Low Carbon sets out commitment to ESG best practices and tackling climate change in new Sustainability Report - 1 | Low Carbon

Low Carbon sets out commitment to ESG best practices and tackling climate change in new Sustainability Report – 1 | Low Carbon

Time Stamp: July 20, 2023 5:42 AM
Source Node: 2178115

Low Carbon’s 2022 Sustainability Report reinforces the company’s position as a sector leader on net zero and ESG

Global renewable energy company Low Carbon has announced the publication of its 2022 Sustainability Report providing key insights on the company’s ESG priorities and long-term strategy.

The report highlights the scale of Low Carbon’s ambition to put itself on the pathway to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions across Scope 1, 2 and 3 by 2030 and becoming a sector leader on sustainability.

The report features Low Carbon’s work with its supply chain partners to collect supplier-specific data for the most material emissions sources. This ensures their emissions are calculated and minimised through best practices and an externally verified methodology – a key indicator that sets them apart from their main competitors.

It also notes how Low Carbon made significant strides towards their strategic goal of creating 20GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. This includes reaching financial close on 16 solar projects with a total capacity of 445 MW, and growing the development pipeline to 6.5 GW of renewable energy projects during 2022.

Key sustainability themes of the report include:

  • Minimising impacts: Low Carbon has developed a carbon footprint baseline assessment, covering Scope 1, 2 and 3 and in line with best practice standards. This work began in in autumn 2022 in partnership with Low Carbon’s climate advisors, providing a key foundation from which to build the company’s decarbonisation roadmap. This work has been underpinned by ensuring managed assets run at peak performance and encouraging contractors to minimise emissions, choose more environmentally friendly modes of transport and reduce travel distances where possible.
  • Working with suppliers: Low Carbon secured a framework agreement with a leading solar supplier offering a more than 20% reduction in embodied emissions compared to panels purchased previously, partly thanks to using panels from renewable-energy powered facilities. As part of the same agreement Low Carbon secured assurances on traceability from the supplier and agreed to conduct a third-party audit of the supplier’s factory to in 2023. Low Carbon has also joined the Solar Stewardship Initiative, which launched in 2022 and is convened by Solar Energy UK and SolarPower Europe.
  • Enhancing biodiversity and engaging with our communities: Low Carbon have conducted ecological surveys and developed long-term biodiversity programmes at six of its long established operational project sites. This has been supplemented through a continued partnership with Lancaster University to understand how solar parks can support and restore biodiversity, where insect conservation was a key finding. Furthermore, Low Carbon has worked closely with farmers to enable the continuation of sheep grazing on select project sites and forged close ties with beekeepers to host bee hives at our solar sites. Low Carbon believes the creation of positive relationships with local communities is an essential part of establishing new renewable energy sites, and in 2022 reached more than one thousand local stakeholders through our community consultations.

Harriet Parker, Head of Sustainability and ESG at Low Carbon said: “We are delighted to publish our latest Sustainability Report, which demonstrates our firm commitment to ESG practices and tackling climate change. Our relentless focus on this mission makes us the partner of choice for communities, investors, and our own team. As a certified B Corporation, we are accountable to all our stakeholders and the environment, balancing profit with purpose. This is reflected in the key themes of this report which will help set us on the pathway to achieving our market leading aspirations to build out 20 GW of new renewables capacity, while also becoming a net zero energy company across Scope 1, 2, and 3 by 2030.”

To view Low Carbon’s 2022 Sustainability Report click here.

ENDS

 ABOUT LOW CARBON

Low Carbon creates large-scale renewable energy to fight climate change. We’re building a net-zero energy company that will protect the planet for future generations. This defining purpose drives us to deliver for our communities, investors, and the environment.

We are a long-standing certified B-Corporation and recognised as gold standard for our environmental impact.

We invest in, develop, and operate solar, wind, energy storage, and energy from waste projects across the UK, Europe, and North America. We’re contributing to the world’s move to 100% renewable energy by creating and operating 20GW of new capacity by 2030.
Low Carbon is on a mission. Together, we will power tomorrow.

www.lowcarbon.com

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