Sustainability initiative

The next decade will be a challenging one. The need to tackle climate change, promote sustainable development and mitigate our effects on the environment is now, more than ever before, a global issue. A range of entities that includes governments, public bodies, companies and private enterprises will all see changes to the way they do business. Sustainable development is a new and important frontier in business – and we’re proud to be at the forefront, leading the way.

We know that you can’t manage what you can’t measure. This is why we have appointed environmental leaders in each of our offices around the world who support our overarching objectives and give us a valuable baseline of data to work with for the future. We recognise that collecting, analysing and verifying data from across our global operations is challenging, but we have developed new systems to help with the process of managing complex data sets.

A good carbon management programme is best achieved by working smartly and our approach is to measure and report, manage, reduce and then engage others to reduce their emissions.

Acting sustainably is not just common sense – it’s also good business and there are real cost savings to be made by reducing the amount of natural resources consumed.

In the interim of reporting globally and regionally, we are pleased to report our 2008 UK performance as follows:

CARBON SAVINGS

• In 2007 our UK footprint was measured at 4.30 tonnes of carbon equivalent per employee in the UK
• In 2008 we reduced our emissions to 4.13 tonnes of carbon equivalent per employee in the UK, equating to a 3.95 percent decrease per employee or 1.19 tonnes of carbon equivalent reduction in absolute emissions
• In buildings that we manage ourselves, the onsite combustion fell by 28.93percent between 2008 and 2009 (3,251.587 kilowatt hours to 2,307,736 kilowatt hours)
• We reduced our air travel by 32.76 percent between 2008 to 2009 (12,495,193 kms to 8,400,877 km)
• In Shelley House, London, which by area is 53.14 percent of our managed sites, electricity consumption fell by 8.14 percent between 2008 and 2009, from 5,359,790 kilowatt hours to 4,923,383 kilowatt hours
• Reduction of 33.31 percent in CO2 produced by air travel between 2008 and 2009, from 1,546 tonnes to 1,031 tonnes
• Our reduction in spending on taxis has resulted in a saving of 15 tonnes of carbon equivalent from 2007 to 2009
• In buildings that we manage, the carbon equivalent produced by on-site combustion fell by 173 tonnes between 2008 and 2009
• By reducing electricity consumption in our Shelley House office we have saved 237 tonnes of carbon equivalent between 2008 and 2009

COST SAVINGS

• Reduced travel expenses by 5 percent (£100,000)
• Reduced spending on air travel by 33.57 percent between 2008 and 2009, from £2,190,749 to £1,455,225
• Reduced spend on paper by 8.82 percent from £364,351 in 2008 to £332,198 in 2009 and reduced usage by 21.71 percent over the same period
• Savings of £9,054 per annum as a consequence of reducing the number of stationery deliveries
• Savings of £64,000 in reduced green energy costs in London, Manchester, Sheffield and Glasgow
• Savings of £64,000 in reduced gas cost in London and Glasgow
• Savings of £80,000 by purchasing plastic files made of 99 percent recyclable material to replace the old units
• Savings of £9,000 by changing to certified confidential recycling waste suppliers
• Savings of £54,000 by implementing DX systems in client offices to reduce cost and carbon miles