Our Responsibility
Sustainability is fundamental to our purpose, and we recognise that to help the people and businesses of Britain thrive over the long term, we also have a responsibility to help address the social, economic and environmental challenges facing our business, employees and customers, now and into the future.
Acting sustainably is an integral part of our strategy, culture and purpose - to help the people and businesses of Britain thrive over the long term.
It’s present in everything we do, from our decision making in how we write business, to the ways in which we support and engage our colleagues, and the care and consideration we place on the environment and the communities we operate in.
We recognise that we have a responsibility towards the needs of all our stakeholders and we're committed to making a positive impact, both now and into the future. This long-term ambition is embedded within our thinking, and guides our approach and the choices we make, as we appreciate that our actions today have lasting impacts and consequences for tomorrow.
It's reflected in our culture, with strong values that encourage and support diversity and inclusion at all levels.
It's echoed by the expertise and support we offer to the people and businesses of Britain through tailored solutions and specialist advice, helping them to achieve their short-term goals and long-term aspirations. And it permeates our efforts to reduce our environmental impact and respond to the threat of climate change.
We take a long-term approach to managing our business, and the active steps we take now to protect and nurture what really matters are the building blocks of a sustainable future for all of us.
| FOUR FOCUS AREAS | FOR A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH | A GROWING NUMBER OF INITIATIVES | TARGETS TO MEASURE OUR PROGRESSS |
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| Employees | Our culture, values and strong client focus support an engaged, diverse and motivated workforce |
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| Customers | Long-term lasting relationships and continuous feedback enabling us to provide reliable quality of service, expertise and personal approach |
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| Communities | Creating long-term value and a lasting positive impact in the communities where we operate |
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| Environment | Acting responsibly and taking steps to reduce our impact, protect our surroundings and recognise the risks and opportunities of climate change |
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Targeted overall emissions reductions against a benchmark of the 2019 financial year; targeted average fleet vehicle emissions reductions against a benchmark of the 2020 financial year.
Our sustainable approach
Sustainability matters appear regularly on the senior management agenda, and we have dedicated working groups with representatives from across our businesses and functions focused on a range of sustainable themes. We also participate in and engage with a number of external sustainability rating agencies and indices, including the CDP, Manifest, DJSI, Fitch and MSCI.
Our Asset Management business offers several dedicated Socially Responsible Investment (“SRI”) funds and continues to expand its sustainable product offerings. Environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) considerations form part of its formal stewardship code and engagement policy. We integrate ESG research into our investment processes at a firm-wide level, ensuring that material ESG factors are considered in all investment cases and that our investment managers can make fully informed investment decisions for our clients.
A commitment to acting sustainably is embedded within our corporate culture and supported by a range of policies and procedures. We always strive to act responsibly, ethically and with integrity, and set meaningful and achievable targets to help measure and track the good progress we are making towards our sustainable goals.
