Environment

Environment

Environment: Protecting Our Planet

Kinovo plc is fully committed to safeguarding the environment and reducing our own carbon emissions as well as supporting our supply chain and social housing clients to do the same. We are constantly striving to become a better company, one that positively impacts people, our planet and our wider communities.

Achieving Net Zero

Climate change is one of society’s greatest challenges and also one of the biggest risks to the future of businesses. Tackling it requires urgent action, which is why we have developed a Carbon Reduction Roadmap and are on track to achieve Net Zero by 2040—ten years ahead of the UK target.

To drive this forward, we have partnered with leading independent ESG and sustainability specialists to optimise our operations, cut emissions, and embrace sustainable practices. This includes investigating every aspect of our business, including the emissions we are directly responsible for and those that lie in our supply chain, so we can build a better world for future.

Our Net Zero Strategy

In January 2023, Kinovo made a bold commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2040. Our roadmap sets out the critical milestones to achieve this goal. The first key milestone is to reduce direct and indirect CO2 emissions by 49% by 2030. Our ambitious environmental goals are focused on paving the way for a Net Zero future while creating opportunities for our housing association and local authority clients, as well as the communities we serve.

As part of our journey to reduce carbon emissions, Kinovo has calculated the carbon footprint for our last financial year. Our business operations mean that our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory is dominated by purchased goods and services. To provide greater transparency, we have also created a glidepath that excludes purchased goods and services, showing how we are addressing emissions reduction.

Using 2022 as a reference point, we established our baseline emissions for Scopes 1, 2, and 3. Our calculations are independently verified and adhere to the internationally recognised Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol.

2024 was our second year of emissions calculations and we are proud to report our positive progress, driven by targeted initiatives across all material Scopes:

Actions achieved to date (March 2024)

Scope 1: Stationary Combustion (Natural Gas) and Refrigerants

Installed a Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery unit (MVHR) in our head office.
Invested in internal and external wall insulation to reduce reliance on brown gas.
Implemented an energy efficiency register to identify further opportunities for heat loss reduction.
Committed to reducing refrigerant gas emissions through improved leak tightness, regular maintenance, and transitioning to refrigerants with zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) and low global warming potential (GWP).

Scope 2: Electricity and Transport (Leased Vehicles)

Switched to LED lighting in offices where we have operational control, reducing electricity demand.
Installed 12 additional solar panels at our head office to increase renewable energy consumption.
Our fleet, accredited by the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS), uses telematics to track fuel efficiency and driving behaviour, leading to lower carbon emissions.
By the end of the reporting year, we had seven electric vehicles in our fleet, with a further eight on order.
Installed EV charging points at all five office locations (seven in total).

Scope 3: Supply Chain and Procurement

Approximately 97% of our carbon emissions fall under Scope 3, primarily within Category 1 (purchased goods and services).
We are working closely with suppliers to align them with our sustainability strategy and encourage emissions reduction.
Our supply chain includes over 100 local service providers, and we consider them strategic partners in transitioning toward a decarbonised economy.
We are implementing policies to ensure that sustainability is embedded in our procurement processes. The Purdy Sustainable Procurement Strategy ensures all procured goods and services adhere to environmental and social responsibility standards.

Key highlights of our 2024 report include:

A 14.07% reduction in overall emissions
Ongoing engagement with suppliers through emissions surveys to identify those who are ESG aware and on a similar journey to help us make greener procurement decisions
On target to reduce Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 49% by 2030 and 81% by 2040 offsetting any residual emissions via high quality nature-based or direct air capture products
Comparisons of Year 2 emissions against Year 1 emissions to help keep on track through our ‘Measurement and Verification’ process

Waste Reduction and Circular Economy Approach

We follow a reduce, re-use, recycle model, embedding circular economy principles into our procurement and property services. Our Environmental Policy ensures that we:

Minimise waste, emissions, and resource consumption (materials, fuel, water, and energy).
Encourage recycling and responsible disposal of unavoidable waste.
Ensure that all employees and service providers follow best practices in waste reduction.
Improve procurement processes to prioritise materials with recycled content.
Expand recycling schemes and establish a waste management strategy.

As a result of consolidating our waste management with a single provider, we can now measure waste production and diversion from landfill. By 2027, our goal is to achieve zero waste to landfill, with progress tracked through a granular breakdown of materials, including concrete, bricks, wood, glass, metals, and plastics.

Kinovo plc is dedicated to achieving Net Zero while supporting housing associations and local authorities in meeting their own environmental goals, whether that’s through greener energy solutions, decarbonisation and retrofit works. Through sustainable innovation and responsible procurement, we are shaping a greener future for the communities we serve.