Our Year in Sustainability
This week, everyone’s thoughts will be turning to COP28, the Climate Change Conference taking place in Dubai. At Kainos, we’re reflecting on our progress against our own climate action goals. This year saw a real focus on sustainability for the organisation, reflected in the decision to hire Environmental Sustainability Lead – Sarah Mcgeough. In this article, Sarah discusses progress against our sustainability goals in 2023.
One of our goals is to be a growing and responsible company - to be proud of our legacy and the impact we have on the world around us. Our customers rely on us to deliver great work, tackle complex problems and find creative solutions. We want to do that in a way that our people and our customers can count on.
On target for net zero
Kainos has an ambitious goal to be net zero by 2025, and we’re on track to achieve that. We have a carbon reduction plan in place as Sarah explains, “Our carbon reduction plan was published in August. It’s a publicly available document, so you can check it out for more details. Kainos has been carbon neutral since 2021, but getting to net zero is a long-term process.”
The sheer size of the task in Kainos is clear, with over 3000 people operating across 22 countries in Europe and the Americas, any initiatives must work across the globe. “Our environmental commitments and targets for net zero by 2025 are set globally with close oversight provided by our Chair and Chief Executive Officer – we aim to achieve a net zero target in 2025. Our climate action strategy and activities are cascaded through our business units with reporting completed centrally for each”, explains Sarah.
Sustainability headlines for 2023
The team made great progress this year in several key areas, and this is reflected in some great achievements for Kainos, as Sarah discusses. “There are so many I could mention here. We received a ‘B-rating’ on our most recent Carbon Disclosure Project Scoring Report (CDP). CDP runs the largest environmental disclosure system in the world. They help thousands of companies, cities and states measure and manage climate change risks and opportunities. The global average for companies in our sector is a “C-rating,” which is where Kainos was in 2021 and 2022.”
At the start of the year, Kainos was included in the Sustainalytics list of Top-Rated ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Companies for 2023. Sustainalytics is a research and ratings firm that works with companies to help them consider sustainability in policies, practices and projects. This rating is incredibly positive, recognising Kainos as one of the best-performing ESG companies.
Taking the information we have from CDP, Sustainalytics and internal feedback from the team we shaped our priorities for our Climate Action Plan. We identified 3 main areas:
- Travel - Introduce green travel principles to help us make informed travel decisions.
- Supply chain engagement - Engage with our main suppliers to get accurate emissions data and help to secure reductions.
- Green software - Introduce our Green Software Commitment. Everything we do from now on will follow sustainable design principles. This work takes place under the supervision of our Green Software Director, another new position that reflects Kainos’ intention to be as sustainable as possible.
Our focus for 2024
Other than the Green Champions team, there is a lot more Kainos can do to stay on track for net zero. Sarah explains what the focus is going to be. “In the next 12 months, we’re going to be working to engage with our supply chain to ensure we meet our objectives under our Scope 3 reduction initiatives. Just as Kainos is addressing its supply chain, other organisations are doing the same. By partnering with Kainos, our customers know that they’re working with an organisation that’s leading the way for sustainable technology.”
The hardware problem
Kainos is committed to creating the greenest software available, but hardware also has an impact on the planet. When it comes to sustainability, many organisations focus on the energy they use, how green their offices are and the carbon emissions of their products. But what gets less attention is more sustainable hardware. Producing, shipping and running laptops and computers uses resources, like raw materials, energy and water. Once those devices are no longer suitable, they often end up in landfill. To address this, Sarah explains, “We have partnerships with IT Recycling companies that provide an IT Equipment Resale and Revenue Return program, extending the life of devices well beyond five years. When devices are no longer suitable, they are re-sold and the proceeds are donated to charity. We have committed to a goal of Zero landfill. I’d like to see more organisations doing this too. At Kainos, I think we embrace our responsibility to ensure our impact on society, local communities and the environment leaves a legacy we can all be proud of. If organisations keep this aim in mind, then they’re on the right track.”