Meeting targets

Connected-IT currently undertake the following initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint. We will continue to develop these, informed by a detailed Carbon Reduction Plan as we work towards our net zero target.

Lighting – we are in the process of replacing all lighting within our office with LED lights. This is being done on a cyclical basis as existing lights fail, and we anticipate completion by 2026.
Energy tariffs – we procure electricity and gas for our office premises in Bradford through zero-carbon tariffs.
Travel – we minimise business travel by conducting meetings wherever practicable using MS Teams. For long-distance travel, we use trains instead of driving wherever practical. Where travel is essential, e.g. for work at customer premises, we share vehicles wherever practical.
Remote working – we allow and support our team to work from home, reducing the need for commuting journeys as well as providing an improved work/life balance for individuals. We have team members who work predominantly at home, and others who work from home occasionally, making an average of 500 person-days per year of home working.
Electric Vehicles – we currently operate one company vehicle, which is an electric car. WE have committed that as we add or replace vehicles, these will be all electric zero-emission vehicles.
Minimising paper use – we operate internally using the MS365 application suite for internal communications, forms and processes and store all documents digitally. We only print when there is no alternative, and procure 100% recycled paper.
Waste Management – all waste streams from our Bradford office premises are segregated and recycled as far as possible to minimise the amount of waste going to landfill.
Equipment recycling – where we provide new IT equipment to our customers, we remove old equipment for re-use or recycling. Wherever possible equipment is securely sanitised and re-used. Where this is not possible, it is disposed of through WEEE-compliant contractors.

We plan to contract an accredited consultant during 2024 to create a Carbon Reduction Plan for our business, formalising the initiatives described above and setting out quantitative annual targets as we work towards net zero in 2050. Although it is not currently a legal requirement for us, we intend that this plan will comply with the requirements of PPN 06/21, and we will publish it on our website by the end of December 2024.

The plan will align to our accounting year (April – March), taking 2023-24 as the baseline year for measurement of carbon emissions across the three scopes as defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The plan will also set out the initiatives through which we plan to reduce our carbon emissions, and target emissions for each future year reaching net zero by 2050.

We will produce an annual update by the end of December each year setting out progress made in the previous financial year and updating our proposed initiatives.

As a re-seller of IT hardware and software, we advise our customers on selecting products which are right for them, based on a range of technical and financial factors. We purchase equipment as chosen by our customers from manufacturers and supply it to customers.

We will monitor the environmental performance of our major suppliers and provide this information to customers to allow them to include environmental factors in their decision making. This includes:

Relevant certifications / accreditations held by suppliers, e.g. ISO14001, Carbon Neutral Certification
Published Carbon Reduction Plans from suppliers
Use of recycled vs. new equipment where applicable

We can provide for the recycling, re-use and disposal of used and / or obsolete IT equipment in two ways, depending upon the age, value and nature of the surplus equipment.