UNLIMITED Carbon Reduction Plan (UK)
Supplier name: Digital Unlimited Group Ltd
Publication date: 18th April 2023
Commitment to achieving Net Zero
UNLIMITED recognises that the climate crisis the world is facing is one of the biggest challenges of our lifetimes. We recognise the effect the concerns around the climate crisis are having on our employees and our wider stakeholders. We appreciate the part we can play in reducing the impact of our own operations on the environment and want to do what we can to support turning the tides on the climate crisis. Our employees are passionate about identifying where UNLIMITED can make change and targeting that change head on. We believe these changes can have an impact on our industry and the world as a whole, directly as UNLIMITED, but also with each individual staff member and stakeholder across our business. The more we can demonstrate our efforts and passion for addressing the climate crisis, we are hopeful that the knock-on effects will be exponential.
Our environmental mission
UNLIMITED’s environmental mission is to maximise the sustainability of both our own operations and the impact we have upon the industries that we serve, by leveraging the skills and passion of our workforce and by increasingly partnering with clients and suppliers that hold more sustainable and progressive ambitions for the world.
With this in mind, UNLIMITED has set near term targets for FY30 to reduce tCO2e per FTE by 25% and commit to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Baseline Emissions Footprint
Baseline emissions are a record of the greenhouse gases that have been produced in the past and were produced prior to the introduction of any strategies to reduce emissions. Baseline emissions are the reference point against which emissions reduction can be measured.
Baseline Year: 2022
The period September 2021-August 2022 was our first year of detailed carbon footprint reporting, and therefore 2022 is our baseline year.
Additional details relating to the Baseline Emissions calculations:
The carbon inventory for quantifying GHG emissions followed the principles described in the Greenhouse Protocol Corporate Standard.
The baseline only covers Scope 1 & Scope 2 emissions.
Scope 3 emissions will be reviewed within the next reporting period.
Data included within the scope of the Carbon Reduction Plan is listed below.
Scope 1 & 2 emissions are calculated using the location-based methodology.
Baseline Emissions Reporting
| Reporting Year: September 2021 – August 2022
|
|
| Emissions
|
TOTAL (tCO2e) |
| Scope 1
|
55.9 |
| Scope 2
(Location-based) |
45.5 |
| Scope 3
(Including Sources) |
N/A |
| Total Emissions
|
101.4 |
NB – this is based on head count and x 5 buildings as of November 2022
Since November 2022, we have worked with EnVISION (AvISO), an external partner, to measure our Scope 1 & 2 emissions.
Thus far we have not measured or reported on our Scope 3 emissions, however we recognise that there are carbon emission implications of the work that we do, both in terms of driving demand of our suppliers as well as in relation to what we produce and the business we generate for our clients.
Over the next 12 months we will be working with further industry partners and peers to build a clearer picture of the emissions we indirectly affect through the functioning of our business, and in the next reporting period will be reporting on as much of our Scope 3 emissions as we are able to measure.
Currently included within the reporting boundary
Scope 1 – direct GHG emissions that are owned or controlled by Unlimited such as stationary combustion from boilers, mobile combustion emissions from company vehicles, as well as fugitive emissions from air conditioning units and fire extinguishers.
Scope 2 – indirect emissions from electricity purchased to supply the Unlimited Offices.
Not currently included within the reporting boundary
Scope 3 – indirect emissions from the value chain of the organisation, both upstream (from suppliers, e.g., purchased goods and services, staff travel) and downstream (from work done for clients, e.g., production, media planning & buying, emissions resulting from the growth of our clients).
Emissions reduction targets
In order to continue our progress to achieving Net Zero by 2050, we have adopted the following carbon reduction targets:
We project that carbon emissions will decrease over the next five years to 83.3 tCO2e by 2027. This is a reduction of 14%.
The chart below lays out UNLIMITED’s emissions reduction targets from FY22 to FY50, based on a linear reduction approach. NB – this reduction trajectory curve may change following measurement of Scope 3 emissions.
Please note – future inclusion of Scope 3 emissions within our reporting boundary will likely increase the total emissions and respective reduction targets of UNLIMITED.
Carbon reduction projects
Completed carbon reduction initiatives:
- Achieved ISO14001 certification across all physical sites
- Adoption of Ad Green levy within TMW Unlimited
- Ratified our flexible working policy to limit commuting-related emissions
- Ongoing consolidation of our office space, reducing our building footprint (moving to a shared workspace environment in the main London office 2 years ago)
- Energy efficiency plans put in place across our IT & office estate: auto-power off of all monitors, motion sensor lighting, low-carbon printer toner cartridges, boiling water taps
- Waste reduction plans put in place across our offices: printers default to black & white/double-sided, only use recycled printer paper, sustainable coffee pods, removed paper hand towels from all office location bathrooms
In future we hope to implement further measures such as:
- Roll-out of Ad Green levy across all relevant UNLIMITED business entities
- Roll-out of employee training in the UNLIMITED Environmental Management System
- Octopus Electric Vehicles – company car scheme to provide cleaner car opportunities to employees that need this
- Further consolidation of our office space (from 4 to 3 buildings)
- IT estate audit to measure current inventory and future procurement process
- Defining a central procurement policy to ensure all office equipment is energy efficient
- Move to 100% renewable electricity tariff for office spaces we can influence
- Displaying energy consumption indicators in office spaces to raise awareness among staff
- Encouraging primarily vegetarian meals for physical business meetings
- Working with a central business travel and accommodation partner, to facilitate sustainable travel and effective reporting
- To join the Ad Net Zero pledge
Declaration and Sign Off
This Carbon Reduction Plan has been completed in accordance with PPN 06/21 and associated guidance and reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans.
Emissions have been reported and recorded in accordance with the published reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans and the GHG Reporting Protocol corporate standard1 and uses the appropriate Government emission conversion factors for greenhouse gas company reporting2.
Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions have been reported in accordance with SECR requirements.
This Carbon Reduction Plan has been reviewed and signed off by the board of directors (or equivalent management body).
Signed on behalf of Digital Unlimited Group Ltd
Name: Ed Guest
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Date: 18.04.23