Planet
Climate change is the defining challenge of our time, and it threatens the future of our planet. We know the effects of climate change are set to rise, and at Tenth Revolution Group, we understand the need—and urgency—to take meaningful action now.
We each have a role to play and can all be environmental stewards in protecting our planet for future generations. And as a business, we are committed to continuously identifying ways to reduce our environmental footprint.
Given the nature of our business as a tech talent provider, our impact is smaller than that of other industries, such as manufacturing or retail, but that does not detract from our commitment. We believe it’s crucial that every organization embeds environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards into all facets of their operations.
We know that we cannot reach net zero in isolation. As a company that finds, trains, and deploys tech talent all over the world, we understand the power of collaborative partnerships and what they can achieve every day. Therefore, we must work with our employees, customers, candidates, partners, and suppliers to help us prepare for the inevitable and necessary transition to a low-carbon economy.
Our Sustainability Matters program
In 2021, we formalized our Sustainability Program and developed a sustainability strategy outlining our approach, commitments, and long-term goals.
Embedding ESG throughout our business and aligning these efforts with our company values and external frameworks, such as the UN Global Compact and SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative), formed part of our strategic objectives.
As a responsible business, we have pledged to address our climate-related impact, and this is set out in our Environmental Policy, which profiles our approach to strengthening our environmental practices, reducing our carbon footprint, and lessening our impact on the natural world.
To expand our expectations across Tenth Revolution Group’s global supply chain, we have also published a Sustainable Procurement Policy and Supplier Code of Conduct. These frameworks embed a responsible approach to our procurement practices, ensuring products, goods, and services are sourced in a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable way.
Elle Parker
Global Sustainability Strategy Lead
Our Carbon Reduction Strategy
In 2023, we conducted our first comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment with the help of our carbon accounting partners, Greenly, and established FY22 as our baseline year. This is now our 'yardstick' for tracking our progress yearly.
Purchased goods and services
(Category 3.1)
Business travel
(Category 3.6)
Employee commuting and homeworking
(Category 3.7)
This was a crucial starting point and learning opportunity for our business, helping us to identify our emission hotspots and where we needed to improve our data capture.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, we focused on improving our data capture frameworks, building relationships with landlords across our global network of offices, and achieving greater clarity and visibility on the data we collate. Collectively, this informed our Carbon Reduction Strategy.
In June 2023, we committed to setting science-based targets with the SBTi and have been working with Greenly—our carbon accounting partner—on our carbon reduction plan. We will submit our targets to the SBTi in 2024, and once validated, we will publish these on our website and share our progress.
Measuring our carbon footprint
In 2023, we made steady progress by reducing our overall emissions by 4% from our FY22 baseline figure. This was a positive step forward, but it fell short of our ambition to more sufficiently reduce our emissions in line with the 1.5-degrees Celsius warming scenario set out in the 2021 Climate Panel Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Our reduction efforts can be attributed to our employees taking fewer flights, as we continue to minimize travel and associated GHG emissions. To achieve this, we are prioritizing lower carbon alternative methods of travel, with video and virtual meetings now part of our daily working practice.
However, we saw an increase in our Scope 1 and 2 emissions, predominantly driven by increased energy use in our offices. It should be noted that our figures were also impacted by the shift from estimated values to calculated data. We had anticipated this slight increase while embedding our carbon reduction strategy and rolling out actions to improve energy efficiencies across our business operations.
Looking ahead, we aim to increase the proportion of energy generated from renewable sources across all our offices. Encouragingly, we will start to see the effects of decarbonizing our offices in the next few years and will also explore other opportunities to accelerate this process. As a result, we remain confident that we will reach our 2030 goals, as summarized earlier in this report.
Actions we have taken to reduce our GHG emissions:
Methodology and approach
Definitions of scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions
-
Scope 1 emissions
Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources -
Scope 2 emissions
Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy -
Scope 3 emissions
Other indirect emissions that occur in the value chain
Our partnership with Greenly
As a business, we have been internally reporting on our Scope 1 and 2 emissions since 2019. However, we also recognized the need to address and report on our Scope 3 emissions, which form a substantial part of our overall carbon footprint.
Moreover, 70% of our employees who took part in our engagement survey in September 2023 told us that it is important to them that we are a socially and environmentally sustainable business; therefore, enhancing and expanding our reporting was a necessary course of action.
To help us gain a holistic understanding of our emissions, we partnered with Greenly, an accounting carbon specialist that utilizes an intuitive platform for smart data collection and analysis. As an innovator in the green technology space, Greenly has a strong affinity for our industry, and we knew it would provide the best solution for us at this early stage of our sustainability journey.
In April 2023, we completed our first carbon footprint assessment across Tenth Revolution Group, incorporating our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. This assessment highlighted our emission hotspots and pointed to areas that warranted further exploration, which we are now mitigating.
It is essential that we take a proactive approach to understanding and tackling our emissions, and this voluntary reporting via Greenly is a crucial step for us, ensuring we are also aligned with emerging environmental standards.
Our FY23 emissions
6.9k tCO2e
Total emissions of Tenth Revolution Group
By scope (% tCO2e)
- Scope 1
- Scope 2
- Scope 3
Our environmental impact is calculated on a location basis, and our emissions totaled 6,876tCO2e, with an average impact of 3.7tCO2e per FTE.
6.9k tCO2e is equivalent to
- 4k London-New York round trips*
- The amount of CO2 sequestered annually by 625 hectares of growing forest*
Spotlight on: Digital Revolution Awards
Founded in 2020, our Digital Revolution Awards celebrate excellence in technology and recognize the achievements of organizations and individuals across the global ecosystem.
The Digital Revolution Awards is a global IT awards and fundraiser that recognizes and celebrates the very best individuals and businesses working in the tech ecosystem.
Aligning with our company’s sustainability goals, in 2023 and 2024 we spotlighted technological innovation in this space through our Outstanding Contribution to the Earth category.
However, this annual event is so much more than just a series of awards. Our awards have supported several charitable causes, including Climb Hire in the US, Teenage Cancer Trust in the UK, and St. Martin’s School in Kenya, helping us to support the next generation of talent.
Each year, we also commit to planting a tree for every nomination we receive and, in 2023, this resulted in 689 trees being planted in forests in Mozambique and Indonesia through Tree-Nation, a platform reforesting the world and fighting climate change.
Case study: Litter picking in Newcastle
As part of our wider sustainability strategy, we recognize the importance of supporting local communities and empowering our employees to participate in grassroots activities to help us all transition to greener, lower-carbon living.
Through our TRG Cares program, every employee at Tenth Revolution Group can use one paid day off a year to volunteer with a local cause, and encouragingly, many have chosen to dedicate their time to supporting environmental projects, such as composting and beach cleaning.
In 2023, employees from our Newcastle office took part in the Great British Spring Clean, a campaign coordinated locally by NE1 Business Improvement District, an organization that aims to make Newcastle a greater place for all.
About the Great British Spring Clean
This two-week initiative, led by NE1 in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy, was an opportunity for Newcastle’s business community to come together and help clean up the city center.
Five employees from Tenth Revolution Group got involved. They used their volunteer day to assist with litter picking and hedge trimming along Newcastle’s iconic Quayside, located on the banks of the River Tyne.
Outcomes from the litter pick
Our employees collected cans, bottles, food packaging and even socks, with rubbish hidden ‘off the beaten track’ behind bushes and trees. Despite ample waste bins nearby, they filled a staggering 27 bags in just one hour.
It was also a chance for our volunteers to connect and network with professionals from other local businesses and join forces with NE1’s street team to make a noticeable impact in helping Newcastle look its best.
Meet the volunteer
Why did you want to take part in an environmental campaign?
Newcastle is my home and it’s so disappointing to see all the rubbish around the city, especially when you come into work. I start at 7am on Mondays so usually see the aftermath of nights out over the weekend as I’m walking to work. I felt it was important to play an active role in making this city a better place for everyone.
What was your highlight from the day?
The collaboration between the businesses in Newcastle. It was nice to get outside, work with our neighbors and build relationships.
What did you learn and what surprised you most?
I learned about how much work NE1 puts in to keeping the city clean and how much they need businesses like ours to help them achieve that. I was most surprised at how quickly the rubbish came back after cleaning up an area. Literally within an hour there was already little bits of rubbish coming back.
Anything else you would like to share about supporting the local community?
I recommend anyone to get out there with a bin bag and litter picker (or some industrial gloves) and see how much rubbish you can pick up within a small area. Every little bit helps!
Next steps
Submit our emission reduction targets to SBTi for validation
Improve the data we capture via our employee commute survey
Continue to work closely with our landlords worldwide to enhance data collection and visibility. and improve energy efficiencies in our offices
Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) audits of our London and Newcastle offices
Increase supplier engagement in line with our Sustainable Procurement Statement and Supplier Code of Conduct
Launch our external-facing People & Planet website in H1 of FY24
