Team Talk: towards net zero

Journeying towards a greener future.

From growing our team to achieving ISO 14001 Environmental Management, 2023 has been a pivotal year for sustainability at Bistech. In this ‘Team Talk’, Sally Bailey, our Sustainability Lead and resident environmental expert (since before it was trendy!), provides a snapshot of recent successes and considers the road ahead…

As the world continues to face the time-critical challenge of climate change, alongside our customers and partners, here at Bistech we’ve been strongly focused on our journey to net zero. Here are just some of our highlights from the past year:

Going solar

At the end of 2022, we installed solar panels at Bistech HQ with the support of Low Carbon Dorset. Across 2023, they have generated 61,000 kWh of electricity, helping us save 12 tonnes of CO2e. Or, for those who prefer a more earthy interpretation, that’s over 700 ‘equivalent trees’ planted!*

Counting carbon

2023 also saw our first two years of carbon measurements completed, meaning we could start to track our progress. We achieved an encouraging 36% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions (from 77 to 49 CO2e tonnes) across these two years, largely as a result of our investment in solar and a reduced fleet, alongside many smaller operational changes. We know there is much more to do, and we’re now extending our measuring to Scope 3 to fully understand and improve upon the impact of our entire value chain.

Refining targets

In the summer, we joined the UN’s Race to Zero and cut our net zero target by five years to 2040, to truly reflect our company values of ambition, integrity, and community. And with plans in place to commit to Science Based Targets, we will continue to proactively support the global effort to achieve ambitious climate goals in line with the Paris Agreement.

A new team member…

As part of our wider sustainability strategy, this autumn we expanded Bistech’s sustainability team by creating a brand new, dedicated Business and Sustainability Coordinator role. Focusing on engagement, measurement, and all things ESG, this role will be central to driving our sustainability commitments forward.

… and a new standard

Also, this autumn — thanks to the hard work and commitment of the Bistech team — we achieved certification to the demanding ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems standard. The certification builds on many years of prioritising environmental sustainability across all aspects of our business and supports our efforts of continual improvement as we strive towards net zero, alongside all other aspects of environmental sustainability.

Looking ahead

At Bistech, we’re continually evolving our carbon reduction approach in line with these simple principles: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Our goals are many — from reducing energy consumption and waste to encouraging more sustainable working practices — all supporting our overarching aim to achieve net zero across our entire value chain by 2040. We know there’s a long way to go, but we’re committed to operating within the boundaries set by our planet and helping our customers to do the same.

In our changing world, one thing is certain; we can only reach net zero by working together. If you’d like to exchange sustainability ideas and best practices from within your organisation, we’d love to hear from you. Contact Sally and the team at sustainability@bistech.co.uk .

* Estimate from Solar Edge (our monitoring software) incorporating the Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator