Our Environmental strategy and how our teams are helping us to reach our Science based 1.5°C aligned 2030 goals.
Shields supports telecom operators in creating more sustainable working practices, and here, CEO Daniel Jones discusses Shields’ Environmental strategy and 2030 targets.
“We take great pride in being able to help our clients minimise their impact on the environment, and we are taking steps to make our practices more sustainable with a renewed ESG strategy.
At present, our operations result in 843 tonnes of carbon emission each year; a figure made up of factors such as operating our buildings and vehicles. However, our re-use business model is responsible for removing 13,122 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere, which results in a net benefit of 12,279 tonnes for the planet. We are now looking further to improve this figure with some ambitious 2030 targets.
To ensure we are working with the most accurate data possible, we have also revised and validated our Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) goals so that our measurement and reporting methods are at their optimum. Our goal is that, by 2030, we will have reduced our absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 42%, using 2020 as our baseline year. We also plan to begin measuring and reducing our Scope 3 emissions by this time.
Achieving these targets will involve contributions from our colleagues across the business. We currently employ 220 staff across eight sites worldwide, including in Spain, France, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. These team members work across three main areas: office, warehouse and on-site, and each of these different roles has to be considered when exploring more energy-efficient working practices.
We are also making some energy-efficient operational changes to our sites to contribute to these targets. These include converting our sites to LED lighting from halogen to reduce our energy usage. We also consider alternative energy supply sources; Solar power is a potential solution for our warehouse facilities, and we are exploring whether these sites could be entirely self-sustaining in energy usage. We are also continuing to monitor the advancement of electric vehicle technology as the electrification of our fleet may be possible in the near future.
To share our Environmental commitments throughout the business, we will be creating a CEO Influencers group. This will consist of circa ten individuals who facilitate two-directional communication between the broader team and the Board to generate new ideas for energy efficiency measures and support staff to make efficiency improvements in their lives.”
Shields is delighted to publicise our commitment to Science Based 1.5°C aligned targets by 2030, and we look forward to updating you on our progress.