Capita and the Environment

From Lauraibm

MI Summary

Capita takes a holistic approach to environmental issues such as climate change, they strive to achieve business benefits from environmental protection through a continuous improvement programme. Within this continuous improvement programme specific aims are set out, and actions necessary to achieve these aims are also listed, this demonstrates the company’s awareness of what needs to be done to execute their targets.

The measurement and monitoring of key environmental impacts (waste, energy & transport) can be challenging, thus Capita has embarked on a Group-wide environment programme aimed at improving measurement, increasing awareness and setting targets. Current priorities include improving data gathering and raising environmental awareness within the organisation.

At the end of 2006 Capita set up a new recycling scheme for all printer cartridges, mobile phones and PDA’s used in offices and used personally by employees. This scheme enables Capita to dispose of waste responsibly, and at the same time all funds raised are contributed to charities.

Capita also demonstrates evidence of being proactive at reducing environmental impacts through the use of sustainable energy, monitoring their carbon footprint and encouraging the use of public transport, car share and video conferencing.

What the Vendor says about itself

As provider of key services to the public, we are committed to managing our business in a responsible manner and making a positive contribution to the wider community.

At Capita, we have identified the issues that most concern our business and the communities we serve. We are continuously improving the way we address and manage these issues.

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We recognise that improving our environmental performance is important for all our stakeholders, from our employees to current and prospective customers. We aim to minimise harmful effects whenever we can and will work to secure business benefit from environmental protection through a continuous improvement programme.

While many of our operations have only limited impacts, due to the service nature of our business, improving our environmental performance can also help us to uncover savings and reduce our operating costs. Issues such as climate change also carry considerable potential risk and Capita will only benefit from a holistic response to this challenge.

Environmental management

Environment is managed through the Group Safety, Health and Environmental team, reporting into a Group Board Director and committee of the Group Board. There is a full time resource managing the function, supported by a network of Safety Health & Environment site representatives.

Our structure

Our business operates from 250 sites in the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands and India. Many of these sites are not owned or managed by Capita, and we have limited control over them. Where we do manage the buildings we aim to adopt best practice in areas such as waste management, resources, energy use, transport and building design (in the case of a new build).

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Environmental Policy

We recognise that our day to day activities impact on the environment in ways which are positive and negative. We wish to minimise these harmful effects wherever and whenever practicable, and will work to secure business benefit from environmental protection.

Capita is committed to the prevention of pollution and will work to minimise the impact of its operations through a continuous improvement program.

In particular, we will:

Comply with all relevant existing environmental legislation and other requirements
Reduce harmful emissions wherever practicable
Seek to reduce consumption of materials in our operations and promote recycling and the use of recycled goods
Manage energy and water usage wisely in all our operations
Incorporate environmental considerations into the procurement of goods and services

To achieve these we will:

Allocate sufficient management resources to ensure effective implementation of the environmental policy
Motivate and educate our employees to conduct their activities in an environmentally friendly manner
Measure, monitor and report on key indicators of our environmental performance on an annual basis
Review our policy on a regular basis to take account of new developments in environmental management and legislation, and also our stakeholder expectations
Perform periodic audits of our activities to ensure compliance with company requirements, legislation and policy requirements.

Capita recognises that the effective implementation of the policy represents an opportunity to improve the performance of the Group by reducing environmental risks and impacts, and increasing the efficiency of our operations.

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Monitoring Impacts

Capita, as a services business, is considered a low impact company due to the diversity and service nature of our activities.

Our focus is on reducing our waste as key impacts. Through a number of Group-wide initiatives, we are improving our environmental impact by recycling our waste, carefully disposing of assets and in some cases changing the way we work.

Digital Pipeline

In 2005 we established a relationship with Digital Pipeline, a Microsoft initiative, to recycle our IT equipment for developing countries. We recycled 1,500 pieces of IT kit in the first five months of the scheme.

Monitoring of impacts

Accurate measurement and monitoring of our key impacts – energy, waste and transport – is challenging. Through our Group Safety, Health & Environment network we have embarked on a Group-wide environment programme, aimed at improving measurement, increasing awareness and setting targets. Current priorities are improving data gathering and raising awareness within the organisation. Year-on-year data is not simple to provide as we are a continually growing business with a diverse business structure. However measurement targets have been set for:

Carbon emissions
Waste reductions
Energy use and costs
Improved recycling.

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Resources and Waste

Capita recognises waste as a key issue for the Group and has established Group-wide programmes to manage our waste across our 250 sites.

This responsibility for managing waste is shared across our Safety, Health & Environment and Procurement teams, ensuring we comply with all necessary legislation and utilise our close supplier relationships to implement new initiatives.

Capita Charity Recycling Scheme

Capita set up a new recycling scheme at the end of 2006 for all our printer cartridges, mobile phones and PDA's. The scheme includes not only those which are used in our offices but also those used personally by our employees.

By supporting this scheme Capita is making a positive contribution to the environment, while ensuring that our own wastes are responsibly and correctly disposed of. And at the same time a contribution is made for every item that is recycled with all funds raised going to help the work of our chosen charities, the NSPCC, The Prince’s Trust and Cancer Research UK.

These are a couple of examples of how getting involved in this scheme could help the work they do:

Just 2 mobiles could pay for an NSPCC counsellor to take a call from a distressed child and give them vital help to make their abuse stop.

Recycling your used printer cartridges and mobile phones will allow Cancer Research UK to continue their vital work into preventing and treating cancer.

One mobile phone and 5 inkjet cartridges could enable a care leaver and a volunteer mentor to meet and begin a journey of life changing decisions.

So far the scheme has proved very popular with our staff, with over 1,000 items recycled in the first 3 months.

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Compliance We aim to collect data twice a year on key indicators, with new areas of environmental performance now being measured. See Performance for our latest indicators.

Communications on performance Managers are given feedback on current environmental impacts and a guide on how they can improve their performance. An e-newsletter is produced to address specific performance issues or updates as they occur.

Current initiatives:

Shareholder e-communications We teamed up with Capita Registrars and Climate Care in 2005 to help combat climate change by providing shareholders with the opportunity to receive shareholder documentation from us electronically. For every shareholder that registers for e-communications we have pledged to make a donation to Climate Care. To date over 5% of our shareholders have signed up.

Influencing supplier performance Though our new supplier review programme we are positively rating organisations who meet or exceed our standards across key areas, including environment, and are influencing their environmental performance as a result.

Product sourcing and purchasing The sourcing of products and services for our use, and for use within our clients' operations, is the main source of our impacts on the environment. We manage this through working closely with suppliers, sourcing low or no-impact products, and safely disposing of waste.

Recycling Our Procurement team work closely with our supplier network to extend the range of products recycled, improving practices across the group, results achieved and ambitions for the future. Products currently recycled include paper, toner cartridges, mobile phones, and a wide range of IT equipment, including PCs.

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Energy and Transport

With over 250 sites and 25,000 employees energy use and transport are key impacts for the Group, with a large number of mobile staff and staff working off-site on contracts or client opportunities. Our established policies aim to reduce the burden or travelling on individuals, and also to reduce our impacts through carbon emissions.

Sustainable energy Energy use was identified as one of the Group's most significant environmental impacts. In 2004 Capita signed a Group-wide contract to purchase energy from renewable sources, predominantly wind farm. This contract applies to the sites where Capita is the leaseholder of the building.

Carbon footprint Capita has conducted an introductory assessment of carbon dioxide emissions from road, rail and air travel as well as from buildings to enable us to report to investors on how environmental issues will affect profitability. An initial analysis provided us with a baseline estimate. In 2006 we will aim to accurately measure our footprint through more rigorous analysis of the data available.

Commuting and public transport With over 250 sites across the UK, business mileage between sites is a large impact for the Group. Where possible employees are encouraged to use public transport, or where this is not feasible, to car share to their place of work or to meetings. In some of our larger sites, such as Coventry, we have worked with the local public transport provider to provide a schuttle bus to our office, allowing staff to leave their cars at home.

Video conferencing Our conferencing service with BT Conferencing provides fantastic benefits for the business. In 2005 we made an estimated saving of at least £2 million on travel and hotel costs; approximately 2 million car miles saved, equating to 44,500 working hours; and carbon dioxide emissions were cut by 400 tonnes through reduction in car travel.

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