Environmental Impact

We take climate change seriously and are proud that many of our products are supporting the cleaner, more efficient generation and use of energy across a range of applications. We are also working to ensure the environmental impact of our own sites and manufacturing processes are reduced as much as possible.

Our investments in solar panels and voltage optimisation systems are already lowering our greenhouse gas emissions. Our Executive management team have developed a plan with the objective of delivering annual reductions in the energy used by the Group and therefore its carbon equivalent emissions.

During FY 2021, we took the opportunity to engage with other companies within our sector to see how they were approaching this. These visits confirmed the approach we were taking of using the structure of ISO 50001 – energy management systems - to help us identify where the greatest reductions in energy use could be achieved was the right one.

We have integrated the reporting of our environmental impact within our Health and Safety function. This enables an already established infrastructure and management system to be used. This includes monthly data analysis and reporting, quarterly reviews with the Group’s senior executives and by All Hands briefing sessions. Environmental matters also represent a standing topic area in our quarterly internal newsletter – G&H Informed.

G&H aims whenever practically possible, across our locations to:

• Minimise the use of natural resources.
• Improve our energy efficiency.
• Minimise the generation of waste whilst implementing and promoting recycling.
• Consider the environmental impact relevant to our business decisions.
• Minimise pollution and promote greener transport options.
• Inform and encourage our employees to act in an environmentally responsible manner.

We are investing to reduce our emissions as follows

• Our Torquay facility has a 297 kWp solar PV system installed which provides ~25% of the site’s electricity needs along with a Voltage Optimisation System.
• Our Ilminster facility has a 302 kWp solar PV system.
• Our facility in Ashford has just installed a 150 kWp solar PV system and is in the final stages of replacing an oil fired heating system with an HVAC installation.

As a result of these investments, we will have the capacity to generate approximately 750 kWp of electricity from solar sources.

We are also reducing our impact on the environment through our recycling programmes including:

• Use of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) containers to promote electronic waste recycling.
• Removing plastic vending machine cups and replacing them with alternative reusable materials.
• Recycling of packaging materials where practicable for product shipments.
• Provision of recycle bins, signage and campaigns.
• Minimising the use of paper wherever possible, through electronic data transfer.
• Where printing is used, reusing any single sided sheets.
• Ensuring that all green and natural waste is disposed of according to industry standards using approved contractors.
• Keeping energy usage low, by using low energy lighting and ensuring computers are shut down after work.
• Avoiding unnecessary travel by making use of digital platforms.
• Purchasing products made with recycled materials where possible.
• Working with suppliers who promote sound environmental practices where possible.
• Recycling equipment that is no longer of use to the company by donating items such as computers and printers to the local community.

In reporting our carbon dioxide emissions, we have followed the 2021 HM Government Environmental Reporting Guidelines. We have also followed the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Protocol and the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) guidelines. 2020 Conversion factors have been used for October 2020 to May 2021 inclusively, and 2021 Conversion factors used for June 2021 to September 2021 inclusively. In the US eGrid 2018 Conversion factors have been used for October 2020 to February 2021 inclusively, and eGrid 2019 Conversion factors used for March 2021 to September 2021 inclusively.

We have selected as our primary intensity measure carbon dioxide emissions per £1m of revenue for our global scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions (expressed in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent). We are using an operational control boundary for direct GHG emissions. For scope 1 emissions we include our total owned and leased vehicles’ direct emissions impact. By far the largest element of our energy usage is our scope 2 purchased electricity. Our reported data is collected from metered sources.

Current reporting year FY 2021 – Comparison reporting year FY 2020

The Group achieved a 9.0% reduction in its intensity measure of tCO2 emissions per £1m of revenue from FY2020 to FY2021. The closure of our Glenrothes facility in December 2020 and improvements made to some of our sites’ heating, ventilation and cooling meant that we were able to reduce the volume of refrigerants used and thus our environmental impact.

We have also made significant progress in increasing the proportion of the Group’s electricity that is purchased from renewable sources. At the beginning of FY 2021, 18% of our purchased electricity came from renewable sources but by the end of the financial year that had increased to 43%.

Early in FY 2022, we have been able to confirm through the REGO (Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin) that all our UK manufacturing facilities use electricity sourced from 100% renewables.

If you have any questions regarding our approach or our company's impact on the environment then please don't hesitate to contact us.