Crown UK&I records 38% reduction in CO2e emissions

Crown Worldwide Group in the UK and Ireland (Crown UK&I) has reported a 38 per cent cut in its Scope 1 and 2 C02e emissions since 2019.

Revealed in the region’s annual Sustainability Report, the reduction has been driven by switching the vast majority of Crown Worldwide Group’s UK sites to 100 per cent renewable energy, with solar panels now installed at warehouse facilities in Ruislip, Leeds, Peterborough and Fareham.

The privately owned, global logistics company’s brands in the UK, have also achieved an 11 per cent reduction in electricity use, all helping to power the business towards the 2040 net zero target it set in 2021.

The first annual report of its kind by Crown UK&I, also outlined:

• How the 38 per cent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 CO2e emissions since 2019 was achieved.
• The award of a Gold Ecovadis Rating & CDP B rating
• The company achieving a silver Investors in People rating.
• Work to develop carbon neutral moves in line with PAS2060.
• That over 5,600 items of furniture and IT were donated.
• How 12,737 tonnes of CO2e saved through IT and furniture refurbishment and reconditioning.

Crown Workspace is one of five brands that Crown Worldwide Group operates in the UK, offering a tailored approach to office moves and relocations. In the last year, Crown Workspace remanufactured over 17,500 workplace-related items. It also worked with 330 charities, donating 5600 pieces of redundant furniture from clearance projects.

SmART/Tech, a system launched by Crown Fine Art – an integrated device that connects with building management systems to measure and control internal conditions – has been deployed at Crown’s Ardra Road facility in 2022, utilising machine-learning climate control systems to examine human movements throughout the space and bring the existing humidity and handling machines together. This resulted in an 80 per cent reduction in operating periods of these machines, creating a hugely significant reduction in electricity and water consumption.

Crown Records Management, which removes the complexity of managing records, both physically and digitally, while transforming key business processes to improve efficiency, made the decision to leave one of its most energy intensive sites in east London, in part to reduce carbon footprint.

Crown Relocations and Crown World Mobility, which make the process of international relocation simpler for both private individuals and corporate clients, managed to collect and send over 700 cubic feet of essential items to Milicz in Ukraine, for families seeking refuge from the invasion by Russia.

This work by Crown Worldwide Group’s UK business units is governed by a sustainability strategy comprising three core sustainability pillars: climate and environment, people and business, and partners and community.

The wider Group is also on a journey – guided by the same three pillars and simple, progressive approach – to evolve and build on its strong CSR legacy across the rest of the world.

This includes following the lead of Crown UK&I in setting a global net-zero target in 2023, while continuing to enhance the workplace for staff and support the communities in which the business operates.

Stephen Hardie, Managing Director for Crown UK&I, said: “I am both proud and incredibly excited by what we have achieved in the UK this year. We are determined to do the right thing by our environment, our people and our communities, and while are at a relatively early stage in our journey, I am pleased that we are beginning to embed a simple and progressive approach to becoming even more sustainable. This all builds on our values that have already seen the business globally develop an incredibly strong suite of CSR credentials.

“I’m truly excited for continuing the journey we’re on – and we aren’t standing still. This year in the UK and Ireland, we are mapping our Scope 3 emissions, defining and implementing a circular economy policy, rolling out our carbon training to a broader cohort of staff, developing a fleet strategy and working with colleagues across the world to deliver even greater impact in this critically important area.”