COP26 - an opportunity to demonstrate our environmental credentials

This month the UK welcomed world leaders, negotiators, government representatives, businesses and citizens to COP26 in Glasgow for twelve days of talks, aiming to reach an agreement on how to tackle climate change.

The event has been significant to BAE Systems and I for many reasons. First of all, we have a significant presence in Glasgow where we have around 3,000 people at our sites on the River Clyde.

From our bases at Govan and Scotstoun, through our complex warship design and manufacturing capability, we’re delivering one of the UK’s most complex and important defence programmes - the Type 26 frigates.

For BAE Systems, COP26 was also an opportunity to demonstrate our environmental credentials and to highlight our ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across our operations by 2030.

Sustainability is important to us and to all our stakeholders. We recognise that the way we do business is vital for the future strength of BAE Systems and we continue to strive for improvements in all that we do.

During COP26, we’ve been showcasing innovative technologies, such as our world-leading electric drive propulsion systems for transit buses with more than 14,000 systems delivered to date as well as demonstrating the work we’re doing to reduce the environmental impact across our facilities.

We’ve joined forces with Keep Scotland Beautiful to cut marine pollution and with Fuel Change , a programme challenging skilled young people to help us reduce our shipyards’ carbon footprint.

I feel that COP26 gave us a great opportunity to engage with our employees and provide them with a way to feel a part of our journey towards net zero. That’s why we have been asking colleagues to join our Big Switch campaign , inviting them to make a pledge and switch over to more climate-friendly lifestyle choices.?

I know that sustainability is extremely important to our employees and we are always looking for new ways to integrate sustainable practices across our business. As part of our commitment to skills development and our sustainability strategy, we are launching a new Masters-level sustainability apprenticeship .

Developed in partnership with Cranfield University , we are the first company to partner with the University to offer these apprenticeships from March 2022. We will build a network of specialists across BAE Systems, ensuring we have the right people and the right skills to respond to the sustainability challenges and opportunities of the future.

I’m hugely proud of our existing early careers programmes. This year, we’ve recruited in the region of 850 apprentices. Indeed, on the doorstep of COP26, since HMS Glasgow’s steel cut, we have recruited around 400 apprentices and graduates on the Clyde and we plan to recruit a further 650 apprentices over the next five years. Applications to our 2022 apprenticeships are now open .

We know that achieving some of our ambitions will not be easy - and we recognise we cannot do this alone. We will need to collaborate with suppliers and customers, and partner with researchers and technologists as we to continue to innovate.

We are committed to nurturing a performance driven and values-led culture that puts our sustainability agenda at the heart of our company and building a sustainable business for the long term.

Having had the opportunity to visit more of our sites throughout 2021, I have been delighted to see and hear about so much of the work that has already happened across our company as we work towards a net zero future.

COP26 has presented us with an exciting forum to demonstrate much of the great work we have already undertaken and I’m grateful to have been able to showcase this at a time when the eyes of the world have been on a crucial event taking place at a venue of such importance to us.