Capita: a roadmap to 2035

As a purpose-led, responsible business, Capita is committed to its role in the fight against climate change. We are dedicated to reducing our environmental impact and supporting our clients and suppliers to do the same. And as a business of over 55,000 people across the world, we know that if we work together, we can make a real difference.

That’s why in February this year we set our science-based carbon emissions reduction targets for energy use, business travel and supply chain in line with global ambitions to limit warming to 1.5C. We have committed to reducing absolute Scope 1,2 and 3 (business travel) GHG emissions to 46% by 2030 from a 2019 base year. We have also committed that 50% of suppliers will have science-based targets by 2025.

These targets have been verified by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the global standard for company climate targets. Setting these targets was a vital first step and the foundation for our net zero strategy, providing us with clear short- and medium-term pathways to reducing emissions. We can effectively monitor and track our progress and know the steps we are taking are in line with what is deemed necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Underpinned by these science-based targets, we have set out an ambitious and far-reaching roadmap to take us to net zero by 2035. These are challenging targets, that we as an organisation are committed to at every level.

The roadmap

Our three-phased approach begins with being operational net zero by 2025. The second milestone is operational plus travel net zero by 2030 and thirdly, full net zero including supply chain by 2035.

To successfully achieve these targets, we have set out a number of key initiatives.

We will complete our transition to renewable power wherever options are available, switch gas boilers to renewable where technology is ready and continue our program of building efficiency initiatives.

By 2030 we will reduce business travel emissions by 75% from 2019’s baseline and reduce business mileage by 75%, transitioning our fleet to EV by 2032.  These efforts to reduce travel emissions will be underpinned by our hybrid working model and a virtual first approach whereby all meetings will be screen-based by default even after covid restrictions have ended. While office spaces will still be used for colleagues, clients, and partners to benefit from collaborative working, offices will be used carefully and appropriately to ensure people only travel when they need to. The environmental benefits of this permanent shift to hybrid working are already becoming visible with our corporate travel emissions reduced by 71% in 2020.

We will engage with and support our 24,500+ supplier base to set science-based targets and work with them to decarbonise their operations. We will be offering guidance and information to suppliers who need support in measuring their own emissions, implementing targets, or setting decarbonising strategies. We are calling for 85% of them to have set these targets by 2030 so we can together drive even more change.

Reducing emissions is our priority, and only when we are unable to abate or completely eliminate emissions, will we utilise carbon removals. This will include a mixture of technology and nature-based removal and compensation measures.

These ambitious commitments will be linked to executive pay from 2022 and will see us reach net zero way ahead of the UK Government target of 2050.

Employee engagement is another important step in our sustainability journey. That’s why we’ve been running the #do1thing campaign to engage our 55,000 colleagues in our net zero commitments and in the build-up to COP26.  We have seen colleagues on our Yammer community cycling when they use to drive, using post-it note reminders to turn off the tap and lights, eating more plant-based food and using reusable coffee cups. Colleagues from right across our global business are making such small differences in their day to day lives to help us tackle climate change together.

To find out more, take a look at Capita’s climate hub website – a place where colleagues and external stakeholders can find out more about our environmental commitments, as well as other useful information and a glossary. It is also home to our thought leadership work on climate change, as well as related news articles and a blog from our CEO.