Commitment to our World
Environmental Responsibility
Climate Change is undeniably one of the greatest challenges of our times. In 2019, the UK government committed to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to Net Zero by 2050. BNP Paribas UK is going further than ever before to play its part, whilst supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
By engaging with our employees and working in partnership with our suppliers, we are committed to reducing the impact of our UK operations on the environment. We have been measuring our carbon footprint since 2012, and since then we have reduced our greenhouse gas emissions* per FTE by 40%.
*Scope 1, 2, 3 (Business Travel)
Progress against our key targets
Reducing our carbon emissions
In the UK, our primary objective is to support the BNP Paribas Group in reducing Scope 1, 2 and 3 (business travel) greenhouse gas emissions to 1.85 teqCO2/FTE by 2025. In 2023, BNP Paribas in the UK achieved a 40% reduction in greenhouse gases per FTE, compared to a 2012 baseline.
In addition to this, we are working towards reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions across our UK operations by 60% by 2030 (compared to a 2018 baseline). In 2022, the UK achieved a 43% reduction.
Our Carbon Management Strategy for the UK operations provides a roadmap, targeting energy efficiency, travel reduction and our supply chain. We track progress annually and our UK Environmental Performance Data, which is independently verified by a Third Party.
Renewable Energy Procurement
The UK is committed to increasing its renewable energy supply, prioritising on-site renewables where practicable and off-site renewables that demonstrate additionality. In 2023, 99% of our UK electricity needs were met from renewable energy sources, backed by verified Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origins (REGO’s) and we continue to strive to reach our 100% target.
As announced in April 2023, BNP Paribas have signed a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the renewable energy from a 46-hectare solar farm, which is expected to deliver over 40,000 MWh of renewable electricity annually and will go live in 2024.
Focus on Decarbonisation and Energy Efficiency
Investing in the decarbonisation of our offices and energy-efficient technologies continues to be the core focus for operations. In 2023, the UK achieved a 15.8% decrease in energy intensity (kWh/m2) compared to 2012.
Using resources responsibly
The BNP Paribas Group is committed to the circular economy and previously set a target to reduce paper consumption by 43%* by 2020. The target was achieved in 2019. In the UK, we continue to reduce paper use in-line with new Group Targets by investing in digital solutions, while adhering to a Group wide sustainable paper sourcing policy.
As outlined in the Ocean Protection Statement we are committed to tackling plastic pollution by phasing out the use of single-use petrochemical based plastics across our operations. Our approach to resource management in the UK supports the circular economy and principles of the waste hierarchy.
Engaging our Employees
We run environmental campaigns throughout the year to educate all our employees across the UK on their own environmental impact, and the difference they can make, at work and home through their own behaviours and advocacy.
In addition, employees have the opportunity to train and acquire new skills through the Group Sustainability Academy, which was launched in 2022.
Working with our Supply Chain
Our Sustainable Sourcing Charter outlines the economic, environmental and social commitments that our suppliers are required to adopt.
In the UK, we pro-actively collaborate with our suppliers to ensure that our own operations are more sustainable, and to share best practice.
Certifications
To act as a framework, we have implemented Environmental Management Systems certified to ISO14001:2015, with >70% of UK operations currently certified.
For more information on the commitments of the BNP Paribas Group please click here.
You can find our environmental policies here.
