We Are Pleased to Share Our Carbon Reduction Plan

Sustainability has always been at the core of HSG. Since 2007, we have been helping our partners reduce water consumption and CO2 emissions, and in 2022 alone, we saved 1.276 billion litres of drinking water and prevented 536 tonnes of CO2 from entering our atmosphere.

However, to truly consider ourselves sustainable, we need to look at our own carbon footprint. So, in 2020, we set a baseline with Planet Mark to measure our Scope 1, 2, and core Scope 3 emissions to provide us with a comprehensive view of our biggest environmental impacts.

Scope 1 emissions relate to the emissions we make directly, including the fuel we use in our vehicles and heat our premises. Scope 2 emissions refer to the indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity that power our premises. Core Scope 3 emissions include business travel, waste, upstream and downstream leased assets, paper procurement, and water use. To further support our net zero targets, we plan to carry out an extended Scope 3 measurement, which introduces more of our value chain, such as distribution, purchased goods and services, capital goods, and product end-of-life.

To ensure we are transparent with our external stakeholders and to align all internal stakeholders to our targets, we have developed a Carbon Reduction Plan. Our Carbon Reduction Plan sets the scene for the next twenty years: highlighting our sustainability endeavours and our ambitious net zero target set for 2044, which is six years ahead of the government guidelines.

The first step to our net zero plan is achieving PAS 2060 status, a government-enlisted and globally recognised certification that confirms we are carbon neutral. Our pledge to become carbon neutral demonstrates our commitment and investment to the environment, however, it is not the end goal. The next step would be to carry out an extended Scope 3 measurement. This, along with our yearly Planet Mark reports, will allow us to establish our net zero baseline, develop an informed pathway to achieve our targets, and make adjustments to the Carbon Reduction Plan to become net zero by 2044.

The following quote from our Managing Director, Simon Rice, embodies our commitment to the best practices for internal sustainability with our Carbon Reduction Plan.

“Our Carbon Reduction Plan is the first step towards a bona fide and transparent sustainability journey that will align our operations to facilitate our ambitious 2044 net zero target.”

Ultimately, our Carbon Reduction Plan forms part of our wider social impact pledge and will enable us to continue supporting and improving the communities in which we live, work, and serve.

Read our Carbon Reduction Plan here