RNLI Environmental Sustainability Report_2025

RNLI ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2025

‘I am proud to introduce our first environmental sustainability report, which covers 2024, our 200th anniversary year. Saving lives at sea goes hand in hand with protecting the environment we all depend on.

We are planning for and acting on: reducing carbon in our energy and fuel use, using our resources more efficiently, reducing and managing our wastes effectively and adapting to climate change impacts. By becoming more environmentally sustainable in the way we deliver our services, the RNLI aims to remain resilient and prepared to save lives at sea in our third century of being, and beyond.’

Peter Sparkes RNLI Chief Executive

11,163 litres of Biofuel purchased, saving 30 tonnes of CO2e

300,000 bottles reborn as RNLI bags

172,817 kWh of electricity generated from solar panels, saving 18 tonnes of CO2e

£53,000 earned from the sale of solar power

2024 ENVIRONMENTAL HIGHLIGHTS

Achieved a Sustainable Business Network Award for a range of RNLI environmental improvements

102 people in the RNLI Sustainability Champions Group

A total capacity of 700 kWp (4,000m2) of solar panels across the estate

Two centuries of courage: 146,277 lives saved by the RNLI

ENVIRONMENTAL HIGHLIGHTS

£24,000 saved from the use of solar power

1,000 lifejackets decommissioned and repurposed by the Engagement Team

42 sites use heat pumps as their primary heating source

About the RNLI

What we do

Our volunteer lifeboat crews provide a 24-hour rescue service in the UK and Ireland and our seasonal lifeguards patrol busy beaches. RNLI crews and lifeguards have saved more than 146,000 lives since 1824.

We’re more than a rescue service – we influence, supervise and educate people too. Our water safety teams explain the risks and share safety knowledge with anyone going out to sea or to the coast.

And our international team works with like-minded organisations to help tackle drowning in communities at risk all around the world.

These lifesaving activities are underpinned by people and initiatives that raise funds and ensure that we are wellgoverned and compliant.

Our volunteers

Volunteers are at the heart of our charity, supported by expert staff to enable communities to save lives. More than 7,800 of our operational crew members, and around 140 of our lifeguards, are volunteers. More than 14,700 dedicated volunteers raise funds and awareness, give water safety advice, run our shops and museums, and host tours and visits.

24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK, THE RNLI IS READY TO SAVE LIVES. WE’RE POWERED BY PASSION, TALENT AND KINDNESS.

23,351 RNLI VOLUNTEERS

7,828 CREW AND SHORE CREW VOLUNTEERS

1,568 LIFEGUARDS

Lifeboats

Our lifeboat crews aim to reach at least 90% of casualties within 10 nautical miles of the coast, within 30 minutes of a lifeboat launch – in any weather.

Fundraising

As a charity independent of government, we rely on the generous support of donors to meet the cost of our lifesaving activities. We set exacting standards in our fundraising to protect and maintain good relationships with our supporters and ensure financial stability.

Lifeguards

Our lifeguards aim to reach anyone up to 300m from shore, within the red and yellow flags on the 240 RNLI patrolled beaches, within 3½ minutes.

International

We also work with partners globally and in countries where drowning is a significant problem to raise awareness,

widen the research base and help develop solutions to save more lives

Water safety

Our water safety experts work with lifeboat and lifeguard teams to break the drowning chain – prioritising by risk, working with others, positively educating all and remaining inclusive to reach every one.

Our impact

200 years of lifesaving

To commemorate, our One Crew came together at special thanksgiving services across all our regions –including in Douglas, Glasgow, Llandaff, and York. The service at Westminster Abbey on 4 March was a once-in-a-lifetime moment, with people from all corners of the RNLI representing their lifesaving communities there on the RNLI’s birthday.

Bearing our One Crew pledge, the RNLI’s 200th anniversary scroll embarked on a relay around the UK and Ireland, connecting our communities. The scroll was signed by more than 900 RNLI people as it travelled over 18,000 miles around 292 RNLI communities –including lifeboat stations, lifeguard units, fundraising branches, shops and museums.

Our history and past lifesavers were also commemorated in limited-edition coins struck by the Royal Mint; sets of Manx, Irish and Channel Island postage stamps; and the excellent books To Save Every One: 200 Years of RNLI Courage and One Crew: The RNLI’s Official 200-Year History. Meanwhile, today’s lifesavers and supporters sang their hearts out in new RNLI songs and sea shanties, hosted exhibitions and painted huge murals to honour crews past and present.

Our lifesavers were also recognised in the Christmas single Pull Away. Long-serving volunteers and staff attended the RNLI 200th Anniversary Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, where HRH The Princess Royal presented the Silver Medal for Gallantry to Penlee Coxswain Patch Harvey.

Our people celebrated at other special garden parties too –at Áras an Uachtaráin with the President of Ireland,

at Government House in Jersey with the Lieutenant Governor, and at The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh with His Majesty The King. Our nations also celebrated together when former Coxswain Hewitt Clark and Crew Member Ben Thomson were recognised in the Pride of Britain and Pride of Scotland awards for their RNLI work.

Our plans

2024 marked an extraordinary achievement in RNLI history: 200 years of lifesaving. We entered the year with a focus on remembering our past, celebrating the lifesaving service we provide today, and inspiring future generations of lifesavers.

In order to support the organisation in pulling together as One Crew, the Executive Team set out four strategic priorities for 2024 (shown below). In summer 2024 we welcomed Peter Sparkes as

our new chief executive, and sought to deliver stability to the organisation while undertaking a change in leadership during our peak lifesaving season. This required resilience, as the demand for our service continued while the economic environment remained uncertain – particularly driven by the changing external landscape in the UK, in Ireland and further afield.

1.

Maintaining our ability to save lives

The RNLI was founded in 1824 to save lives at sea and, 200 years on, people still rely on our service. In 2024, we continued to provide a world-renowned 24/7 search and rescue service 365 days a year, deployed professional lifeguard cover across our coasts, and worked with partners to share our vital water safety messaging, at home and overseas. We broadened our reach with

an additional international programme and inspired the next generation of lifesavers through technology and targeted partnerships.

We provided training so that our lifesavers could safely and confidently carry out their duties, and we increased our focus on overcoming barriers for women in lifesaving roles.

2.

Protecting the RNLI by addressing critical risks

To protect our people and our service, we prioritised activity to mitigate critical risk relating to service availability, safety, compliance and technology capability. We continued our onboarding and training of full-time crew to provide much-needed resilience cover. We implemented modifications to our lifeboats, such as shock absorbing mattresses. To improve how we keep our people safe, we continued to learn from incidents and share stories.

This has been emphasised through our new Safety Takes Courage narrative. We also replaced key technologies that were approaching end of life, to ensure we can continue to deliver the key services that our lifesavers depend on.

3.

Reducing our costs and maximising income

To keep financially sustainable, we continued to reduce our costs while maximising our income and leveraging the once-in-alifetime opportunity our 200th anniversary presented. We held events across the UK and Ireland to commemorate our history, celebrate our achievements and inspire the next generation. We maximised the use of technology in our fundraising by using contactless payment devices for donations and built relevance with wider audiences through our social media channels, 200 Voices podcast, Storm Force Rescue game and the ninth series of Saving Lives at Sea. We also found innovative ways to reduce our ongoing running costs, such as the introduction of solar-powered beach lifeguard units.

4.

Supporting our staff and volunteers

People are at the heart of the RNLI and power our lifesaving work. We sent One Crew: Your View surveys to staff and volunteers to listen to what mattered most and inform our plans for the future. We presented long service and meritorious service awards to our volunteers, and recognised those who had gone above and beyond in their roles. We tested a new mental health support programme, to enhance the resources and tools available to support the health and wellbeing of our crew. We provided a contract option for established lifeguards which improved their terms and conditions and job security. In our One Moment One Crew photo event, we celebrated every one who powered this organisation in a year like no other.

While 2024 was a landmark year for the RNLI, we continued in our core mission. People from all across our charity came together as One Crew to save hundreds of lives and protect thousands more.

Lifeboats, lifeguards and water safety teams joined forces to deliver a world-class lifesaving service – with 238 lifeboat crews launching around the clock to people in distress, and lifeguards delivering a seasonal lifesaving service on 238 beaches.

Together, our crews and lifeguards saved a total of 437 lives in 2024 – an average of more than one life every day. The number of lifeboat launches and lifeguard incidents was similar to 2023. RNLI lifeboat crews aided 8,259 people (10,741 in 2023), and saved 352 lives (277). Our lifeguards carried out more than 2.3M (2.9M+) preventative actions and saved 85 lives (86). Lifeguards aided a further 17,068 people (19,983).

RNLI crews in south-east England continued to be tasked by HM Coastguard to incidents in the English Channel, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. This is an extremely demanding search and rescue environment in which our volunteer crews are often confronted with highly challenging rescue scenarios, involving large numbers of distressed men, women

and children in the water. Our crews launched 114 times to suspected Channel crossings (1.2% of total RNLI launches) rescuing 1,371 people (3.7% of the total number of people recorded to have crossed the Channel last year).

Meanwhile, we continued sharing our expertise to prevent people from getting into danger in the first place. In May, we launched our new Float to Live campaign with Helly Hansen at Sky Pool –a stunning suspended swimming pool in the heart of London. The refined safety messaging, based on our latest research with

69 PEOPLE AIDED EACH DAY ON AVERAGE BY RNLI CREWS AND LIFEGUARDS (84 IN 2023)

the University of Portsmouth, showed that anyone can float on their back and that we all do this slightly differently. Float to Live continued to make real-world impacts among our target audience.

Our partnership with the Black Swimming Association continued to bring positive change, including the start of new research that aims to dispel myths around ethnicity and floating. Meanwhile, our Ambassador Scheme grew to 1,300 local businesses amplifying our water safety messages at the coast and in their communities.

437 LIVES SAVED BY RNLI CREWS AND LIFEGUARDS (362 IN 2023)

25,327 PEOPLE AIDED BY RNLI CREWS AND LIFEGUARDS (30,724 IN 2023)

Thanks to a new partnership with the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), we boosted the number of young people receiving free Swim Safe sessions in 2024 –while thousands more learned crucial safety advice directly from lifeguards and water safety volunteers. We continued our work with Girlguiding and Scouts organisations to share water safety knowledge with even more children.

We held our first ever Women in Search and Rescue conference

at the RNLI College. Featuring speakers from across the maritime sector and the RNLI, it brought women together from across the UK and Ireland –inspiring them to connect, share experiences and learn new skills. We were also joined by lifesavers from around the world at our Leaders in Lifesaving course.

The RNLI continued to take action on global drowning. In 2024 we provided technical assistance, capacity building and training to lifesaving

organisations around the world. We also worked with the learning portal DisasterReady to create a free flood safety course that has been completed by thousands of lifesavers across the world. We joined forces with partners at home and abroad again to commemorate World Drowning Prevention Day. UNESCO officially recognised the 200th anniversary of the RNLI in 2024, helping us to increase global awareness of our charitable mission.

The RNLI’s rescue work is as vital as ever – but the way people are using the coast and the water is changing. If the RNLI is going to save even more lives, our lifeboat and lifeguard services must continue to adapt to these changing needs, so that we can provide the right response. For over 200 years, we have continuously evolved: from

oar-powered wooden lifeboats and cork lifejackets to the modern kit and technology we use today. As we launch into our third century, we must adapt and rise to the challenges ahead with courage and integrity – like the generations of lifesavers before us. 2025 is the year we define and embark on the first of the three 5-year plans to

deliver the RNLI 2040 vision. In moving forwards and achieving our plans, we must constantly remind ourselves that we are a volunteer organisation, and that everything we do is in support of our volunteers and frontline staff. We are powered by kind supporters and donors, and must spend every penny and cent wisely.

RNLI 2025 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

1. Lifesaving demand:

Maintaining the key strategic areas that support the delivery of our purpose. We will continue to run a 24/7 search and rescue and lifeguarding service, while keeping our people safe across all sites and locations in which we operate. We will continue to educate and influence at-risk groups by sharing our lifesaving expertise in the UK, in Ireland and overseas.

2. Fit for the future:

Continuing to implement an effective lifesaving service that responds to emerging risks. The way people are using the coast is changing and so are the needs of our volunteers and frontline staff. As we look to the future, we must continue providing the right equipment, support and training to enable our people to undertake their lifesaving roles. We will develop our 2040 strategy to respond to the shifting nature of saving lives at sea.

3. Continuous improvement:

Continuing to drive good working practices – with a particular focus on operational and safety risks, people and culture, information security and data governance. In our drive to save every one, we will continue to develop and implement progressive ideas on how we can improve the quality of our service, the safety of our people, and the way we operate.

4. Financially secure:

Reducing our permanent cost base, while optimising net income growth. We value the generosity of our supporters who enable us to continue saving lives at sea. It is important that we continue to be prudent, making every penny and cent count. We will maximise our income, reputation and reach. We will invest in our fundraising capability, explore new and innovative opportunities, and leverage partnerships.

Our approach to sustainability

Environmental vision

TO SAVE EVERY ONE ... BY 2050, THE RNLI WILL HAVE ACHIEVED SUSTAINABLE DECARBONISATION OF ENERGY AND FUEL AND MANAGE OUR WASTE AND RESOURCES WITH TRUE STEWARDSHIP ACROSS ALL ACTIVITIES. WE WILL CONTINUE TO VALUE AND SUPPORT A THRIVING ENVIRONMENT BOTH ON LAND AND IN THE WATERS AND HELP OUR COMMUNITIES TO UNDERSTAND AND BE RESILIENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

To achieve this vision, each of us must understand what our environmental, social and economic impacts are. We must continually be striving to improve our performance, helping to create lasting, positive impacts and value for the environment, society and our economy. We must also use our RNLI values to help guide us with courage, selflessness, dependability and trust.

Our Environmental, Social and Governance Policy and environmental ambitions set the direction of the environmental sustainability programme, supporting delivery through five workstreams.

For our ongoing environmental governance, we review, update or implement relevant policies, processes, procedures and guidance to assure compliance with relevant legislation.

Materiality assessment

Materiality is a collective view from a range of RNLI stakeholders and their opinion on the relative importance of external factors on us and our impacts on them. This includes financial, social and environmental impacts in relation to each other.

These have been collated and plotted on a matrix to show those in the top right are of increasing importance to both stakeholders and the RNLI.

We have only included the environmental factors for the purpose of this report, but we take a holistic approach across all three areas of impact. See diagram on the right for environmental factors.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

Increasing importance to stakeholders

Increase use of renewable materials

Protect habitats and biodiversity around us

Reduce our use of fuels

Reduce our waste

Manage impacts of climate change risk on our service

Control our impacts on polluting the environment

Reduce our energy use

Reduce our use of water

Increasing importance to organisation

Environmental, Social and Governance Policy

Sustainable Development Goals

Global Reporting Initiative Standards

One Crew; Your View Charity Governance Code

Materiality

Sustainable decarbonisation Resource efficiency and waste management Environmental, Social and Governance Policy

Resilient to climate change Thriving environment on land and in water

Community partnerships and collaboration

Sustainability can mean many different things to different people. To better understand what our own people felt, we reached out to our trustees, leadership, supporters, staff and volunteers via a sustainability survey also known as a Materiality Assessment. This captured what our people felt was most important in terms of the RNLI environmental, social and economic impacts and governance. We also looked

at external drivers such as compliance with legislation, the Charity Governance Code, societal and public opinion and the UN Sustainable Development Goals for example. Taking all of these into consideration and against the backdrop of the RNLI 2040 vision, in early 2024 we launched our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Policy. This policy is the framework and principles against which we

will hold ourselves accountable for overarching sustainability. A subset of the ESG Policy relates to our environmental management. Management of the environment at the RNLI is split into five core workstreams.

How the RNLI five environmental work streams align with the

Environmental, Social and Governance Policy clauses and

Development Goals

The RNLI has identified the short, medium and long term environmental aims. These have been broken down into packages of work that are delivered through our five environmental workstreams.

While the RNLI Sustainability Team oversees the planning and delivery of these workstreams and associated packages of work and projects, all RNLI locations, departments, staff and volunteers are actively engaged with and support their delivery.

See the next page for the RNLI’s short, medium and long-term environmental aims and environmental work packages.

Short term

• Climate change resilient PPE (personal protective equipment) and working conditions mitigated

• Electric transition for road going fleet

• Grow the sustainability champions

• Low carbon fuel in place

• Use partnerships to fund ongoing environmental sustainability needs

• Formalise role of advocates, training and upskilling

• Water resource efficiency underway

• Second life retail line in place

• Hazards, ground truth and community resilience understood

• Updated water safety advice informed by changing risk picture

• Lower environmental impact chemicals in place

• Sustainable procurement frameworks embedded

Medium term

• Climate change resilient buildings and infrastructure (IT) in place

• Carbon accounting

• Safeguard and manage working in protected areas of habitat

• Zero carbon from Poole campus

• Zero carbon from factories and estates

• Zero waste to landfill

• Zero carbon from road-going fleet

• Fully circular clothing/PPE for all operational and fundraising crew

• Circular opportunities in place across all end of life assets

• Supply chain impacts understood

Long term

By 2050, the RNLI will have achieved sustainable decarbonisation and manage our waste and resources with true stewardship across all our activities. We will continue to value and support our thriving environment both on land and in waters and help our communities to understand and be resilient to climate change.

• Zero carbon

• Obsolescence ends as circularity steps in

• Biodiversity opportunities increased

• Climate resilient communities

Long term

Medium term

TODAY 2050 Short term

ENVIRONMENTAL WORKSTREAMS

Sustainable decarbonisation

Resource efficiency and waste management

Resilience to climate change

Thriving environment on land and in water

The RNLI has a governance and compliance framework, which all our environmental management activities follow.

Each environmental workstream can contain a range of work packages, projects and activities

Community partnerships and collaboration

relevant to the environmental impacts, risks and opportunities across the RNLI.

The following sections in this report give an overview and some examples of the activities under each workstream heading.

Sustainable decarbonisation

Objective TO SUSTAINABLY DECARBONISE OUR ACTIVITIES TO ACHIEVE OUR ZERO CARBON AMBITIONS

The RNLI has set ambitions: to achieve zero carbon emissions from road transport by 2040, and across all operations by 2050. These targets focus on emissions from our own activities and purchased electricity, gas and fuel, and over time, we will broaden our reporting to cover our wider value chain.

Carbon emissions scopes

Scope

Scope 1

Scope 2

Scope 3

Description

Direct emissions resulting from the releasing of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere from our own activities

Indirect emissions resulting from the production of purchased electricity

Indirect emissions resulting from activities which are upstream or downstream of our activities

Example

Burning of diesel in lifeboats, and gas for heating and hot water

Use of electricity in all RNLI locations

Treatment of RNLI wastes

Zero carbon Vs net zero

The ambitions are worded with ‘zero carbon’ as we believe that aiming for net zero emissions could allow for offsetting to be adopted before other options are exhausted. To support this, the RNLI has decided not to spend core funds on offsetting carbon emissions.

Sustainable decarbonisation at the RNLI

For the RNLI, sustainable decarbonisation means reducing our carbon footprint today without compromising our ability to save lives at sea in the future.

So, in essence this means that we need to reduce carbon emissions in a way that:

• ensures money from donations is spent appropriately

• positions the RNLI to be ready for future changes to legislation and industry

• considers the wider environmental and social impact of current practices and proposed decarbonisation routes.

Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions 2024

The RNLI’s carbon emissions 2024

In 2024 the RNLI’s scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions were 10.7 kilotonnes (kt) of CO2e. This was made up of burning 3.1 million litres of liquid fuels for boats and land vehicles (8 kt of CO2e) and 13.5 GWh of electricity and natural gas used to operate our lifeboat stations, beach lifeguard units, shops, support centres, and factories (3.7 kt of CO2e).

Renewable electricity

The RNLI purchases electricity that is certified as 100% renewable for 95% of the electricity portfolio. As per the Greenhouse Gas reporting protocol, the emissions from electricity can be reported in both the tariff-based and locationbased methods. This means that the RNLI can report that carbon emissions as per the RNLI’s electricity tariff are close to zero.

The RNLI’s sustainable decarbonisation roadmap

To achieve the objective and meet the ambitions that have been set, the RNLI is developing a roadmap to sustainable decarbonisation. In the near-term this includes:

• Renewable retrofitting

• Low carbon fuels

• Electric vehicle transition

• Energy efficiency through behaviours

Renewable retrofitting

installing solar panels across our buildings through upgrading existing installations, integrating solar into new builds, and retrofitting panels on current sites. This reduces emissions from purchased electricity, cuts running costs, and improves energy resilience.

The RNLI will cut emissions from its boats and vehicles by shifting to biofuels such as HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil).

The carbon emission reduction from switching to HVO is estimated to be 99% for scope 1 (and 90% if scope 3 emissions are included).

The legislative and industrial shift towards the uptake of electric vehicles in the UK and Republic of Ireland provides an opportunity for the RNLI to start to transition towards the use of electric vehicles. This will have the impact of reducing the RNLI’s burning of fossil fuels and moving that energy use over to electrification, which will decarbonise over time. It also has the benefit of reducing the amount of energy being used due to the improved efficiency of electric vehicles.

Energy efficiency through behaviours

The RNLI recognises that there are still significant improvements to be made in running our buildings, vehicles and boats more efficiently. This is why there is a plan to improve energy efficiency through:

• engagement with RNLI people and educating in good practice

• improvement of data collection to understand energy use

This last point includes the installation of smart meters so that building users can better understand the impact their choices make and installing fuel data loggers onto boats so that coxswains and helms can get real-time feedback on their fuel use.

Further ahead

As we look beyond these near-term opportunities, we start to rely on grid decarbonisation, e-fuels made from renewable sources, electrified heating among others.

These combined with the near-term opportunities provide a trajectory which brings the RNLI to zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The RNLI’s decarbonisation journey to date

This is not the start of the RNLI’s decarbonisation journey. The RNLI has already installed over 700 kWp of solar across the estate which in 2024 generated 200 MWh of renewable energy. This will have saved the RNLI an estimated £50,000 from electricity bills and 18 tonnes of CO2e.

There has also been the installation of energy efficient electric heat pumps in new builds and major retrofits by the estates team.

As of 2024, there were 42 heat pumps across the estate. These have been a mixture of water source, ground source and air source. By diverting away from gas fired boilers, the RNLI has saved a significant amount of carbon from being emitted.

In 2024 the RNLI has started to conduct trials and feasibility appraisals on the use of biofuel in existing boats and vehicles. This included the use of HVO for the ‘Coast to Cobbles’ transportation of the 200th anniversary scroll and in a training vessel in Poole.

From these trials and feasibility alone, there has been a saving of 31 tonnes of CO2e in 2024. We have also seen a transition

into the battery powered space with the procurement of an electric XEP (daughter) boat which was found to have a suitable and low risk use case due to its short deployment time. In the behaviours space, the RNLI has recently launched the environmental sustainability awards which allows RNLI people to grade their lifeboat stations in terms of green, greener and greenest.

Alternative asset propulsion

Alternative Asset Propulsion

The RNLI is part of a series of research projects which make up the Alternative Asset Propulsion (AAP) project. In 2024, one of these was completed and two are still ongoing.

These research projects are looking to assess the usage characteristics for different vessels and see what the best opportunities would be for decarbonisation.

By taking an active role in research, the RNLI is able to take advantage of cutting-edge results, network with industry and stay informed about current and future industry developments.

Other

research

The RNLI has also taken part in other research projects including:

• the in-house research, design and build of an electric launch and recovery vehicle

• the feasibility testing for smart monitoring of building energy use.

Resilient to climate change

Objective

TO BETTER UNDERSTAND POTENTIAL CLIMATE IMPACTS ON OUR ESTATE, EQUIPMENT, PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES, AND WORKING WITH OTHERS TO ENSURE OUR LIFESAVING DELIVERY REMAINS RESILIENT AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

The RNLI has ‘Climate Transition’ as a strategic risk and climate change impacts are part of that risk.

The objective of the work on climate change adaptation

is to better understand potential climate change impacts and adapt to ensure our lifesaving delivery remains resilient. In extreme cases this will be via our business continuity planning and in others it will be via local, regional and/or departmental planning and action.

2020

From now on, we will always consider sustainability in what we do

Through implementation of our Climate Change Adaptation Management Plan, we will seek to increase our resilience to climate-change impacts across all our communities and activities. We will proactively work

with other organisations to continuously grow our intelligence around climate change impacts, hazards and risks, both domestically and globally.

We will use relevant intelligence to inform our short, medium and longer-term planning and decision making.

What’s the climate hazard and the associated risk?

If we want to remain resilient, we need to be making climateinformed decisions that take into consideration potential and likely impacts and risks.

We have begun to map the climate hazards and associated risks and consider what implications this could have for the RNLI and when they might impact us to help us prioritise.

This has raised lots of questions, so work is continuing in building our understanding of risks, where and how they might impact us, and developing a Climate Change Adaptation Management Plan (CCAMP) and the actions we need to take to remain resilient.

What questions does this raise and how do we find the answers?

What are the potential implications for the RNLI and when could these bite?

The Estates team and the Data team Climate Change App is an example of work already underway.

The Estates Team need to plan, finance and construct buildings and infrastructure to last in the long term. Therefore, they need the ability to understand and consider various projected climate impacts over time, for example flood, cliff erosion, sea level rise and shoreline management plans. In many cases this information is contained in long and expensive reports which are time consuming to interpret.

The Data Team created an Estates App which pulls together a range of relevant data and displays it in a visual map format. Data layers and projections etc can be added or removed to give an evolving picture over time. This enables the Estates Team to have a much simpler (albeit still complex) and more informed view to support their decision making.

Development of this App is on going and we hope to be able to adapt it and add relevant data for use by other decisions makers in due course.

Work with International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) International Search and Rescue (SAR) response and UK Met Office (MO)

The RNLI has actively contributed to the FutureSAR initiative led by the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF). In collaboration with other search and rescue (SAR) organisations. Phase one of this global initiative identified 85 critical impacts that climate change is expected to have on maritime SAR operations worldwide.

These findings are captured in the Tides of Change report, which offers strategic guidance and best practices to help SAR agencies adapt and respond effectively to emerging climate-related challenges.

The RNLI is now integrating insights from this report into its broader climate change adaptation programme, ensuring our rescue operations remain resilient and future-ready.

Resource efficiency and waste management

Objective

TO ENSURE WE SELECT AND USE OUR RESOURCES EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY, AND WE MOVE TOWARDS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY APPROACH, ELIMINATING AND REDUCING WASTE AND ITS NEGATIVE IMPACTS AND COSTS.

We have an environmental ambition to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2030 and to be efficient with our use of resources, that is spending our supporters’ and donors’ money wisely.

To achieve this we need to think in a less linear (take, make, use, dispose) and more circular way.

How can waste material from one area or process be feedstock material for another, limiting

the amount of new material we extract and consume?

It’s about things like designing and specifying for disassembly and reuse, making things easier to repair and having them

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

repaired, supplier take-back for remanufacture and buying things made from renewable resources. Operational technical specifications come first but, in many cases, we can be flexible with the materials used.

We also need to apply the waste hierarchy, which is a legal requirement.

The waste hierarchy prioritises reducing environmental impact. The goal is to eliminate, reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible to limit waste disposal, and its impacts and costs.

REDUCE

RECYCLE PREVENT RECOVER REUSE DISPOSE

Lifejacket decommissioning

Where practical, the RNLI aims to implement circular economy principles, achieve zero waste to landfill by 2030 and eliminate and reduce waste, and its associated costs and environmental impacts.

One example of delivering this is the decommissioning and repurposing of 1,000 end-of-life operational lifejackets by internal volunteers. These were then worn by the Engagement Team when they were talking to the public.

By implementing the waste hierarchy, we eliminated a waste and a cost, turning it into an asset that helps us tell our stories and spread our safety messages, such as Float to Live.

In addition, we have retained the material which could be used again in future upcycling projects.

Engagement and digitalisation

As part of our commitment to environmental responsibility, the Marketing Team has taken proactive steps to reduce the carbon footprint of printed materials. We work with companies who offset the carbon emissions associated with the printing process, ensuring that our physical resources are produced with minimal environmental impact.

These suppliers also use eco-friendly inks and sustainable production methods, further aligning with our climateconscious values.

In parallel, we’ve begun transitioning key engagement resources from print to digital formats, reducing paper usage and improving accessibility.

Recent examples include:

• DIY Fundraiser Toolkit

Resources such as certificates, bunting templates, and collection pot labels are now available digitally, allowing supporters to download and print only what they need.

• London Marathon Fundraising Guide

Previously distributed in print, this guide has been moved to a digital format and shared with participants by email, streamlining delivery and reducing waste.

Sustainability in retail

We’re driving sustainability across the entire product lifecycle from design and materials to packaging and transport with a purpose-led buying strategy. Our goal is to offer RNLI customers and supporters sustainable products wherever possible, while engaging retail volunteers to reduce plastic use and promote eco-friendly alternatives.

Sourcing and supply chain

• Prioritising UK manufacturing to reduce carbon footprint.

• Consolidating overseas shipments and using sea freight as standard.

• Packaging products in multiples with paper-based wrapping and void fill.

• Shifting to recyclable paper board for product and display packaging.

Ethical partnerships

• Collaborating with Fair Trade suppliers and women’s cooperatives for RNLI Christmas decorations.

• Sourcing home products made from recycled beach plastics and sustainable cork.

• Printing Christmas cards, calendars, and diaries on FSC board with reduced or paperbased packaging.

Product innovation

• Introducing reusable items: recycled plastic mugs, aluminium bottles, rechargeable batteries.

• Shoppers made from recycled bottles, polyester, cotton, and jute – recycling over 300,000 bottles in 2024.

• Clothing and accessories now feature organic and recycled fabrics, and card hangers that are reusable and lightweight.

Customer engagement

Our buying and merchandising teams use sales data to guide sustainable product development. Customers are actively choosing eco-friendly products, showing strong support for both environmental impact and the RNLI mission.

Marketing and print

As part of our sustainable print strategy, we work with a supplier who offsets all carbon emissions associated with the production of printed materials through the World Land Trust’s Carbon Balanced Programme. This ensures that every campaign printed with them contributes to global conservation efforts and helps mitigate the environmental impact of our communications.

In addition to carbon-balancing the production process, they also offer the option to carbon-balance the paper stock itself. This added measure further enhances the sustainability of our materials, though it requires a specific request at the quotation stage and may result in a higher overall campaign cost.

By working with these suppliers, we continue to embed environmental responsibility into our marketing operations and balance impact with integrity.

Thriving environment on land and in water

Objective

TO ENSURE WE ARE AWARE OF, CONSIDER AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND SPECIES AROUND US. TO ENSURE WE ARE AWARE OF AND SEEK TO PREVENT POLLUTION RISKS AND RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO ANY SPILLS.

Most RNLI people live, work and play near the coast and bodies of water so they recognise that preventing pollution is key to ensuring a thriving environment. Through understanding risks, putting in place mitigations and responding quickly and effectively to any spills, we strive to eliminate and reduce any potential negative impacts on the environment.

2020

From now on, we will always consider sustainability in what we do

Our Estates Team comply with all relevant environmental protection requirements and, where practical and affordable, act to enhance protection of wildlife habitats and species.

Estates: Construction meets environment

Our Estates Team have to regularly consider the environmental impact of design and construction as part of planning permission, repairing and preparing for things like climate change, as well as community changes such as installation of flood defence structures.

During the planning phase for the new slipway station, a proposal was made to install a temporary nesting tripod for a small colony of wading birds, with an estimated cost of £50,000. The Estates Team challenged this as disproportionate, leading to a compromise: part of the existing access structure was retained to provide a roosting area during

construction. Interestingly, the birds relocated 500 metres along the coast during the works and returned to the new roost perches upon project completion, validating the team’s adaptive approach.

As a condition of planning approval, the team installed timber marine-habitat grill structures around the pontoon mooring piles at low tide level. These structures were designed to enhance marine biodiversity,

supporting local ecological goals while integrating seamlessly into the station’s infrastructure.

To mitigate environmental impact during construction, a temporary bubble curtain was deployed to exclude fish from

the blast zone. This precaution helped reduce the risk of swim bladder damage, demonstrating the team’s commitment to protecting marine life during high-impact activities.

Pollution prevention

We promote awareness of designated protected areas, habitats and species.

We are developing environmental site risk assessments to ensure environmental risk are known, considered, and mitigated where appropriate.

Our people do many types of activities within their RNLI locations and communities to protect and enhance their environment.

Rescues of marine life

While the RNLI’s primary mission is saving lives at sea, our crews are also called upon to assist wildlife and pet rescues, demonstrating compassion and versatility in challenging environments. Examples include:

• A swan rescue at Mudeford, Dorset, where the bird was safely recovered from a hazardous location.

• The successful rescue of four stranded dolphins near the Aran Islands, coordinated with cetacean specialists.

• Assistance of pets, including a cat at Holyhead and a dog in Llandudno – both retrieved from dangerous coastal situations.

Several RNLI volunteers are trained in marine mammal rescue techniques, enabling them to respond effectively to incidents involving larger marine life. In the course of their duties, crews have also experienced extraordinary encounters, such as a pod of orcas near the Orkney Islands, and dolphins swimming alongside Gravesend lifeboats.

These moments not only underscore the breadth of the RNLI’s operational capabilities but also highlight the deep connection our teams have with the marine environment.

Community partnerships and collaboration

Objective

OUR MISSION IS TO SAVE EVERY ONE. THE RNLI IS COMMITTED TO INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL GOVERNANCE (ESG) PRINCIPLES INTO THE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY OF A MORE SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT, AND FUTURE-FIT LIFESAVING SERVICE.

The fundamental RNLI mission of saving lives at sea directly delivers social value. Since the RNLI’s founding in 1824, it’s estimated that by our 200th anniversary in 2024 we had saved 146,277 lives across our

2020

From now on, we will always consider sustainability in what we do

lifeboat and lifeguard services. Extrapolated out, this means that approximately 4 million people have lived who would not have done, had we not saved the life of their family member.

It’s not just what we do but also the way we do it that helps to create value for people, society and the environment.

The lifeboat station is often a hub of the local community,

and many of our people have knowledge and experience of their local environment, habitats and species. We can call on this knowledge to better understand and protect the environments around RNLI locations.

Fit for the Future

We can’t tackle all of our environmental challenges and opportunities alone. It’s important to learn from and share with others. We are members of the Fit for the Future network, an environmental sustainability network of over 250 charities, heritage organisations, cultural venues and public sector bodies. The network facilitates knowledge sharing and collaboration across organisations and sectors, to achieve the rapid and far-reaching changes needed to decarbonise, adapt to climate change and drive positive environmental impacts.

Staff and volunteers from across the RNLI have engaged in topics such as procurement, waste management, packaging, international travel, and climate change adaptation.

RNLI Sustainability Champions

The RNLI Sustainability Champions Group facilitates collaboration between staff and volunteers across the RNLI who are interested in environmental sustainability and supporting the organisation in becoming more sustainable and resilient. The group is managed by our trainee environmental manager, with bi-monthly meetings and sustainability newsletters. Each meeting considers

a different theme, and we have a Green Welly Award to recognise sustainable action across the RNLI based on peer recommendations.

Our champions have been greening their sites, making outdoor seating areas, setting up sustainability noticeboards, litter picking and removing single use cups.

They’ve also received sustainability training and sharing what they’ve learned.

Motivated by the environmental and financial cost of disposable cups, one of our champins Jon proposed eliminating singleuse paper cups from communal areas. While the cups weren’t plastic, they still contributed to unnecessary waste and recurring expenses.

The proposal met resistance. Many employees found the change inconvenient, especially those who relied on the cups for quick coffee breaks or during smoking intervals.

‘Sustainability isn’t always convenient. We live in a throwaway world because it’s easy. Asking people to bring their own mug disrupted that convenience.

‘On something as trivial as cups, it’s amazing how much money an organisation can save by having a sustainability group that’s completely focused on sustainability and cost savings.’

Jon Horton, Technician Electrical

Despite early pushback, the initiative succeeded. Staff began bringing their own mugs, and the organisation saw a reduction in waste and operational costs. This experience highlights that pairing clear communication and leadership with small, thoughtful changes – even those that challenge convenience – can drive a culture of sustainability.

Regional Business Support Manager Anne-Marie Turner is based at Saltash Regional Support Centre and became a Sustainability Champion after encouragement from her line manager. Inspired by a seed giveaway at a Sustainability Champions meeting, they transformed a disused car park into a vibrant garden using recycled materials – from upcycled pallets transformed into seating to end-of-life RNLI wellies and helmets repurposed as planters.

The garden, which is maintained using rainwater collection, is now a welcoming space for staff and visitors. This project not only enhanced the environment but also sparked wider conversations about sustainability.

Anne-Marie’s role also includes supporting 38 lifeboat stations and lifeguard centres with waste management and recycling contracts, promoting sustainable travel, and sharing ideas across the network.

Through collaboration and creativity, this initiative has fostered a stronger culture of sustainability and demonstrated how small, local actions can have a wide and lasting impact.

Another of our Sustainability Champions,

Regional SHE

Lead Anna James, has been driving change at their regional support centre, helping to make the site greener and more environmentally friendly. Participation in the No Mow May initiative will lead to reduced mowing throughout the summer, allowing natural habitats to thrive.

Planters have been introduced, following the waste hierarchy. Bird feeders have already been installed to support local wildlife. And discussions are underway to introduce compost bins to the site.

There’s also a strong push to reduce energy use by switching to LED lighting.

And litter picking is now part of the routine. Equipment has been ordered to support this, after a storm led to waste from the skip being transferred across the site.

‘It’s changed the way I think about my role. Seeing the enthusiasm and support for sustainability – especially across such a wide variety of roles and topics – has really highlighted how much potential there is to make a difference, no matter your position. It’s encouraged me to think more broadly about how I can contribute in my own work.’

Anna James, Regional SHE Lead

topics.

RNLI Environmental, Social and Governance Policy (environmental clauses)

2.4 Through implementation of our Sustainable Decarbonisation Plan, we will sustainably decarbonise our activities to achieve our Zero Carbon by 2050 ambition.

2.5 We will seek to self-generate and/or procure renewable energy at all our sites, where practicable and cost effective.

2.6 We will transition from the use of fossil-based fuels to lower carbon and more sustainable fuels or forms of asset and vehicle propulsion, where and when it is technically, practically, and economically viable.

2.7 The RNLI will not use core funds to buy carbon offsets.

2.1 Through implementation of our Climate Change Adaptation Management Plan, we will seek to increase our resilience to climate change impacts across all our communities and activities.

2.2 We will proactively work with other organisations to continuously grow our intelligence around climate change impacts, hazards, and risks, both domestically and globally.

2.3 We will use relevant intelligence to inform our short, medium, and longer-term planning and decision making.

2.8 Through implementation of our waste-management plan, we will achieve our zero waste to landfill by 2030 ambition.

2.9 Through commitment to applying the waste hierarchy, we will implement practices and decision making to eliminate and minimise waste, and increase reuse and recycling.

2.10 We will promote being efficient and effective with the use of all resources, and encourage the use of renewable resources as an alternative, where viable.

2.11 We will proactively explore and pursue opportunities to implement circularity, and to evolve our planning and decision making to encompass this approach where relevant.

2.12 Through implementation of our Environmental Management Policy, we will proactively reduce our negative environmental impacts, and increase and enhance our positive impacts.

2.13 We will understand our locations’ environmental hazards and relevant risks, and implement proportionate actions to eliminate or reduce our risk of causing environmental pollution.

2.14 We will protect and maintain the land and water habitats and species biodiversity under our control and seek to positively influence enhancement of them where practical and viable.

1.4 We will engage and listen to our volunteers, staff, supporters, and partners.

1.5 We will promote equity through our water safety plans and international work in accessing our educational, advocacy and lifesaving services.

1.6 We will foster strong relationships with coastal communities and stakeholders.

Sustainable Development Goals Global Reporting Initiative

302 - Energy

302 - Energy

302 - Energy

305 - Emissions

Not Applicable

102 - Climate Change

301 - Materials

Moving forward, we intend to use the relevant Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Environmental and Universal standards as a framework for development of key performance indicators (KPIs) for measurement, monitoring, and reporting.

303 - Water and Effluents

308 - Supplier Environmental Assessment

303 - Water and Effluents

303 - Water and Effluents

Universal Standard GRI 3 - Material Topics

Page 1:

ILB Gladys Maud Burton, RNLI/(Stephen Duncombe, Nathan Williams), Stephen Duncombe.

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Tenby Lifeboat Station, RNLI/(Michael Woods - Solvent Sky Services, Nathan Williams).

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RNLI Chief Executive Peter Sparks, RNLI/(Nathan Williams).

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Aerial drone of Selsey Shannon Class ALB (Nathan Williams)

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Aerial drone of Kirkcudbright Lifeboat Station boathouse. RNLI/(James Smerdon), Nathan Williams. Barmouth D-class inshore lifeboat Craig Steadman D-814. RNLI/(Nigel Millard). Nathan Williams. North Norfolk lifeguards stood against boards, RNLI/(Nigel Millard). Littlehampton Atlantic 85 ILB (Nicholas Leach), Nathan Williams.

Portrait of Portrush volunteer fundraiser, RNLI/(Nigel Millard), Nathan Williams. Widemouth Bay Lifeguards, (Max Brady), Karyn French.

International Aquatic Survival programme, Zanzibar, Africa, (Mike Lavis).

RNLI Lifeguards receiving Deaf Awareness training, RNLI/Nathan Williams.

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Group portrait of 3 female New Brighton ILB crew, RNLI/Nigel Millard Weston-Super-Mare lifeboat Calouste Gulbenkian, RNLI/(Nathan Williams).

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Abersoch new years day dip 2026. Dion Rennie Dobson. Nathan Williams.

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Bridlington RNLI connecting our community event. Bridlington LPO Mike Milner, (Nathan Williams) RNLI Staff working in All-Weather Lifeboat Centre, RNLI/(Nathan Willams). RNLI 200 One Moment One Crew montage. RNLI/(Nathan Williams).

Page 11: Portsmouth D-Class Inshore lifeboat. Stephen Duncombe, (Nathan Williams).

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Aerial drone shot of RNLI lifeguards Tom Rodgers and George Morgan walking along Newgale beach. RNLI/(Nathan Williams). Group shot of children of Red Bay volunteer crew members, RNLI/(Nigel Millard), Nathan Williams.

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Drone pictures from ALB launch in Selsey, Felix Bluethner, Karyn French.

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Drone pictures from ALB launch in Selsey, Felix Bluethner, Karyn French.

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Lifeguards walking across the beach at Three Cliffs Bay, South Wales, RNLI/(Nathan Williams)

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Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Pride of Fred Olsen B-913. Stephen Duncombe. (Nathan Williams)

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Skegness Shannon class lifeboat 13-17 Joel and April Grunhill. RNLI/(Nigel Millard), Nathan Williams.

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Hoylake Station Exercise using Shannon Class 13-06 Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood. RNLI/(David Edwards). David Edwards.

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Launch and recovery exercise of the Dungeness Shannon lifeboat The Morrell 13-02. Stephen Duncombe.

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Hoylake Station Exercise using Shannon Class 13-06 Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood. RNLI/(David Edwards). David Edwards.

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Photo of fishing boat taken during visit to Tanzania 2022. RNLI/(Harrison Bates), Hannah Old. Photo taken during visit to Tanzania in 2022. RNLI/Harrison Bates, Hannah Old.

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RNLI Flood Rescue Team Vehicle Standardisation Day at Lee Valley. RNLI/(Nathan Williams).

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Summerleaze beach in Bude, Cornwall. RNLI/(Nathan Williams). Climate change adaptation app screenshot. Anna Frizzell.

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Build progress of Legacy Shannon ON 1364 13-57 at All-weather Lifeboat Centre. RNLI/ (Nathan Williams). RNLI staff working in the All-Weather Lifeboat Centre. RNLI/ (Nathan Williams). New lifejackets being manufactured at Crewsaver factory. RNLI/(Nigel Millard).

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RNLI Guernsey jumpers being made at the Guernsey Wollens factory. RNLI/(Nathan Williams).

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Lifejackets in crate for decommissioning. Anna Frizzell. Lifejackets being decommissioned by RNLI staff in Poole. Anna Frizzell. Bucket of buckles taken from lifejackets. Anna Frizzell. DIY Fundraiser Toolkit. Fundraising. London Marathon Fundraising Guide front cover. Fundraising.

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Whitby lifeboat museum shop volunteer Diana Payn. RNLI/(Nathan Williams). Cardboard RNLI hanger for retail products. Helen Glossop. Retail volunteer Terry Woods with Stormy Stan at the Plymouth RNLI shop. RNLI/(John Baldry). RNLI retail shop fittings. Helen Glossop.

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Aerial photograph of Tenby lifeboat station. Michael Woods/Solvent Sky Services. (Nathan Williams). Aerial photograph of Tenby lifeboat station. Michael Woods/Solvent Sky Services. (Karyn French).

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Bembridge lifeboat station. _installama. (Karyn French) Poole Atlantic 85 and D class out route training. Droning on. (Dave Riley) Heavy Atlantic swell hitting Sennen Cove. Tim Stevens.

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Recovery or Skegness Shannon class lifeboat 13-17 Joel and April Grunhill. RNLI/ (Nigel Millard). Mudeford RNLI with Stanpit Warden Gary and Swan. Wildlife Rescue/Zena. Rescue of Bruno the dog in Llandudno.

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Bundoran Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat at sea at sunset. Paul McGahon. (Nathan Williams).

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Pwllheli lifeboat station with the annual raft race. Gavin Jones. Photo taken during Rhyl Winter dip. RNLI/(Becky Nelson).

Page 39: Fit for the future logo.

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RNLI sustainability champions logo. Lucy Crichard. Old crew helmet made into hanging basket. Anne-Marie Turner. Old yellow wellies made into planters. Anne-Marie Turner.

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RNLI Lifeguards on West Sands Beach in St Andrews. Calum Chittleburgh. Claire Thomson. Saltash Regional Support Centre Garden project. Anne-Marie Turner.