Our journey to net zero

Every business has a role to play in tackling climate change. That’s why we committed to the Tech Zero pledge back in 2019, aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2030. Since then, we've been tracking, learning, and making real progress.?

We were proud to see a substantial drop in our emissions last year - and emissions per employee were the lowest ever. Our latest Tech Zero report details what we've achieved in 2023/24, and what we’ll focus on next - here’s a summary of the highlights.

How it’s going

Total emissions for 2023/24 were 199 tCO2e, a 22% drop from our 2019 baseline.

Per-employee emissions are down to 2.6 tCO2e, proving we can grow as a business while keeping our environmental impact in check.

WFH energy use is still one of our biggest contributors, and as our team grows, we’re fine-tuning our tracking and looking for smarter ways to reduce it.

Purchased goods and services emissions have gone up as we’ve expanded - something we’re working on by holding our suppliers more accountable.

Business travel emissions are relatively low (15.0 tCO2e), thanks to our efforts to cut unnecessary trips.

Some of the measures we’re taking to shrink our footprint?

Helping staff switch to greener commuting: We’ve launched the Octopus Electric Vehicle Scheme, in addition to the free bikes we already offer our UK staff for commuting.

Monitoring zero-carbon transport: We’re now tracking walking and cycling miles to compare their carbon impact with public transport and driving, highlighting the benefits of zero-carbon travel.

Tracking more than just flights: We put in place a process to log - and offset - rail travel for business trips in next year’s reporting.

More accurate energy reporting: We use actual energy readings to get the real picture of our office energy use.

What’s next? Our plans for 2025/26?

We’re not stopping here - this is what we’re tackling next:

Helping employees switch to green energy at home, to cut down on WFH emissions.

Holding suppliers accountable, by collecting emissions data and factoring sustainability into our purchasing decisions.

Getting better commuting data: As well as tracking rail travel, we'll work with the local transport authority to track bus route emissions; and improve our reporting on commute origins, vehicle types, and distances.

Making business travel more sustainable by prioritizing trains over flights, and setting clearer offsetting guidelines.

Reducing more waste company-wide by rolling out a wider recycling program and awareness sessions.

Extending IT equipment lifespan and ensuring end-of-life devices are properly recycled.

Offsetting: A step in the right direction

For 2023/24, we’ve offset all 199 tCO2e through high-quality carbon credits. But we know offsets are only a short-term fix. Our real focus is on reducing emissions at the source, while ensuring we keep growing sustainably. It reflects one of our key values, “Responsibly Ambitious”: success matters to us, but not at any cost.?

Going net zero isn’t easy, but we’re in it for the long haul. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and looking forward to the future. If you’re working on your own sustainability journey in your business, we’d love to swap ideas - let’s connect!