Sustainability.
The FW Thorpe Group of companies* has been officially recognised as being carbon neutral, with systems of reduction, measurement and certified offsetting in place, since 2012. This decade-long status has been independently assessed by a third party in accordance with ISO 14064, an international standard for the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals. Meeting this standard provides independent assurance of the Group’s long-standing commitment to sustainability across all of its operations worldwide.
*Group companies acquired since 2012 have been assessed only since their date of acquisition.
What does “carbon neutral” mean?
Being carbon neutral means that FW Thorpe Plc offsets the carbon dioxide emissions it generates (scopes 1 and 2 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol) by its business activities.
Scope 1
All direct emissions from the activities of an organisation, including fuel combustion on site, such as in gas boilers, and in its fleet of delivery and other company-owned vehicles.
Scope 2
Indirect emissions from electricity purchased and used by the organisation. These emissions are caused during the production of the electricity that is ultimately used by the organisation.
Measurement
FW Thorpe Plc is a carbon neutral company through a combination of measures. Company-wide initiatives such as energy use minimisation, self-generation of renewable energy through solar photovoltaic (PV) units, and procurement of renewable energy have reduced the Group’s carbon footprint, whilst trees in the Group’s award-winning carbon offsetting afforestation project absorb the remaining carbon dioxide produced.
In 2011 Welsh Minister John Griffiths visited our carbon offsetting project in Devauden, Wales, to plant a tree. Ten years later and Mike Allcock, FW Thorpe Plc Chairman, was back to check on its progress.
Carbon offsetting
In 2009, FW Thorpe Plc purchased 215 acres of farmland in Wales. To date, 179,412 trees have been planted for carbon sequestration. Based on the Group’s calculated emissions, it has been confirmed that enough trees have been planted for FW Thorpe Plc to have been carbon neutral since 2012.
The carbon capture tree-planting scheme (quality-assured by the government-backed Woodland Carbon Code) is independently certified to ISO 14064-3 and ISO 14065 standards. The Woodland Carbon Code is an independent standard, devised by a group led by the UK Forestry Commission, to certify that woodland creation projects can accurately measure how much carbon is captured and stored.
www.woodlandcarboncode.org.uk
Group company targets
- All Group companies, if not already, will be certified in 2022 to the international standards ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems), ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems) and ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems).
- All Group companies will be required to meet ambitious targets to reduce waste to landfill.
- New product design is to follow an FW Thorpe Plc agreed Circular Design Strategy, ensuring products last even longer, use sustainable materials in their construction and are easier to reuse, refurbish or recycle at the end of their lifetime.
- All Group companies to produce Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for their best-selling product ranges and to evaluate the Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) generated to assess and improve product performance.
- All Group delivery vehicles are to be a minimum of Euro 6 compliant.
- All Group companies to review their manufacturing processes and draw up plans to reduce energy usage.
- All Group companies are to provide electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at the workplace.
- All Group companies will target zero plastic bag and zero bubble wrap usage in its factories
- All finished goods packaging is to be supplied from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or equivalent sources. Group companies will offer a return and reuse service for product packaging.
- All Group employees are to be trained in environmental initiatives.
- All Group companies to appoint a Sustainability Champion and to have a written sustainability plan.
Chairman’s Comment
FW Thorpe Plc has a longstanding commitment to tackling global environmental challenges, principally through its core business of manufacturing energy efficient lighting equipment. The company has a genuine desire to become a more sustainable business.
The carbon capture tree-planting scheme (quality-assured by the government-backed Woodland Carbon Code) is independently certified to ISO 14064-3 and ISO 14065 standards. The Woodland Carbon Code is an independent standard, devised by a group led by the UK Forestry Commission, to certify that woodland creation projects can accurately measure how much carbon is captured and stored.
But our work doesn’t stop here. By assessing our carbon impact right across our manufacturing and value chain then setting science-based targets in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, our goal is ultimately to reach zero carbon status well before the UK’s target for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Watch this space.
Mike Allcock
FW Thorpe Group Chairman