Commitment to achieving Net Zero
Hanover is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050.
Hanover are a Resourcing Consulting Partner to the UK Public Sector. We understand the importance of UK Government policies and proposals for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy to meet net zero target by 2050. Hanover are committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace, and to minimise minimising any harmful impact on the environment.
We acknowledge our responsibility to act sustainably across all functions and recognise the need for sustainable practices by the company, and by individual employees. We are a micro-SME with 6 employees working remotely. Our current activities do not create emissions to the environment covered by environmental protection legislation. However, we remain committed to a high level of sustainability and environmental protection and, where possible, enhancement.
You can view a signed copy of our Carbon Reduction Strategy here: HANOVER CARBON REDUCTION PLAN SIGNED
SME Climate Commitment
We have officially committed to The SME Climate Commitment. Recognising that climate change poses a threat to the economy, nature, and society, our company commits to take action immediately in order to:
Halve our greenhouse gas emissions before 2030
Achieve net zero emissions before 2050
Disclose our progress on a yearly basis
In doing so, we are proud to be recognised by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign, and join governments, businesses, cities, regions, and universities around the world that share the same mission. To undertake and implement change, we reviewed our current position and have set out a Carbon Reduction Plan along with a strategy including actions points, to enable us to monitor progress towards net zero emissions as a business.
Base Line & Current Emissions
Our organisation has only recently assessed our emissions so our first reporting period is also our baseline emissions.
Our emissions are low and primarily come from supply chain impacts. As our employees are mainly working from their homes, we have substantially reduced heating, electricity, and travel emissions. Although in 6 different locations, those properties/homes are already producing average household emissions, but we have still effectively calculated the impact this percentage of remote work activities has within those standard home emissions. Our role as an employer is to educate our team on how to further reduce their own personal carbon footprint and take personal responsibility for their environmental impact along with making operational and supply chain changes to improve emission reduction.
REPORTING YEAR: 2022
Scope 1 : 0
Scope 2 : 3.94
Scope 3 : 7.46
Total Emissions : 11.4
Emissions Reduction Targets
This is Hanover’s first Carbon Footprint assessment and Carbon Reduction Plan. In order to continue our progress to achieving Net Zero, we have adopted the following carbon reduction targets.
We project that carbon emissions will decrease over the next five years to 6.84 tCO2e by 2027. This is a reduction of 40%.
Completed Carbon Reduction Initiatives
This is Hanover’s first Carbon Footprint assessment and Carbon Reduction Plan. We have begun to implement the below changes and are now monitoring effectiveness.
As a micro-team SME, our ultimate goal is to embed an environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly culture where carbon reduction considerations are routinely embedded into every business and personal decision. This entailed looking at the existing social norms and perceptions around carbon reduction and calculating our current emission impact through reviewing remote work, employee travel, technology, waste, and energy use.
We have already begun to implement some of the changes outlined in our futures measures below. These initial changes include:
Paperless business construct – digitally led with cloud-based solutions
Integrated environmental and sustainability principles into operational procedures and decision processes.
Reduced the need for travel, utilise public and sustainable transport
Compliance with all relevant environmental legislation/regulation and keep up to date on the latest available green initiatives.
Promoted responsibility for the environment within the organisation and communicate this policy to any external organisations we work with.
Not prioritise funding needs ahead of sustainability requirements.
Encourage and facilitate feedback and suggestions from stakeholders to improve good practice.
Induction training scheme encouraging green choices when remote working
Carbon Reduction Strategy
We are now implementing the further measures outlined below.
Working Remotely
Remote work has been linked to improved air quality and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel usage, and water pollution. Working remotely eliminates the need for a daily commute, which in turn reduces the amount of CO2 emissions each commuter generates. Studies found that staying home four days a week can reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions by around 10%.
Our employees work from home full time and are supported from induction and onboarding throughout their career at Hanover to make positive, greener choices. As a digitally-led business, we have already adopted a paperless policy when it comes to communication. All our correspondence including important signatory documents are digital and employees are encouraged to use meeting technologies and project sharing platforms to eliminate paper waste. We require only minimal any printing technologies as our needs for items such as expense receipts, train tickets etc are fulfilled via digital software or mobile applications.
ACTIONS:
Implement a system for monitoring paper consumption
Any paper that is deemed crucial is sourced from recycled materials and through low impact supply chains via ethical companies.
Any waste paper is recycled via the proper channels with individual employees taking personal responsibility.
Digital communications and meetings are kept to a minimum, monitoring structure to be implemented via our CRM and IT supplier.
Energy Saving
Working from home may marginally increase the utility costs of individual homes, but it eliminates the higher utility emissions from larger commercial buildings. Whist working remotely, we encourage our employees to be aware of their surroundings, turning off unnecessary appliances, closing down equipment at the end of the day and heating singular rooms rather than large spaces where possible.
Renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly affordable and reliable, so Hanover also offer advice and support when making choices about their personal energy suppliers. We encourage our team to conserve energy around the house by switching to energy-efficient light bulbs, using natural light throughout the day and switching to more eco-friendly appliances with energy efficiency ratings.
ACTIONS:
Undertake regular renewable energy audits on energy suppliers in order to outline brands
Offer a subsidy to those opting to use renewable energy suppliers
Create remote working energy checklist outlining best practice for equipment / appliance use
Minimise Travel
As a digital SME, we utilise online meeting technologies as often as possible but recognise that in order to build strong relationships, sometimes meeting face to face is crucial. In these unavoidable instances, we encourage employees to continue to utilise public and sustainable forms of transport. Moving forward we will also create reviews of travel activities so that we can monitor carbon footprint for future comparison reporting.
ACTIONS:
No unnecessary travel
Continue to utilise video meeting technologies wherever possible
Monitor travel transport usage with monthly audit and review
Opt for green transport alternatives on necessary routes
Champion The 3 R's
Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle. Research shows that employees adopt more sustainable waste practices at home than they do at the office. Remote working significantly reduces waste and emissions caused by waste logistics.
Without the need to commute or travel for meetings, we are also reducing single use plastic usage alongside items that are included in most offices such as coffee machines, printers etc. Your morning coffee comes in your favourite mug instead of a disposable cup, cooking at home and reducing food costs will reduce the use of plastics and packaging.
In each employee’s location, recycling facilities are often easily accessible, and we encourage their use. We will also encourage shopping locally and a deeper understanding of food purchase choices and its environmental impact. Working remotely allows employees more time and the ability to shop locally too, decreasing the need to use cars for buying groceries. Shopping for local, in-season produce is a great way to cut down on carbon emissions from food imports, as well as reduce the amount of packaging and storage needed for foods. We also ask employees to use re-usable bags so not to add to plastic waste.
ACTIONS:
Provide a general best practice recycling and re-use guide during onboarding
Supply recycling resources and information from each local authority to individual employees
Create regular updates on environment changes and reports
Schedule Quarterly Green Thinking training webinars
Promote understanding of food waste and food logistic impacts through reports
Supply Chain Sourcing
It is vital to ensure that all our suppliers adhere closely to our ethical, environmental and sustainability policies. When looking for a new supplier, we conduct a review on their green credentials, however we plan to expand upon this by creating an in-depth supplier scoring matrix that will involve research to gain answers to the following questions:
Do your suppliers have evidence that they adhere to the Modern Slavery Act 2015?
Do your suppliers operate in line with the Bribery Act 2010?
Do they comply, and have example of compliance, with all/any current environmental legislation?
Do they have a certified environmental management system (EMS) such as ISO 14001 to assess their own environmental impacts?
Do they have an Environment or CSR policy in place? · Are they local to Hanover, or have locally sourced products?
What is the logistical or carbon impact of their services?
Is their product made from recycled products or is easily recyclable?
What waste is created during their product processes?
What are your supplier's buying practices? - this can be useful in identifying environmental and social risks further down the supply chain
Device Use
The buying and use of devices, hardware and laptops also create carbon emissions footprints, with the transportation of devices causing the highest impact. Hanover currently only run 6 laptops for the entire business, employees use an online phone system through their laptops and utilise their personal mobiles for business calls with a subsidy. All of our operational platforms are cloud based from carefully chosen providers and we utilise device recycling schemes.
ACTIONS:
Partnerships with a device upcycling company
Future purchases are to be rated on emissions and energy ratings
Future purchase to follow supplier chain questions around logistics, transport impact etc
Carbon Off-Setting
Hanover understand that even after implementing these changes, there will still be a minimal carbon footprint impact from our business activities. That is why we will not only look to reduce our carbon footprint, but to also actively off set it by partnering with environmental organisations and charities.
ACTIONS:
Build Carbon Off-Setting Strategy into CSR Plan
Contact a number of charities that specialise in carbon off-setting
Sign up to local environmental, clean up, rewilding and green volunteering schemes
Next Stages
Over the next few months our Directors will commence our Carbon Reduction Plan to all employees of Hanover, communicating the importance of our mission to create a culture of responsibility and sustainability, They will also outline deadlines for our action plan with milestone objectives. This will include:
Monthly Review
Quarterly Reporting
Report progress under The SME Climate Commitment
Monitoring Objectives Completion