Hebs Group Ltd is committed to achieving a realistic and achievable Carbon Reduction Plan that can be implemented to achieve a 75% reduction by 2035, with the goal of achieving Net Zero by 2050.

We are aware that reducing our Greenhouse Gas Emissions represents significant benefits for us, our customers, suppliers and the wider community.

Our Carbon Reduction Plan covers the strategies for Hebs ongoing commitment to the management and reduction of our business-related carbon emissions.

The plan will cover Hebs baseline year information, setting clear targets for reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions over key timeframes and listing our planned projects to achieve a 75% carbon reduction by 2035, through to Net Zero by 2050.

While some of these reductions will be achieved through behavioural change, it is noted that, where investment is needed, it will be presented to the Board for development to take projects identified to the right outcome to achieve the goal of a Net Zero plan by 2050.

Head office is a largely administration-based location, we will still be pushing our business and working with all of our employees and contractors to embrace this plan and work collaboratively to achieve the overall goal of Carbon Reduction of 75% by 2035.

The points below show the journey we are taking:

• Hebs Group Ltd aims to reduce its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 75% by 2035, based on its 2022 baseline
• Hebs GHG baseline emissions were 60.34 tonnes in 2022
• Several staff training and behaviour change projects have been identified that will work to achieve target reduction of emissions by 2050

1. Meeting the reporting requirements

This Carbon Reduction Plan is completed in compliance with ISO 45001. This document will be reviewed and updated annually in line with the Hebs Annual Report and Accounts. It will reflect any changes in organisational structure and take account of the efforts made to reduce our emissions over time to achieve Carbon Reduction goals

2. Our low carbon vision

As an organisation, Hebs is committed to integrating sustainable development into everyday practice by minimising environmental impact wherever possible.

During the process of developing this Carbon Reduction Plan, a number of key areas have been selected that will allow us to demonstrate reductions in the carbon emissions generated by our activities.

3. Method of data collection:

Due to the nature of our business we have detailed below the methodology used for our report.

Hebs has begun collecting base line data as a result of its ISO14001 certification audit in Dec 2022.  Data already being collected as part of its Environmental objectives included fuel performance targeting MPG and Electricity and Gas usage at Head office focusing on scope 1 and 2 data.   2023 will be focused on converting these objectives into monitoring carbon rather than KWH and MPG.

4. Carbon footprint methodology:

In accordance with the GHG protocol’s corporate standard, the reported emissions should be reported against an operational boundary using one of three types of reporting methodology:

• equity share
• financial control
• operational control

1. 1. 4.1.Equity share:

This is how an organisation accounts for GHG emissions from operations according to its share of equity in the operation. This model may be helpful where emissions are recorded centrally across a range of entities, for example recorded UK wide by the parent company rather than at the trading entity level.

    4.2 Financial control:

The organisation reports on all sources of carbon emissions over which it has financial control. The organisation is deemed to have financial control over a service if it has the ability to direct the financial and operating policies of the service with a view to financially managing its activities, for example:

• setting budgets
• managing expenditure
• obtaining an ‘income’, such as in student accommodations, gyms, leisure centres, retail and so forth

    4.3 Operational control:

The organisation reports on all sources of carbon emissions over which it has operational control. The organisation is deemed to have operational control over a service if it has full authority to introduce and implement its operating policies.

The Hebs carbon footprint will be reported using the equity share methodology based on our operational model being mixed bases with a Head Office and on-site of customer premises where we manage their building requirements.

Baseline year: 2022

Scope 1

Reporting

Improvements

Scope 2

Purchased electricity, gas and cooling for own use in scope 2 and the 2022 baseline is being reviewed to collate a reduction plan.

Scope 3

Category 4 and 9 upstream and downstream distribution 

Where we have financial control of the decisions applicable, including specifications and choice of providers by Customers, we will endeavour to ensure carbon minimisation is a consideration in terms of value for money.

Category 5 waste generated in operations

This is managed through the arrangements as part of the building operations, we do generate waste through employee printing along with brochures and events information, banners and other materials including cardboard waste. Waste includes plastic non-recyclable cups and can even include lunch-time related rubbish. We address these areas through behaviour changes, sorting and collection of waste by waste specialist companies, and will be included in our planned control measures setting a baseline from 2022, measuring reduction for 2023 onwards as part of the strategy for Carbon Reduction.

Category 6 business travel

Business travel is to be measured and reported in the organisation’s Annual Report and Accounts each year. It is planned to be calculated using the values matrix supplied by DEFRA and is detailed below. The baselines in this area are to be determined as Road, Rail and Air travel are determined by customers requirements and their locations. 

Planned categories: Road (electrical and fossil fuels), Rail, Air

Category 7 employee commuting

For the base year of 2022, we do not have any firm data on how employees were travelling into their office location (HQ and customer on-site). To calculate an estimated figure for 2023, we plan to take the number of employees, their working pattern such as part time or full time, and taken account of annual leave and bank holidays.

For employees, there are 261 working days per year which reduces to an average of 228 working days per full time employee when accounting for annual leave and Bank Holidays. We calculated this figure for the average UK commute of a return trip being 16.8 miles. The average UK car emissions are approximately 196.94 grams per mile. This brings in a total estimated figure of 578.791 tCO₂e.

Category 7 employee commuting

For the reporting year of 2022, we have no firm data on how employees were travelling into their office. We are still considering options on reporting the emissions of employee commute. For this report, we are continuing with the matrix detailed above. 

Strategies for carbon reduction

The carbon reduction opportunities in this plan, once fully implemented, will reduce Hebs GHG emissions each year in line to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

The areas for concentrated reduction strategies are as follows:

Business travel

Evaluate and, where possible, adopt means of reducing business travel, including continued use of video conferencing, to achieve sustainable long-term reduction of emissions that will be reported annually.

Employee commuting

We will continue to reduce the amount of business travel and commuting for our colleagues, helping to reduce our CO2 emissions.

Communication

We will work with key customers and suppliers to achieve a better understanding of our emission contributions in the energy usage and waste emission categories. Even with these categories sometimes being out of our direct control, we will apply pressure to the contracting authorities to push towards emission reductions.

Employee learning and behaviour change

A program will be created over the next 12 months to raise the environmental awareness for all Hebs employees, customers and contractors.

Working with all employees, we will encourage better energy use and reduced waste. During the pandemic for example, while the majority of employees were working from home, it highlighted how printing is not as essential as previously thought to our business operations as part of our daily work lives, and we will aim to maintain this as a goal for a more paperless office.

Timetable

Leadership

The Executive Board of Hebs has given, and will continue to give, its full support to this carbon reduction programme and the team required to achieve Hebs Net Zero ambitions.

The Executive Board will lead by example, by modelling best practice behaviours in carbon reduction wherever possible, by helping to push for and then implementing changes, along with reviewing arrangements for specific sub-project funding if and when needed.

This plan to be submitted to the Board for full approval annually.