Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Energy
• Climate Change
• Renewable Energy

Climate Goals & Targets

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
• Goal 13 (Climate Action)

The report focuses on renewable energy development and aligns with the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing renewable energy sources.

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate change
• Biodiversity
• Just transition
• Supply chain sustainability
• Community investment
• Human rights
• Circular economy

Environmental Achievements

• Committed to achieving no ‘net loss’ in biodiversity by 2023 and ‘net gain’ in biodiversity for all onshore Large Capital Projects consented from 2025 onwards.
• Completed 1,678 hectares of peatland restoration, with a further 330 hectares in progress.
• 92% of waste diverted from landfill and 33% recycled in 2021/22.

Social Achievements

• Granted £9.7m through community investment funds, financing 1,048 community projects.
• 1,314 employees at 31 March 2022 (a 16% increase from the previous year).
• Paid the real Living Wage and implemented Living Hours.

Governance Achievements

• Established a new Head of Sustainability reporting directly to the Managing Director.
• Embedded sustainability requirements in Large Capital Project governance framework.
• Created the Powering Net Zero Pact with strategic suppliers.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Landfilling of end-of-life turbine blades due to lack of large-scale recycling options.
• Need for improved sustainability data capture from suppliers.
• Managing human rights and modern slavery risks in global supply chains.

Mitigation Strategies

• Participating in SusWIND initiative to recycle composite wind turbine blades.
• Trialing a supply chain reporting tool with suppliers.
• Undertaking deep dive risk assessments on key projects and on-site assessments.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• SSE’s Sustainable Procurement Code
• Risk-based sustainability questions in tenders (up to 20% weighting).

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Certifications: ISO 14001:2015 (onshore operational assets)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 7
• SDG 8
• SDG 9
• SDG 12
• SDG 13
• SDG 14
• SDG 15

SSE Renewables aligns its business strategy to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Net Zero
• Just Transition
• Nature Positive
• Circularity

Environmental Achievements

• Increased renewable energy capacity by 15% to 4.5GW (including pumped storage)
• Generated 11,158 GWh of renewable energy, a 10% increase from the previous year, avoiding over 2 million tonnes of CO2e emissions.
• 93.7% of waste from wholly-owned operational sites diverted from landfill; 58.3% recycled.
• Progress on 10-point Biodiversity Net Gain plan, achieving No Net Loss on six new projects and overdelivering on targets for previously consented sites.

Social Achievements

• Contributed £2bn to the UK and Irish economies.
• Supported over 16,000 jobs.
• Invested £10.3m in 957 community projects.
• Celebrated 10 years as a Living Wage employer; Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm achieved Living Wage accreditation.

Governance Achievements

• Established an ESG Sub-Committee to provide further governance and oversight on sustainability and environmental matters.
• Developed an enhanced ESG and Sustainability Clause for supplier contracts.
• Launched a programme to engage strategic suppliers on key sustainability ambitions.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Supply chain disruptions and scaling challenges in the renewables sector.
• Securing sufficient capacity in the supply chain to meet increased demands.
• Addressing hard-to-abate emissions from steel and marine shipping fuels.
• Lack of commercially viable blade material management pathways for decommissioning.
• Knowledge gaps regarding the potential impacts of offshore wind on the marine environment.

Mitigation Strategies

• Exploring long-term framework agreements with key suppliers.
• Engaging with supply chain partners and advocating for policy mechanisms to incentivize low-carbon solutions.
• Collaborating through industry forums to set standards and build capability.
• Proactively investigating alternative pathways to landfilling wind turbine blades.
• Leveraging existing operational offshore assets to conduct research and address evidence gaps.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 51% of suppliers by spend validated by EcoVadis; 85% disclosed emissions via CDP.

Responsible Procurement

• Sustainable Procurement Code
• ESG and Sustainability Clause in contracts
• Supplier Data Capture Tool
• Living Wage Clause

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events; flooding

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes; market shifts

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products and services

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, TCFD, UNGC

Certifications: ISO 14001

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
• Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
• Goal 13 (Climate Action)
• Goal 15 (Life on Land)

SSE Renewables' strategy aligns with these SDGs through its focus on renewable energy generation, job creation, climate action, and biodiversity conservation.

Awards & Recognition

• Best Community Engagement Strategy at the 2023 Scottish Green Energy Awards