One Year of Plan Zero – Mitie's New Sustainability Pledges

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23 February 2021 | Updated 24 February 2021

Mitie is marking the first anniversary of Plan Zero by setting a series of new sustainability pledges for 2021.

Plan Zero is the facilities management company’s commitment to reach net-zero operational carbon emissions by 2025.

The targets include additional EV rollout, renewable energy-based offices and the planting of wildflower fields.

 

What are the New Targets?

 

• Creating the UK’s leading pure electric fleet of more than 900 EVs
• Switching all Mitie offices to 100% renewable energy
• Planting wildflowers covering a 2,000m² area
• Launching several new services to help customers reduce their own impact on the planet, including the EV Fleet Transition Service, Plan Zero City Landscaping Service, the Zero Carbon, Zero Cost model and Mitie’s Plan Zero Playbook

 

Cutting 100,000 kWh From Mitie’s Office Estate

 

Mitie will reduce annual energy use across its office estate by 100,000 kWh in 2021– equivalent to more than 22 tonnes of CO₂ or 33 return flights from London to New York. This will be achieved solely through energy optimisation, such as tweaking heating and cooling settings and introducing a new comfort policy which sets the optimum temperature and lighting levels for both energy efficiency and employee comfort, to reduce the energy used by the business. 

This is in addition to Mitie’s success supporting customers cut their energy, helping to save 300,000 tonnes of carbon in the financial year 19/20 – equivalent to 11 times the annual emissions of Mitie

 

2021 EVs in 2021

 

Mitie will have at least 2,021 pure electric vehicles (EVs) in its fleet by the end of 2021. This is more than a quarter (28 per cent) of the entire fleet of 7,100 vehicles, including large and specialist vehicles, as well as cars and vans that joined the business following the Interserve FM acquisition. 

This target builds on Mitie’s previous target of 717 EVs by 2020, which it achieved three months ahead of schedule. The business will also continue to trial electric solutions for its specialist fleet, such as the electric gritter launched by Mitie Landscapes in February 2021

 

Bins Without Plastic Liners

 

New bins, which don’t require plastic bin liners, will be introduced at 15 Mitie sites in 2021. This will save 40,000 bin bags, more than half a tonne of plastic, each year. The bins, which are made in the UK from 100% recycled materials, have separate compartments for recycling, general waste and food waste and will be accompanied by an internal communications campaign to raise awareness among colleagues. All small desk-side bins will be removed to encourage colleagues to recycle wherever possible.

 

Eliminating Scope 3 Emissions by 2035

 

Mitie is building on its existing Plan Zero pledge to achieve net-zero by 2025 for its operational emissions, by committing to net zero Scope 3 emissions (covering its supply chain, employee commuting and working from home) by 2035 – still 15 years ahead of the UK Government’s own target. To drive this initiative, Mitie is committing to set science-based targets with the science-based targets initiative, which defines and promotes best practice in emissions reductions and net-zero targets in line with climate science and the goals of the Paris Agreement 

 

Innovations in Water Usage Reduction

 

Mitie will continue to pilot new systems to improve sustainability across its business. Solutions set for a trial in 2021 include installing tap attachments that are able to reduce water use by up to 98 per cent, as well as hive robot vacuums which are up to 62.5 per cent more energy efficient. These, and other, technologies, will be trialled at a small number of sites to assess whether they are suitable to be rolled out across all of Mitie’s offices.  

Simon King, Director of Sustainability and Social Value, Mitie, said:

“From creating the UK’s leading electric vehicle fleet and switching our offices to renewable energy, to launching the first zero-emission landscaping services and planting 2,000m² of wildflowers, Mitie has made great progress in the first year since we launched our net-zero commitment. However, continuing to push ourselves further, faster, has always been the ethos of Plan Zero. By setting these new targets we’re putting our words into action and helping Mitie, and our customers, become sustainable, sooner.”

Picture: a photograph of some wild flowers

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 23 February 2021

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