Environment
Serco is committed to responsible stewardship of the environment, wherever we operate and specifically where our activities have the potential to adversely affect the environment. We aim to identify and reduce our environmental impacts, by minimising the use of energy and other resources and by reflecting our principles of sustainable development in all our activities. Our policy and guiding principles on environmental issues are embedded in our business through our management systems. We expect all business operations to ensure that:
- stakeholders are actively consulted and involved in the way we manage environmental issues particularly employees, our suppliers, contractors and regulators
- the sustainable use of resources and materials and the potential harm to the environment is considered in the design and development of business opportunities
- significant environmental aspects and impacts from current and relevant past activities and services are identified and, where we have direct control or can be expected to have an influence, an environmental management system is implemented
- the impacts of our business activities on the environment are proactively managed with the aim of minimising them
- environmental performance is measured and reviewed against agreed targets to demonstrate continuous performance improvement
- environmental incidents, including near misses are reported, root causes identified, actions implemented to prevent the incident happening again and recorded in our electronic database
- where the workplace, work activities or work planning are shared with any other employer, occupier or relevant person, there is demonstrable evidence of cooperation and coordination of environmental management
Ultimate responsibility for environmental issues rests with the directors of Serco Group plc, who set policy. Within the Corporate Assurance Group, the Director, Environment is responsible for ensuring policy is implemented and that the Board is kept informed of its effective application. The Assurance Network, comprising of representatives from our operating divisions, meets quarterly and co-ordinates and reviews environmental performance with the aim of improving the effectiveness of our processes.
Each business division is responsible for developing management systems to meet Group policy and comply with relevant statutory and regulatory requirements relating to their business. They are required to include environmental performance information in their quarterly review of systems and performance. This information is consolidated into a quarterly assurance report for the Serco Group plc Board.
Significantly, across over two thirds of our business we are working on our customers’ premises and are therefore not in direct control of the environment within which we operate. That is why collaborative working with our customers on environmental issues is important. Serco recognises its responsibility to ensure that any adverse impact on the environment is reduced or, where possible, eliminated by applying the most appropriate management systems at contract level – whether designed by our customers or by ourselves. Where we are not in control of the working environment, we support our customers in applying their own environmental management systems and objectives.
Our role is also to be proactive and consider initiatives such as re-designing our processes to reduce what we use, recycling, and re-using items – which also improves the overall efficiency of the contract. Where we have control of environmental programmes, we recognise the importance of understanding the views of stakeholders.
We have recently reviewed our audit processes to meet the increasing interest of our shareholders and other stakholders in the efficient management of the business. The new internal audit scheme provides a higher degree of oversight than that previously available to the Group. Of the audits complete no material deficiencies were recognised and where improvements were identified actions plans were agreed with the relevant division.
For more details view Serco’s Environmental Policy Standard [PDF, 89kb] (Please note: this link will open in a new window]
More details on our approach, activities and performance are detailed in our Corporate Responsibility report.
At a local contract level we run a range of initiatives to increase our awareness of environmental issues among employees and to encourage them to make a difference. Case examples are provided in our 2006 Corporate Responsibilities Report.