In this age of global warming and environmental challenges, the need to reduce carbon emissions and change the more damaging aspects of our lifestyles is stronger than ever. Here in the UK, the recent ban on single-use plastics and the opening of a huge new wind farm off the coast of Scotland are very much welcomed by all of us.
As a growing business, we’ve always been aware of the impact our operations might have on the environment and we’ve long held the ambition to become completely net zero. This is an ethos that permeates every aspect of our business and we’re really pleased that our employees are 100% committed to this goal as well.
So, what have we been doing about it?
It’s all very well talking about green aspirations, but words are nothing without deeds to back them up. We thought we’d take this opportunity to highlight the specific actions we’ve been taking to look after this beautiful planet we all call home.
- Green datacentre: the accomplishment that we’re most proud of is that our datacentre, deep in the heart of the Thames Valley, is now 100% powered by renewable energy. We achieved this by partnering with the energy provider SSE to ensure that the electricity that powers our servers is entirely produced by renewable sources, such as wind and solar farms.
- Climate projects: as a team.blue brand, an ecosystem of 40+ successful brands, we’ve teamed up with climate action group Ecologi to fund a number of tree planting and reforestation schemes all around the world. These carbon offset projects are high-impact solutions which will be vital to solving the problem of climate change.
- Electric cars: a few years ago the company cars used by our directors and senior managers were switched to fully electric models. Charging stations were also installed outside our various UK offices.
- Material recycling: we make every effort to recycle materials and reduce waste. All our employees are encouraged to minimise their paper usage and we’ve placed recycling bins in all our offices.
- Community: we have an agreement with some local schools and donate to them any items of older IT equipment that get replaced, such as laptops or monitors. This ensures they all go to a good home and help the community, rather than just being sent to a landfill site.
- Cycle scheme: to help reduce the carbon footprint of our employees as they commute to and from work, we’ve set up a cycle-to-work scheme for our staff. To help employees to purchase a bike, we have a salary sacrifice system in place and we’ve installed secure bike racks outside of our offices to facilitate our cyclists.
What’s next on our net zero journey?
Our ultimate goal is to become net zero by proactively taking steps that will positively impact the planet, its communities and our customers.
It’s a thrilling journey that we’re on and we’re already looking forward to the next steps we’re planning, such as incentivising employee train travel when visiting some of our different offices.
Over the coming months we’ll share with you how our net zero journey is going and any challenges that we’re facing along the way.
It’s an exciting time and we’re really pleased to be sharing this journey with you.
Why not view the latest update on our sustainability journey? Find out about our listing with the Green Web Foundation.
