Ultra Electronics Holdings plc
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2021)
Reporting Period: 2021
Environmental Metrics
Total Carbon Emissions:12,974 tonnes of CO2 (tCO2e)
Scope 1 Emissions:1,855 tCO2e
Scope 2 Emissions:9,901 tCO2e
Scope 3 Emissions:1,217 tCO2e
Carbon Intensity:15.3 tCO2e per £m of revenue in 2021
ESG Focus Areas
- Protecting our planet and society (Environment + Defence)
- Supporting our people (Employees, Customers, Supply Chain)
- Giving back (Charity and Community)
- Doing the right thing (Governance)
Environmental Achievements
- Reduced site footprint across regions by 21,000 sq ft since 2019
- Reduced GHG emissions to 11,756 tCO2e in 2021 vs 15,010 tCO2e in 2019 (scopes 1 and 2 only)
- Reduced plastic consumption by over 75,000 items
- More than £10,000 saved on purchasing plastic cups, cutlery and bottles annually
- Reduced our plastic consumption by over 75,000 items
Social Achievements
- 776 offers accepted (113% to goal)
- 82% of offers extended are accepted
- Reduced UK agency spend by £431,922
- Launched Ultra ‘STAR’ leadership model
- Launched ‘Strategies for Success’ (S4S) programme for women in leadership, resulting in 25% of participants receiving promotions or significant stretch assignments and 94% retention rate.
- Awarded UK Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award
Governance Achievements
- Updated anti-bribery and corruption manual and policy
- Launched Global Data Privacy training
- Launched new Supplier Code of Conduct
- Launched ONE Ultra Safety initiative
- Established Ultra’s Safety Committee
- Launched Speak Up whistleblower channel
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- Continue to improve and implement Group-wide development programmes to deepen leadership capability
- Continue to increase manager capability in key areas
- Well established functional capability models for all key functions across Ultra
- 100% of Ultra’s top suppliers and suppliers agreeing a contract with Ultra after 2022 signed up and following the expectations set out in the code
- Zero lost time health and safety incidents
- Top quartile Engagement Survey value scores
Medium-term Goals:
- Achieve net zero emissions
- Global alignment to ISO 50001 – Energy Management System for certification in 2023
- Reduce average age of open requisitions
- Increase engagement and usage of global referral programme
- Implement Group-wide development programmes
- Increase manager capability in key areas
- Complete ISO 45001 certification programme for all UK sites, plus pilot global North America sites
- Signing up Ultra’s top 30 suppliers to the new Ultra Code of Conduct by the end of 2022
Short-term Goals:
- Sign up to Race to Zero with a published carbon reduction plan in 2022
- Eliminate all single-use plastic cutlery, plates, straws, and cups by the end of 2022
- Achieve global ISO 14001 certification
- Reduce GHG emissions by 10% relative to revenue in 2022
Environmental Challenges
- Global challenges of the past few years impacting ESG ambitions
- Uncertainty around the acquisition of Ultra impacting workforce retention
- Increasing stakeholder climate change and ESG strategies reducing business and investment appetite for businesses perceived as immature in management of climate change impacts
- Extreme weather events threatening business continuity
- Increased costs of power/utility supplies due to climate change regulatory actions
- Increased costs of implementing Ultra’s climate strategy or new ‘taxation’ on Ultra’s own residual emissions/activities
- Climate change consequences increasing geo-political disruption/uncertainty
Mitigation Strategies
- Developing and refining carbon reduction plan to achieve net zero
- Formally agreeing Science Based Targets
- Undertaking climate-related financial risk and opportunity screening assessment
- Investing in resilience measures to mitigate extreme weather risks
- Implementing energy efficiency measures (switching to clean energy, replacing inefficient equipment, expanding video conferencing, revising remote-working policies, etc.)
- Developing a ONE Ultra Packaging Policy to reduce waste
- Engaging with a new site insurance partner with risk engineering expertise
Supply Chain Management
Responsible Procurement
- New Supplier Code of Conduct
- Responsible sourcing of materials, including conflict minerals
- Compliance with safety standards and human rights
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Extreme weather events
Transition Risks
- Increased costs of power/utility supplies
- Increased costs of implementing climate strategy
- Reduced business and investment appetite from stakeholders
Opportunities
- Market growth in nuclear energy
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: ISO 14001, ISO 50001, TCFD, UN SDGs
Certifications: ISO 14001 (UK sites), ISO 27001 (identified information security management systems)
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Quality Education
- Responsible Consumption and Production
- Climate Action
Aligned with Ultra’s ‘A Positive Force’ framework and Social Value initiatives
Awards & Recognition
- UK Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award
- Ultra Communications recognised as one of ‘Montreal’s top employers’
- Ultra SMaP achieved a Gold in the RoSPA Health and Safety Awards