Igniting Change: Our Sustainability Promise

The Steps We’re Taking to Look After the Planet

Did you know, as a country we used almost 1.5 earth’s worth of resources in 2022?

It’s not new information that the planet is struggling due to the pressure we are placing on natural resources and the damage we are causing to the environment. We are living in an era of unprecedented global environment change, which is almost solely down to human activities. As a country we need to slash our global environmental footprint by 75% by the end of this decade. This footprint is a result of both the harm we cause through the things we produce and consume, both domestically and globally. The effects of climate change cannot be ignored any further and we want to ensure that we are doing our bit to look after our planet.

 

How Does Business Impact the Environment?

From pollution and consumer waste (particularly the use of single-use plastics) to the depletion of natural resources, businesses across the globe have a huge negative impact on the environment. Finding a balance between growing a business successfully and reducing the impact on the environment is a challenge. It’s encouraging to see growing public, government and business awareness regarding sustainability.

We understand the impact our industry and business in general has on the environment. We also know that modern technology has the power to help businesses all over the world to operate more sustainably, whilst improving efficiency and preparing operations for the future. Therefore, we are committed to proactively engaging in sustainable initiatives and supporting our customers to simultaneously improve their business operations and reduce their environmental impact. The launch of our new vision, last month, saw sustainability become a priority within our business moving forward.

 

Our Commitment to Sustainability

We believe that for sustainability to be at the forefront of our business, a proactive approach is required. We are on a journey to create a formalised ESG (environmental, social and governance) strategy. We understand that for us to become a truly sustainable, future-proof business we need to follow invest in the four pillars of sustainability:

 

Human

Human sustainability involves sustainable business practices and investment in:

• Education
• Health
• Nutrition
• Access to essential services
• Development of skills and knowledge

Promoting human sustainability also involves providing the tools to enable our team to work more sustainably whilst completing their day-to-day duties.

Our commitment to fostering a positive company culture has already contributed positively to our human sustainability initiatives. We have implemented a hybrid working policy, which has decreased our carbon footprint by reducing the requirement for our team to travel into the office. We also offer a ride to work scheme, which encourages our team to cycle rather than drive into work. We issue each of our team with a branded, reusable water bottle and have water machines within our offices to reduce reliance on single-use plastic. We operate a recycling scheme across our offices, covering all cardboard, plastic and paper and we are also committed to recycling our IT equipment where we can. We rely on digital information, which keeps printing to a minimum and therefore dramatically reduces the amount of paper we utilise within the office.

Going forward, we are committed to continuing this investment in our people and enabling our customers to allow their teams to operate more sustainably through digital technologies that encourage improved human sustainability.

 

Social

Social sustainability covers improving social relationships, inclusivity and equality and promoting honesty within our local community. To meet this pillar, we encourage our team to contribute to positive change within their local communities by offering a day off work for volunteering. We also support charity work that makes a difference within the communities surrounding our office locations across the country. In-house, we promote a culture that supports inclusivity and we continuously strive to be a workplace where everyone feels respected and are able to be their true selves. Our values of teamwork, hard work, humility and compassion drive our efforts to make a positive impact within both the business and our local community.

 

Economic

Economic sustainability aims to ensure stable levels of economic growth through sustainable development. The use of digital technologies greatly facilitates this initiative, through the ability to utilise assets efficiently and reducing waste. We have a clear vision for the future of the company that sets out positive growth and our team is fully aligned to make this vision a reality.

For our customers, we are committed to helping them to achieve their objectives and grow their business through the implementation of digital technologies and professional services. Through engaging with our business, our customers have everything they need to improve operations, provide better experiences for both their customers and team, and grow their business, whilst operating in a more sustainable way.

 

Environmental

Alongside the current initiatives we already employ to reduce our carbon footprints, we’ve engaged with a consultant to help us on our journey to become a more sustainable company. We have already committed to shorter-term emission reduction targets of 42% by 2030 and 63% by 2035 as a starting point and we have an ambitious strategy to reach net zero by 2040. The next stage of this journey will see Elite adopting an approach to offset residual carbon through a verified woodland scheme.

We are committed to helping customers achieve digital transformation within their business by employing digital technologies that are more eco-friendly to conserve natural resources for future generations. Successful digital transformation journeys that are bolstered by our solutions will enable businesses to work in a more profitable, productive and secure manner whilst reducing their impact on the planet.

 

Transform Your Business For the Better with Elite Group

If you’re looking to improve your business in 2024 and our sustainability commitments align with your own sustainability ambitions, let’s work together! Speak to our team of experts and explore our range of digital solutions that can take your business to new heights whilst enabling your business to reduce its reliance on the planet’s natural resources. Contact us today or call 0344 875 8880.