Sustainability

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 most recent 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

From 2017 2022, we reduced our emissions** by approximately 11% per year;

Tonnes of CO2 equivalent by year

*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’, offering 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 1 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 lessened our impact on the environment.

Responsible Investment

As the UK’s Number 1 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 the efforts of companies and countries 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 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