol City Council ‘Cleaner Streets’ initiative.
Understanding our environmental impact
To help investors and clients understand our environmental and broader sustainability performance, we disclose information to external organisations including the CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project), such as reporting on our greenhouse gas emissions.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals were created to align companies and countries efforts to promote prosperity whilst protecting the planet. In order to make the biggest impact we have to work together.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a focus for how businesses, governments and civil society can tackle these challenges in order to promote a more sustainable future for all. They have helped to inform our thinking about where we can play a role and we contribute in different ways to 13 out of the 17 goals.
Why have we aligned ourselves to the Sustainable Development Goals?
- It’s the right thing to do, both for our clients and our colleagues
- It means our work in the community will have a greater impact
- We are a part of a network of companies working together to do better and share best practice
- Find out more about how we align to the UN Sustainability Development Goals