Energy and Emissions
Understanding, measuring and reducing our carbon footprint is a daily concern for our business.
Monitoring our environmental performance on clients' premises remains a challenge as we often have limited scope to innovate or introduce equipment requiring capital investment. Nonetheless, we continue to improve data capture, which allows us to better understand our carbon footprint and manage it.
We now gather data on our scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions as well as air and rail travel and the associated mileage. Our central vehicle fleet team's new software separates business miles from private miles for company car drivers so we can now calculate business travel emissions. We have rationalised our commercial fleet vehicles and now take into account fuel efficiency, carbon emissions and life cycle costs when selecting vehicles - which has contributed to the reduction in our fuel consumption.
Working alongside clients is key if we are to improve the environmental performance of our operations or the buildings we work in. For example, at a Crown Court where Sodexo provides facilities management services, our client keeps us informed of court session timings so we can turn off all air handling units, lighting and other non-critical equipment earlier than scheduled by the building management system to save energy.
We teamed up with Bunzl Catering Supplies, one of our main logistics partners, to introduce electric vehicle deliveries for supplies to key sites in London.
These initiatives are part of our wider commitment to engage with suppliers and clients to address complex environmental challenges.
Monitoring and measuring our carbon impact
In our environmental strategy and improvement programme 2010-2013, we have set ourselves the following key objectives:
- 10% reduction in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per million pounds in turnover against a 2008/09 baseline by August 2013
- 8% reduction in average fuel consumption per vehicle below a 2006/07 baseline by August 2012
- More than 80% of our controlled sites reducing electricity consumption year on year by August 2012
Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust Standard is a marque of excellence that requires organisations to demonstrate they are measuring, managing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through quantifiable year-on-year reductions. The Carbon Trust standard requires reassessment every two years.
Tillery Valley, our part of the business which produces meals for the education and healthcare sectors, has become the first food manufacturing facility in Wales to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard in 2010. Its comprehensive environmental management programme, including a new computer-based loading and routing system to minimise food delivery miles, a new plant layout and a move to 'just-in-time' production, helped to improve its carbon intensity by over 19.5% per tonne of product manufactured over three years.
The Prince's Mayday Network
Sodexo is a member of The Prince's May Day Network, the UK's largest group of businesses committed to taking action on climate change. The Prince's May Day Network is convened by Business in the Community, and helps businesses realise benefits from taking action on climate change. It is sponsored by businesses that are taking a lead on climate change, and partners with key business support organisations.
With the UK Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme in mind, we will continue to focus on energy consumption reduction at controlled sites. Progress to date provides us with a good foundation to build on.
