Goal 13
Harnessing the energy transition
People and planet are two sides of the same coin. The transition to net zero is a unique opportunity to create new careers and new roles in the communities where they can make the most difference. Sustainability and the energy transition will become an increasingly fundamental part of the debate on levelling up. Investment in the green economy is already bringing new opportunities to areas across the country and it is crucial that these are accessible to everyone. The climate emergency has made sustainability a business critical priority for all BGC members and they have been reviewing their processes to ensure that they are addressing the challenges the world is facing. Flutter Entertainment has focused its efforts on ensuring its corporate real estate is environmentally efficient, especially during the refurbishment of its Dublin, Sofia and London offices, and throughout the construction of its new base in Leeds. The complex has been built to the WELL building standard, which aims to make the working environment healthier and has also achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating. The new building is designed with sustainability in mind including solar panels on the roof to provide renewable energy, electricity supplied by a green tariff, six electric car charging points and over 100 bike storage racks in the car, monitoring of electricity usage to allow examples of extreme usage to be identified and addressed, zero waste going to landfill.
Employees at Flutter have also been inspired to set up ‘Green committees’ to look at ways to minimise their own environmental impact. Initiatives have included removing single use plastic, providing designated recycling stations, encouraging car share schemes and green travel initiatives such as electric bikes. Flutter also helps to offset its carbon emissions by funding a biogas project in Vietnam. This Gold Standard 26
certified project enables families to use waste to generate clean, sustainable energy, not only reducing emissions but also improving health. William Hill has committed to become a carbon neutral business. In October 2020, the company switched to 100% Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin electricity in the UK to significantly reduce its carbon footprint. Over the three-year life of the contract, it will save 61,500 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of 38,000 cars in the UK. In addition, William Hill began a full rollout of Smart Metering across its retail estate in 2021. So far, over 800 meters have been installed across the country, with the rollout scheduled to be completed in 2022. Having achieved its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15% between 2018-2021, Entain has now made a commitment to dramatically accelerate this process, becoming carbon net zero by no later than 2035, 15 years ahead of the target set by the Paris Agreement. It has partnered with Brynk, an environmental project which facilitates tree planting and forest protection across the globe, to plant one million trees. The project also supports local communities since Brynk partners with villages to hire and train local people to plant new, local tree species and protect their new local forests.
towards renewable energy alongside initiatives to address other environmental impacts such as waste and water. Playtech is also committed to implementing the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. Gamesys has become an official signatory of the UN Global Compact, the principle based framework for business that drives best practice in human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. The company has achieved carbon neutral certification from the Carbon Trust, meeting a commitment announced in its Environment, Energy & Climate Change Policy agreed in 2020. Going forward, its climate change priority is to move electricity supplies to renewable sources wherever
practicable, with a goal of achieving a 50% reduction in gross operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2023. In 2020, Kindred reported a 52% reduction in Co2 emissions per employee, in part due to a reduction in air travel and greater use of video conferencing during the pandemic. For activities where Kindred cannot reduce its carbon footprint, it has chosen to offset emissions through a verified third party and through projects that meet the requirements of the Verified Carbon Standard. During 2020, its entire carbon footprint was offset, technically achieving carbon neutrality. By 2023, Kindred’s ambition is to procure 100 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources of energy where it can.
Gamesys has become an official signatory of the UN Global Compact
Entain has so far funded the planning of 610,000 trees across Kenya and Madagascar. In November 2021, it set out its social contribution to global communities, publishing a full Social Impact Report which also breaks down how the Group has so far allocated funds to ESG initiatives. Playtech has set a target to reduce its carbon footprint by 40% by 2025 against a 2018 baseline and is committed to reviewing its GHG targets annually. The company has established an internal environmental fund to support carbon reduction initiatives and aims to deliver on its target through efficiency programmes, a reduction of energy usage and a move
Assessment of the BGC’s activities mapped against the Levelling Up Goals - Goal 13 Harnessing the energy transition
Assessment of the BGC’s activities mapped against the Levelling Up Goals - Goal 13 Harnessing the energy transition
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