Decarbonisation Strategy

Commitment to achieving Net Zero

Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd is contributing to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050.

Baseline Emissions Footprint

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.

Baseline Year: 2020
Additional Details relating to the Baseline Emissions calculations.
Re: 2020 (Year ending 31.03.2020 – first reporting period and baseline)

Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd does not generate any Scope 1 emissions in the delivery of our professional services.
Baseline year emissions:
EMISSIONS TOTAL (tCO2e)
Scope 1 Nil
Scope 2 52 tCO2e
Scope 3

(Included Sources)

 388 tCO2e
Total Emissions 440 tCO2e

Current Emissions Reporting

Reporting Year: Year Ending 31.03.22 (Latest Published Accounts)
EMISSIONS TOTAL (tCO2e)
Scope 1 Nil

 
Scope 2 59 tCO2e
Scope 3

(Included Sources)

 288 tCO2e
Total Emissions 347 tCO2e

Please note:

·       Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd generates a nil return for scope 1 GHG emissions as we do not emit GHG from owned or controlled sources in the delivery of our professional services.

o   By way of example: Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd does not maintain a fleet of vehicles, hence there are no scope 1 emissions generated

·       All Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd GHG emissions are scope 2 or 3 & this is consistent with our professional services delivery model

o   If our model changes, our Carbon Reduction Plan will be amended accordingly

Emissions reduction targets

Hitachi Group joined the UN Race to Zero campaign on 25th February 2021. This agreement commits Hitachi Group (of which Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd is a UK subsidiary) to aligning its business with the aim of the Paris Agreement which is to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.

Hitachi has several long-term environmental targets, including striving to achieve carbon neutrality at all its business sites (factories and offices) by fiscal 2030 and to achieve an 80% reduction in CO₂ emissions across the company’s value chain by fiscal 2050, compared to fiscal 2010. The target at all business sites aligns with the business ambition for 1.5°C pledge.

Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050 maps out the company’s environmental plans for the next 10 to 30 years. The targets include improvement in the efficiency of the use of water and other resources by fiscal 2050 compared with fiscal 2010 and minimising the impact on natural capital. Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd as a member of Hitachi Group is also committed to these group targets.

The projection is carbon emissions will decrease over the next five years to 51 tCO2e by 2025.

Progress against these targets can be seen in the graph below:

Figure 1

As expected, Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd saw an increase in Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in 2022 over that of 2021 as business activity returned to pre-COVID levels. Due, in part, to a backlog of deferred essential travel, our predicted Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets were exceeded.

Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd expects its clients, and staff will appreciate the need to reduce travel where appropriate, with the resultant reduction in GHG emissions over time as we return to a more consistent business tempo without substantive travel restrictions post-COVID.

It is appropriate to note that our business is expanding & that the predictions, as evidenced in Figure 1, assumed a steady state & size of our business. This assumption will be revised going forward.

To evidence our increased efficiencies, the appropriate Activity Measures are detailed in the graph below:

Figure 2

In both key Activity Measures (Kg CO2e per Square Foot & KgCO2e per staff member) our Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are falling & falling quite substantively over the short timeframe under consideration.

Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd is of the opinion that continued Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission will exceed, in total, the original target due to growth of our business. Business growth necessitates a degree of essential travel to maintain appropriate governance of our business and explore new opportunities to the appropriate diligence.

Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd expects to reforecast in due course, once post COVID affects have worked though our client based & our own organisation.

Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd will continue to seek reasonable & proportional efficiencies where it is appropriate to do so & can reasonably expect to see a continued reduction in the Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission per Activity Measure going forward.

For the avoidance of doubt, Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd became ISO 14001 certified in 2022. Hence continued Environment Management System (EMS) improvements are expected to be evidenced to the appropriate standard internally & externally against the backdrop of an expanding business penetrating new national & international markets.

Carbon Reduction Projects

Completed Carbon Reduction Initiatives

The following environmental management measures and projects have been completed or implemented since the 2020 baseline.

  • Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd already operates from energy efficient offices (Passive Infra Red (PIR) controlled lighting is already in use), using energy efficient IT infrastructure & is fully committed to a reduce / reuse / recycle approach
  • Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd does not operate a company car/vehicle fleet
  • Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd has a policy to reduce company travel, where appropriate. Where travel is required, the use of public transport is encouraged where it is safe to do so
  • Employees have the option to “Work from Home” where appropriate
  • Clients have options to have remote delivery for all / part of the projects. Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd will continue to promote these methods of delivery, where appropriate
  • Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd have engaged with client support carbon reduction initiatives as appropriate & will continue to do so in the future
  • Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd will continue to engage with Hitachi Group Carbon reduction initiatives as required by Group
  • Hitachi Solutions Europe Ltd became ISO 14001 certified in 2022 & seeks to maintain this certification going forward

Declaration and Sign Off

This Carbon Reduction Plan has been completed in accordance with PPN 06/21 and associated guidance and reporting standard 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[1] and uses the appropriate Government emission conversion factors for greenhouse gas company reporting[2].

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[3].

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

[1]https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-standard

[2]https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-conversion-factors-for-company-reporting

[3]https://ghgprotocol.org/standards/scope-3-standard

SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE SUPPLIER:

Alastair Thomas

Date: 17.07.23