Our carbon

Public Digital is committed to taking action to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions down to net zero as quickly as possible.

All of our work involves helping organisations use digital to deliver outcomes that measurably improve people’s lives. We promote conscientious design and development practices that produce good user experiences and high performance, and our approach is inherently mindful of social and ecological impact.

In order to progress towards being carbon net zero, we are undertaking a combination of emission limitation, reduction and elimination.

As a company we are committed to public disclosure of our emissions.

We began calculating, monitoring and publishing our emissions data in 2022, which we are using as our ‘benchmark’ year.

We are continuing to account for our emissions and progress in reduction and elimination on an annual basis. Using this data, we are reviewing our goals and actions each year in order to make our commitments stronger and our corresponding activities more effective.

Acknowledging the climate crisis and committing to net zero are important things to do. Achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions is practically very difficult, particularly for an organisation like ours where some air travel is unavoidable and there is not yet a dependable path to net zero aviation. We also want to eliminate our emissions without relying on technologies which take carbon out of the atmosphere, which are currently still at an early development stage.

In the immediate term, Public Digital is taking action to limit any increase in future carbon emissions, while using offsets to neutralise existing emissions.

We have decided to offset 200% of our estimated emissions, with the additional 100% to cover any uncertainty in our calculations and to make a contribution to neutralising our historic company footprint. We are targeting becoming certified as a carbon neutral company (in line with PAS 2060) in 2025.

The offsets and carbon credits we invest in will be in the UK and places where we do significant amounts of our business activity.

We are targeting maintaining our 0% Scope 1 emissions and reducing our Scope 2 and 3 emissions by 25% over the next 5 years.

Carbon reduction, offsetting and neutrality are positive steps on the journey towards net zero emissions. As our data and experience improve, we will tighten up our practices and push ourselves for more ambitious goals.

Baseline emissions are a record of the greenhouse gases that have been produced in the past and were produced prior to the introduction of any strategies to reduce emissions.

Baseline emissions are the reference point against which emissions reduction can be measured.

Our steps to reduce our carbon emissions are overseen by our staff-based Social Value Group and our Management Team, and are integrated into a holistic Environmental, Social and Governance efficiencies policy.

Other activities in our efficiency and reduction plans include:

• Utilising our annual emissions data to develop science-based targets

• Maintaining our use of office space that is powered renewable energy, including securing certification of the energy’s origin, and increasing the energy efficiency of hardware and software used in our delivery work

• Minimising staff travel by delivering services remotely wherever suitable

• Limiting air travel to long haul, using only public transport and electric vehicles for transit, selecting accommodation that can evidence sustainability practices, and exploring sustainable travel booking options

• Identifying a reduction target for carbon emissions per employee as an intensity unit

• Compiling advice and activities to support employees in making ethical and sustainable choices in the course of their work and personal lives, including switching to renewable energy providers and opting in to salary-sacrifice schemes

• Developing our capabilities to advise and support clients in reducing the planetary impacts of their operations through technology and internet ways of working

• Challenging our suppliers to provide actionable carbon data and reduce their carbon footprints

• Exploring carbon syncing whereby emissions are absorbed at approximately the same rate as they are emitted by the company

We look forward to sharing our progress, and to collaborating and learning alongside our peers and our clients to improve our collective efforts toward healthier environments and fairer societies.

This Carbon Reduction Plan has been completed in accordance with PPN 06/21 and associated guidance and reporting standards for Carbon Reduction Plans.

Emissions have been reported and recorded in accordance with the published reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans and the GHG Reporting Protocol corporate standard and uses the appropriate Government emission conversion factors for greenhouse gas company reporting.

Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions have been reported in accordance with SECR requirements, and the required subset of Scope 3 emissions have been reported in accordance with the published reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans and the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard.

This Carbon Reduction Plan has been reviewed and signed off by the board of directors (or equivalent management body).

Date: 11/07/23