The Gym Group plc
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2023)
Reporting Period: 2023
Environmental Metrics
Total Carbon Emissions:32,242 tCO2e/year
Scope 1 Emissions:1,884 tCO2e/year
Scope 2 Emissions:8,701 tCO2e/year
Scope 3 Emissions:21,657 tCO2e/year
Renewable Energy Share:100% (where we control energy purchase)
Total Energy Consumption:52,287,586 kWh/year
Water Consumption:Not disclosed
Waste Generated:816 tons/year
Carbon Intensity:138 tCO2e per gym; 519 tCO2e per million visits
ESG Focus Areas
- Good health and wellbeing
- Equality, diversity & inclusion
- Good jobs and quality education
- Responsibility to the environment
Environmental Achievements
- Achieved net-zero target validation by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the first gym business globally to do so.
- Reduced general and mixed recycling waste by 23% despite estate growth.
- Improved landfill diversion from 95% to 97% (100% from September to December 2023).
- Replaced legacy shower heads with low-volume units, potentially saving over half a million liters of water a week.
- Installed voltage optimization in 10 gyms, delivering an 8% reduction in electricity consumption on average.
Social Achievements
- Launched a charity partnership with NHS Charities Together.
- Achieved a 90% response rate in employee engagement survey, with an overall score of 8.5/10.
- Shortlisted for the Investors in People UK Employer of the Year Award.
- Launched several family-friendly policies to enhance flexibility and work-life balance.
- Launched ‘Accelerate PT’ framework, providing Level 3 Personal Training qualifications and employment opportunities.
- Concluded ‘Mental Health Ambassador’ programme, providing training to 22 mental health champions.
- Launched ‘Female Health First’ pilot program, upskilling 51 employees on women’s health.
- Achieved Menopause Friendly Employer Accreditation.
Governance Achievements
- Significant reduction in mean gender pay gap to 0.6% (from 2.7% in 2022).
- Introduced an ethnic diversity Senior Leadership Team pledge of 20% representation by 2030.
- Launched a reverse mentoring scheme to increase diversity of thought.
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- Net zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2045
Medium-term Goals:
- Reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 90% by 2045
- Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions by 97% per gym by 2045
- 50/50 gender balance by 2030
- 20% leaders of ethnically diverse origin by 2030
Short-term Goals:
- Reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 50% by 2030
- Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions by 55% per gym by 2030
- 25% of suppliers by spend to have science-based targets by 2028
- 40% female senior leaders by 2025
- Achieve and maintain a minimum of 60% internal progression rate by 2025
- Supporting 500 people to gain Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification between 2023 and 2030
Environmental Challenges
- Decreased female representation among senior leaders (down 4.2 percentage points to 30.9%).
- Mean ethnicity pay gap increased to 22.7% (up 7.9 percentage points from 2022).
- Scope 3 emissions (67% of total emissions) require engagement with the extended value chain.
- Potential for increased supply chain costs due to climate change.
- Potential for flooding and water stress due to climate change.
- Potential for increased cooling requirements due to high temperatures.
Mitigation Strategies
- Implementation of ‘Women in Leadership’ development program, mentoring, and apprenticeship opportunities.
- Inclusion of environmental performance requirements in all new supply agreements.
- Lease agreements provide flexibility to exit leases in flood-prone areas; corporate insurance includes flood coverage.
- Remote water monitoring introduced at selected sites.
- '20 is Plenty' model ensures gyms operate at no lower than 20°C; building insulation minimizes cooling demand.
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: Not disclosed
Responsible Procurement
- All new supply agreements will include contractual requirements for environmental performance.
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Flooding
- Prolonged water stress
- High temperatures
Transition Risks
- Increased supply chain costs
Opportunities
- Increased demand for indoor exercise
- Onsite energy generation
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: GRI, SASB, TCFD
Certifications: ISO 45001, FITcert® Level 3, EN17229
Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
Contribution to target 3.4 through increased access to affordable, high-quality gyms.
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- High efficiency air source heat pump (ASHP) solution
- Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels
Awards & Recognition
- Menopause Friendly Employer Accreditation