ESG Strategy Development
EcoOnline is committed to maintaining a leadership role in driving sustainability across our industry, whilst also enabling our customers to make positive impacts in their sectors and working collaboratively with our supply chain partners.
In the dynamic landscape of 2024, EcoOnline experienced significant transformations that had a profound impact on our ESG performance and progress. These changes, coupled with the refresh of our Double Materiality Assessment, mean that it is appropriate now to review our sustainability ambitions and develop a revised roadmap to target our progress towards 2030.
In 2025, our cross-company Sustainability Committee will review our ESG strategy and incorporate the learning from our updated DMA to refine our targets, initiatives and ambitions as we head towards 2030 and beyond. This process will serve three crucial objectives:
To reconcile our transformative year of growth, efficiencies and structural change with the sustainability goals that we set ourselves for the next three to five years.
To ensure that our ESG strategy addresses those aspects of our operations that matter most to our internal and external stakeholders, given how our business has evolved over the past few years.
To match our sustainability ambitions with the appropriate short and medium-term strategic planning and resourcing to ensure that we can deliver on those goals and targets.
We will also review our ESG disclosure and reporting, internal communication, training and education on sustainability topics to engage our people, customers and suppliers, optimise our impacts and achieve more value from our performance.
We will continue to pursue a challenging balance of sustainability ambitions–reflecting goals across the environmental, social and governance areas–which changes behaviours for collective benefit. Selected areas for additional focus will include–but not be limited to–the following topics:
Net Zero
EcoOnline has committed to achieve Net Zero by 2050. To establish a starting point for measuring progress, we designated 2022 as our baseline year for calculating carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq) emissions. This means that we will work towards reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to zero, offsetting any residual unavoidable emissions with measures that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. We will review and set interim targets to help reach this goal, tracking our journey toward carbon neutrality and including progress summaries in our future annual Sustainability Reports.
Supplier Engagement
To effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we recognise the importance of addressing supplier-specific factors and fostering collaboration. By working closely with our suppliers and encouraging them to collect and provide emission data, we can establish clear data that better reflects the actual emissions associated with our supply chain. Our goal is to establish a sustainable procurement policy to encourage suppliers to reduce their environmental impact and report emissions data.
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Transitions
In terms of decarbonisation, key activities identified for Scope 1 and 2 emissions include improving office energy efficiency and optimising renewable energy procurement. Our focus will be on improving data collection and accuracy by collecting actual consumption data for all offices, ensuring precise measurement of emissions from Scope 1 and 2 sources.
Employee Commuting and Business Travel
As employee commuting and business travel make up a significant portion of our emissions, we will continue to encourage sustainable transport options and remote working. We will also continue to refine our data to focus on areas where we can apply initiatives and policies to continue reducing CO2 emissions from this sub-category.
Creating a Positive and Diverse Workplace Culture
At EcoOnline, our primary objective within the social metric of ESG is to foster a diverse, supportive and fulfilling working environment that promotes employee satisfaction and engagement. We will continue to cultivate a positive workplace culture that embraces diversity and encourages the professional development of our team members.
Governance
By focusing on high ethical standards and compliance, we will reinforce our commitment to responsible business practices and demonstrate our resolve to mitigate potential risks and safeguard our organisation's reputation.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity breaches can have severe consequences for an organisation, including financial losses, reputational damage and compromised data. We will continue to prioritise the implementation of robust security measures and invest in the latest technologies to protect our systems and sensitive information. This proactive approach helps us maintain the trust and confidence of our stakeholders.
Supplier Compliance
We will continue to work with our supplier partners to identify and address potential risks related to human rights violations, forced labour or unethical practices within our supply chain. Our focus on supplier relationships and collaborative development will uphold our commitment to transparency, ethical sourcing and responsible business practices.
Employee Training: Data and Business Ethics
Within our commitment to fostering a culture of ethics and integrity, we will continue to equip our employees with the knowledge and skills to handle data responsibly, maintain confidentiality and make ethical decisions in their daily work. By investing in their professional development and ethical awareness, we will promote a strong ethical foundation across the organisation.
Certifications: Sustainability, Quality and Safety
We will review the expansion of our ISO certifications across our organisation. These internationally recognised standards demonstrate our commitment to sustainable practices, effective risk management and the wellbeing of our employees.