Environment

Carbon footprint

In 2008, we continued to use an integrated approach to calculate CO2 equivalent (CO2e) across all of our UK activities to provide an indication of our ‘carbon footprint’, devised working in partnership with the Carbon Trust and set out in the table below. The CO2e figure represents the approach will be used for the reporting of C02 in future. We plan to use the information to guide our carbon reduction strategy to achieve maximum carbon reductions through the most efficient possible use of our resources. The Carbon Trust made a number of recommendations in the 2007 review, that are now being implemented to minimise energy use through efficiencies in plant and equipment, and through changes in occupant behaviour and working practices. The recommendations form part of our strategy to comply with our Carbon Reduction Commitment. We have also re-examined the various options for a robust offsetting strategy to address our residual emissions, and will examine the feasibility of implementing a partial or full offsetting strategy in future years, if appropriate. For now, however, our focus and investment will continue to be very much aimed at minimising our footprint as far as we possibly can, through design, efficiency and effective management, rather than offsetting from an early stage.

We continue to purchase much of our electricity from Climate Change Levy (CCL) exempt sources, though for carbon reporting purposes we have treated this in the same way as conventional electricity.