ANNUAL ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT 2009

Transcription

1 ANNUAL ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT 2009

2 Index Executive summary 3 Our approach 5 Energy 7 Travel 8 Waste 9 Water 11 Governance 12 Appendix 13 2

3 Executive summary St. James s Place has reduced its normalised carbon footprint by 24%, and reduced the amount it sends to landfill by 41%, during the last 5 years. About St. James s Place St. James s Place Wealth Management was founded in 1992 and is a UK-based company specialising in wealth management advice to individuals and businesses. St. James s Place is a FTSE 250 company, with a market capitalisation of circa 1.3bn and over 21.4bn of funds under management as at the end of Our wealth management advice is provided by members of the St. James s Place Partnership, a group of over 1,460 advisers who work from one of the 20 regional offices throughout the UK or from their own premises. Around 400 employees based at our Headquarters in Cirencester and a further 276 employees are based in our regional offices. Environmental strategy We recognise that we have a responsibility to act in a way that respects the environment. Environmental best practice, wherever reasonably practicable, is incorporated in our decision-making process, to include environmentally friendly and sustainable products and services where we can. Our principal direct impacts are through the buildings we operate, the individuals working within them and the resources used by those employees in their day-to-day work. Our main focus is in the key areas of energy, travel, waste and water. We also ensure that we have appropriate Environmental Governance in place. We have used the DEFRA guidelines and principles to compile this report Environmental highlights Following the move to our new Headquarters building in 2008, we continued with our approach to improve on our environmental activities in The highlights include: Completing the recycling programme into the remaining regional offices. Increased awareness through company bulletins and holding an Environment Day, including a presentation on environmental successes by one of our suppliers. Targets We have measured our environmental performance from data taken between October 2008 to September 2009 to allow us to gather information from third parties in sufficient time for inclusion in our Annual Report and Accounts. This twelve month period is consistent with previous years declarations. As stated last year we have opted to set targets on a three year basis, following previously set annual targets. Our targets are therefore listed overleaf and have been based against our 2007/08 normalised figures. To ensure we focus our efforts we intend to report going forward on absolute tonnage and normalised tonnage. We are pleased to be able to report that on a normalised basis, our three year targets have either been surpassed or are on target. We are mindful that improvements in business activities, specific training programme and a harsher winter, that there may be fluctuations in these and therefore have decided we will maintain our three year targets. We will review these targets next year. 3

4 St. James s Place is committed to reducing the impact it has on the environment and will continue to seek out ways to make improvements to reduce emissions produced. Energy Travel Waste Water Governance Our targets Reduce total energy use per FTO * by 5% between October 2008 and September 2011 Reduce total travel CO 2 per FTE * by 3% between October 2008 and September 2011 Reduce waste going to landfill per FTO * by 5% between October 2008 and September 2011 Reduce paper use per FTO * by 5% between October 2008 and September 2011 Increase paper recycling per FTO * by 10% between October 2008 and September 2011 Reduce total water used by 2% between October 2008 and September 2011 Introduce Environmental Champions in HQ How are we doing? During the 1st year of our targeted period we reduced our Energy emissions by 3%. Further ongoing reductions will be influenced by adverse weather conditions especially considering the unusually cold winter of 2009/10. During the 1st year of our targeted period we reduced our Travel emissions by 12%, well below our 3% target. However, part of this reduction is down to reduced business travel which is expected to increase as economic conditions improve. We will review the target in 2010 and report further in the next Annual Report. During the 1st year of our targeted period we reduced our waste to landfill by 3%. This follows increased recycling facilities introduced into our regional offices which reduced the amount going to landfill, which will not necessarily result in further reductions in years two and three of our reporting period. During the 1st year of our targeted period we reduced our paper usage by 25%, significantly more than the 5% target, however with a major training programme being initiated during 2010 and stretching into 2011, this improvement will be reversed and therefore the three year 5% reduction target stays in place and will be reviewed in our next Annual Report. During the 1st year of our targeted period we increased our paper recycling by 5%, which is half our target figure. This follows on from introducing additional recycling facilities for all paper categories into our regional offices. This increase has influenced the reduction in general waste going to landfill. During the 1st year of our targeted period we reduced our water consumed by 14%. However an increase is expected to reverse this improvement as a few billing issues are resolved. We have changed our approach and now directly engage employees through regular communication in our Employee Newsletter and by holding annual Environmental days, which we believe has raised awareness amongst a larger number of employees. * FTO: Full Time Occupant * FTE: Full Time Employee 4

5 Our approach We remain committed to managing the Group s activities in a way that takes account of our environmental impact. During 2009 we continued to work on improving our environmental performance. We aim to reduce emissions where practical, source sustainable goods and services where possible and offset the remaining core emissions in order to retain our carbon neutral status. Our main Environmental focus is: Energy Travel Waste Water Governance We measure our carbon footprint according to DEFRA guidelines and conversion rates. Verification of our figures are sent to a third party for comments and adjustments as part of the Carbon Neutral process. With these aims in mind, we are proud to have reduced our normalised carbon footprint by 24% in the last 5 years and reduced the amount we send to landfill by 41% in the same period. For the past four years, the majority of electricity has been sourced from renewable sources, however we have treated the usage as part of our carbon footprint for declaration purposes. The emissions impact we have generated has been offset through the purchasing of carbon credits. Our 2008/09 figures have been assessed by Ecometrica. In 2006/7, we entered into a three year contract with the Carbon Neutral Company to offset our carbon footprint. Two sustainable projects were invested in during 2007; a forestry regeneration project in Snowdonia, Wales and a renewable energy project in Southern India. In 2008, we invested in a wind power project in Turkey and a hydro power project in Sichuan Province, China. We intend to continue to invest in our Carbon Neutrality during the next reporting year. Forestry: Mynydd-Y-Garnedd, Wales Right in the heart of Snowdonia, Mynydd-Y-Garnedd will link two existing National nature reserves through a new native woodland. Mynydd- Y-Garnedd has been designed to grow from a combination of natural regeneration and new planting. 5

6 Wind: Sebenoba-Karakurt Wind Power Project This project sees the construction of 21 new wind turbines at two sites in Turkey. By providing renewable energy, the project reduces Turkey s reliance on fossil fuels for electricity supply. The project aims to generate emission reductions of 127,000 tonnes CO 2 equivalent between 2007 and 2009, certified and verified to the Voluntary Carbon Standard. Wind: Tirunelveli Wind Power Generation This project sees the construction of 22 new wind turbines in India. By providing renewable energy, the project helps to reduce India s reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation. The project has generated emissions reductions of 47,000 tonnes CO 2 between 2005 and 2007, verified to the Voluntary carbon Standard. Hydro: Sichuan Province Hydro Power Project This project bundles four small run-of-river hydro power stations in Sichuan province, western China. The project displaces electricity generated by fossil fuel power plants and will generate emission reductions of an estimated 360,000 tonnes CO 2 equivalent between 2006 and 2012, certified and verified to the Voluntary Carbon Standard. 6

7 Energy Energy is one of the largest areas contributing to our CO 2 emissions, and has therefore been our main focus for the last 5 years. We are keen to reduce the amount of energy we use and ensure that the carbon intensity of our electricity is reduced. As part of an ongoing initiative with our major shareholder, Lloyds Banking Group, we are included in the group arrangement to contract for renewable electricity in the majority of our directly billed metered sites. How have we performed? During the last 5 years, and based on recalculations using the National Grid Electricity Average, our normalised total energy consumption has reduced by 11% and now includes a larger office base since moving into our new Headquarters in It is our target to reduce total energy use per FTO by 5% by 2011, using year 2007/8 as a base year. Our energy consumption targets were increased for the year 2007/08 to take into account the move to our new air conditioned, 45,000 square foot Headquarters, and to allow for the building management systems (BMS) to be fully commissioned and bedded in. Following improved understanding and performance of the BMS, we have seen improvement and reductions in our energy usage which has gone some way to reducing our usage levels in 2008/09, which have reduced by 3% in the year. We have however decided to stick with our three year target of 5% reduction, but will keep this under review. What are our 2010 energy plans? Whilst reductions will be influenced by the 2009/10 adverse weather conditions when heating systems were on for longer periods we are working towards achieving our target of 5% reduction by the following: Encourage a reduction in energy wastage by building occupants Conduct an internal audit to investigate other energy reduction opportunities, while considering improvement to BMS control systems which are under our control Review for future refurbishment works more sustainable and energy efficient products. Energy Normalised Gas Electricity /5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8 2008/9 7

8 Travel Business travel is a significant contributor to our carbon footprint and is therefore an important area for us to manage. Our fuel card supplier provides fuel usage figures, which are added to mileage expense claims to calculate annual business mileage figures. Air and rail figures are calculated on a trip basis from information supplied by our accounts department and again converted into mileage, ready for conversion into CO 2 emissions. How have we performed? We recognise that year on year reductions in transport CO 2 are a challenge, especially where business needs can affect travel patterns. We have however continued to look at reducing travel requirements by considering other options. In the last five years, we have reduced our emissions from travel by 35% on an FTO basis, and by 12% since last year. These results have been achieved through an increase in rail travel and a decrease in air travel and vehicle mileage. We also continue to promote the use of audio and web conference facilities which has also had an impact on reducing business mileage. During 2009 a new fuel efficient car scheme was introduced, which removed the option for staff to acquire less fuel efficient vehicles, leaving the more fuel efficient cars on the approved list of cars, ranging from an average emission rate of 176 g/km to 159 g/km. This follows on from the car share scheme introduced in 2008 for our Head Office employees encouraging those who live in close proximity to one another to make contact if interested in car sharing. This scheme remains in place and a number of individuals have taken advantage of the facility. It is our intention to reduce travel CO 2 by 3% by 2010/11 and although this has already been achieved we expect business travel to increase in the next reporting year due to increased business activity and improved economic conditions. Therefore we intend to maintain our existing 3 year target, but will review this target in next year s report. What are our 2010 travel plans? Continuing to promote the car share schemes. Increase use of web and audio conferencing services to encourage less travel where possible. Consider incentives for travelling in a more environmental manner. Travel Normalised Rail Air Car /5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8 2008/9 8

9 Waste As a Wealth Management Company we do not produce physical products for sale, and as such our waste is restricted to office waste only going to landfill. We are however still committed to reducing the waste we send to landfill, reducing the paper we use and encourage increased recycling within our office base. How have we performed? During the last 5 years we have reduced the amount of waste (by full-time occupant) going to landfill by 41%, with 21% of this being achieved in the last two years. There has been a 3% reduction in the year 2008/9 which is on course to meet the three year target reduction, to reduce waste going to landfill per FTO by 5% between 2007/8 and 2010/11. Further reductions will be affected by any increased recycling opportunities in the next two years, but this will be limited, however at this stage we still expect to hit our three year target. This decrease in landfill waste in the last two years can be put down to introducing additional recycling facilities in all our offices, to include paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and cans, which has been achieved by removing under desk bins and replacing these with specific recycling bins in general access areas. Other items recycled on an irregular basis include toner cartridges, PC equipment, mobile phones and fax machines, all disposed via authorised collection companies. Printing material used for our marketing material continues to be closely managed, and paper is sourced from the Forestry Stewardship Certified (FSC) resources or from the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) accredited stock, while a proportion of literature has been moved from coated to uncoated material, as well as reducing further products printed with a matt lamination and spot UV. Other improvements include: Keep deliveries and distributions to a minimum, by working with suppliers to achieve more efficient distribution processes and reduce packaging. 100% recycled copier paper used. New office furniture is sourced from sustainable resources and at disposal, is either recycled or disposed of via our supplier in a responsible manner. We encourage our shareholders to receive electronic communications ( ecomms ) instead of paper copy documentation. 47% of shareholders currently receive ecomms broadcasts, and a further 14% have registered for the E-tree initiative. This is an initiative designed to help companies promote ecomms to shareholders and in doing so helps reduce the amount of paper used in the production of shareholder documentation. Further details can be found at What are our 2010 waste plans? Waste to landfill Increase recycling initiatives and maintain awareness within our office base. Work with our cleaning company contractors to manage waste going to landfills more effectively to increase the amount of waste going for recycling through improved collection routines. Paper Usage Reduce paper use per FTO by 5% between 2007/8 and 2010/11 by increasing electronic access to information and continuing to question our printing requirements. Increase paper recycling by 10% between 2007/8 and 2010/11 through encouragement and awareness initiatives. 9

10 Paper Recycled Normalised Paper Recycled Linear (Paper Recycled) /5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8 2008/9 Landfill Normalised Waste Linear (Waste) /5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8 2008/9 10

11 Water St. James s Place operates from its head office and 20 regional offices in the United Kingdom, and we utilise water for tea points, washrooms and cleaning. As a Wealth Manager and being office based, our water utilisation is low. How have we performed? We continue to provide mains fed drinking water to employees instead of bottled drinking water and while this initially increased our water consumption slightly, it has reduced the number of plastic bottles being used and saves the carbon generated in the production and delivery of bottles. In the few areas where we still use bottled water, as mains fed water is not located nearby, this is supplied in bio-degradable bottles. We are looking to achieve a reduction in annual total water used by 2% generated per FTO between 2007/8 and 2010/11. In our new head office building there are additional facilities such as zip taps in the tea point areas and shower facilities for staff, which increased our water consumption in 2007/8. General consumption in 2008/9 has reduced through introducing improved water management processes in the washrooms. This improvement has produced a saving of 14% in 2008/9, although adjusted water consumption readings are still expected to result in eventual reductions coming in line with our three year target, once various billing issues have been resolved. What are our 2010 water plans? Conduct a water usage audit for all office locations to establish any unusual usage levels. Conduct a programme to introduce water efficient devices into wash rooms and kitchens. Water Normalised Water Linear (Water) /5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8 2008/9 11

12 Governance On an annual basis the Environmental Steering Group chaired by the Operations Director reviews our Environmental Plan and sets out our objectives for the following year. This is reported through to the CSR committee where any strategic decision making takes place. The St. James s Place Environmental Policy St. James s Place has an environmental policy which is reviewed by the environmental group. The policy is available in the Investor Relations section of our website. Targets We commit to continue to set targets and report against these for all our direct office based environmental impacts. We intend to report both absolute and normalised figures going forward. Training and education Training and education is an important part of our environmental programme. This has included offering a carbon calculator for our employees, producing regular internal communications and encouraging where possible car sharing. Key development meetings are regularly held where health and safety and company environmental issues are explained for employee development purposes. In 2009, we held our first Environment Day, this included an environmental quiz, TV communications, Switch It Off campaign and a presentation by one of our suppliers detailing the business benefits they have achieved through their own green education programme. Engagement with our suppliers has resulted in us sourcing materials from sustainable products, such as our paper, stationery and furniture suppliers. Benchmarking & Stakeholder dialogue We are keen to benchmark and engage with our stakeholders. Examples of stakeholder engagement include: Continued membership of the FTSE4Good Index. We are a Carbon Neutral Company. BITC membership for communications, advice and emission reductions. Inclusion in the Carbon Disclosure Project. We now participate in this survey annually. Ecometrica for carbon neutral assessment purposes for carbon offsetting. Employee Responsibility All staff have a responsibility to consider their environmental actions, and in order to formalise this responsibility, an environmental section under policies is included within our employee handbook which forms the terms and conditions of employment for all employees. 12

13 Appendix Absolute emissions Absolute Direct and Indirect emissions by Scope Activities 2007/08 Tonnes CO 2 e 2008/09 Tonnes CO 2 e Scope 1 Gas (Direct GHG emissions) Owned vehicles Total Scope Scope 2 Electricity 2,528 2,492 (Energy indirect) Total Scope 2 2,528 2,492 Scope 3 Car travel (expenses) (Other GHG indirect) Air travel Rail travel Commuting to work 1,757 2,072 Waste (landfill) Conferences (air/hotels) 2,783 1,798 Taxis Underground travel Couriers Hotels (business) Total Scope 3 5,764 5,088 TOTAL annual gross emissions) tco 2 e/year) 9,281 8,378 Purchased Carbon Offsets 1 Purchased Green Tariff 2 (4,817) (1,320) 1 We purchased 4,817 carbon credits from Carbon Neutral Company ltd, for the year 2008/9 based on a 3 year contract started in 2006/7. The credits are from Mynydd-Y-Garnedd Forestry in Wales, covered by the Verified Emissions Reductions (VER), and the Tirunelveli Wind Power project, verified and certified to the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) 2- We purchased 53% of our electricity from Southern Electric, for supply classified as CCL exempt from renewable sources. To confirm with recent definitions the amount of 1,320 tonnes of CO 2 attributed to this supply has not been deducted from our overall emissions figures. Absolute emissions by category 2007/8 2008/9 Gas Electricity 2,528 2,492 Total energy 3,102 2,997 Business travel 1,256 1,136 Landfill Total direct & indirect emissions 4,592 4,359 Conferences, commuting, couriers 4,689 4,019 Total emissions 9,281 8,378 Absolute measurement by 2007/8 2008/9 category Water (m3) 7,818 6,734 Paper recycled (tonnes) Paper used (reams) 40,476 30,176 Our Impacts We identify and categorise emissions-releasing activities using the WRI/WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol. These are split into three groups, known as scopes. 13

14 Scope 1 are activities owned or controlled by St. James s Place that release emissions straight into the atmosphere, and include emissions from combustion from St. James s Place controlled boilers and vehicles. These are known as direct emissions. Scope 2 are emissions released into the atmosphere associated with consumption of purchased electricity, heat, steam and cooling emissions released due to St. James s Place activities only come from purchased electricity where we do not have direct control over the source. These are known as indirect emissions. Scope 3 are emissions that are a consequence of St. James s Places actions which occur from sources which are not owned or controlled by St. James s Place that do not fall into scope 2 emissions. These include waste disposal, purchased travel, commuting to work and other purchased services. The detailed list of scope 1,2 and 3 emissions can be found on page

15 Normalised emissions Energy Definition Data Source & Calculation Methods Greenhouse Gases Gas Emissions from utility boilers Yearly consumption in kwh collected from fuel bills, converted according to Defra Guidelines Electricity Directly purchased electricity which generates greenhouse gases including CO 2 Emissions Yearly consumption of directly purchased electricity in kwh, converted according to Defra guidelines. Normalised Tonnes per Full Time Occupant 2007/ /09 % Difference % % Total energy % Waste Definition Recycled (tonnes) Landfill (CO 2 ) Data Source & Calculation Methods Waste paper recycled General office waste, which includes a mixture of paper, card, wood, plastics & metals Greenhouse Gases Volume of waste weighed at collection by recycling company in tonnes Volume of waste generated per annum calculated by recording the number of bins and skips removed, converted to tonnes according to Defra guidelines Normalised Tonnes per Full Time Occupant 2007/ /09 % Difference % % Travel Definition Data Source & Calculation Methods Greenhouse Gases Normalised CO 2 e Tonnes per Full Time Employee 2007/ /09 % Difference Vehicle Fuel Travel incurred by staff for Expense claims and account data business purposes taken from travel information % Flights Travel incurred by staff for Expense claims and account data business purposes taken from travel information % Rail Travel incurred by staff for Expense claims and account data business purposes taken from travel information % Total travel % Water Definition Water (m3) Data Source & Calculation Methods Consumption of piped water. No water directly abstracted by Group Greenhouse Gases Normalised per Full Time Occupant 2007/ /09 % Difference Yearly consumption of purchased water % Paper usage Definition Data Source & Calculation Greenhouse Gases Normalised per Full Time Occupant Methods 2007/ /09 % Difference Paper (reams) Supplier provided % 15

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