Sustainability
Sustainability runs through the five services we already sell
Creating sustainable value for our stakeholders is essential to our success. It is built into how we design, source, and run systems, not bolted on as a reporting exercise.
Management and approach
UNIT 01Four pillars, plus people and governance
Creating sustainable value for our stakeholders is essential to our success. Our business processes carry long-term and multi-stakeholder considerations, balancing what customers need today against longer-term developments, and we build products and solutions that let our customers operate sustainably.
Responsible global citizen
We aim to positively impact people's lives and the health of our planet by being responsible global citizens. We do this by harnessing technology and innovation to address real-world problems, and we incorporate ESG practices into our businesses globally.
Building trust and managing risks
We comply with applicable laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where we operate, and we have zero tolerance for fraud and corrupt practices.
The people who do the work
We are only as strong as our people. Our people and culture strategy is there to build capability and capacity for growth, keep an engaged workforce, and hold us to good practice in how we employ and develop engineers.
Enabling our customers and seizing opportunities
We strive to offer products and solutions that enable our customers to operate sustainably, balancing what they need today against longer-term developments.
Our Sustainability Statement
UNIT 02Launched in 2022, and still the standard we work to
We have a responsibility, across our entire supply chain, from how we source to how we connect with the community. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do as a business, and we must continue to drive progress. We have spent the past year taking stock of our processes, measuring our outputs, and working closely with the industry, our customers and partners on emerging technologies, new materials and collective challenges. We have listened to the repeated calls from our clients, demanding greater accountability from companies, and we have taken action.
In 2022 we launched our Sustainability Statement, setting our vision and commitments in the three areas where we can make the greatest positive impact.
Connect
Create impactful transformative systems with an integrated sustainability programme that connects to our communities, and engage clients, employees, and the broader community to promote a more sustainable way of life.
Make
Design and develop our solutions in a way that is ultimately climate neutral and promotes a circular economy.
Source
Ensure our suppliers and components are sourced in a way that protects the earth and strengthens regional communities.
Integrating sustainable operations
UNIT 03Eight strands running through the five core services we already sell
Orion Five Engineering is a boutique engineering company focused on digital systems integration. We sell five core services: systems integration for digital platforms, feasibility studies and architecture development, quality assurance and testing, software optimisation and issue resolution, and maintenance and support. Our engineers and technicians deliver them across a mix of on-site and remote work, and the strands below run through all of it.
Sustainable digital solutions
Expertise in creating energy-efficient digital systems and software, including optimising code to reduce processing power requirements and minimise the energy consumption of client systems.
Green IT practices
Green IT practices implemented within the company and promoted to clients: reducing e-waste, extending hardware lifecycles, and using cloud computing to reduce physical infrastructure needs.
Eco-friendly project management
Sustainability considerations built into project management methodology, assessing the environmental impact of proposed solutions and prioritising sustainable options in system design and implementation.
Remote work and digital collaboration
Digital tools used to reduce physical travel and the carbon footprint that comes with it, which is the same capability we sell.
Sustainable procurement
A sustainable procurement policy for hardware and software that prioritises vendors with strong environmental credentials.
Employee engagement
A culture of sustainability among employees, with innovative ideas encouraged for both internal operations and client projects.
ESG-focused services
A service line focused on improving clients' environmental performance through digital solutions, including systems for monitoring and reducing energy consumption and software for tracking and reporting ESG metrics.
Continuous innovation
An innovation programme encouraging employees to develop new sustainable solutions to digital integration problems, which can in turn become proprietary sustainable technologies or methodologies.
None of these is a separate programme with its own budget. They are conditions we deliver the five core services under, which is the only version of this that survives a deadline. If you carry your own reporting obligations, it also means the systems we build can be asked what they cost to run.
Governance
UNIT 04A board committee and a working group, both meeting quarterly
Sustainability Committee
A dedicated Sustainability Committee sits within our board and meets quarterly to review the organisation's sustainability performance and initiatives. The committee provides strategic guidance on sustainability goals and policies, ensuring all efforts stay aligned with the overall business strategy. The board is responsible for integrating sustainability into the company's risk management framework, approving long-term targets and key performance indicators, and ensuring sufficient resources are allocated to sustainability initiatives.
Sustainability Working Group
A cross-functional Sustainability Working Group draws representatives from engineering and product development, operations, human resources, finance, and marketing and communications. It meets quarterly to implement initiatives, monitor progress against goals, identify opportunities for sustainable innovation in digital systems integration, and keep sustainability present in daily operations.
Engineering and product development
- Incorporate sustainability principles into system design and integration processes
- Develop energy-efficient solutions for clients
- Research and implement green IT practices
Operations
- Implement and monitor energy efficiency measures in office operations
- Manage e-waste and promote circular economy practices
- Oversee sustainable procurement policies
Human resources
- Develop sustainability-focused training programmes for employees
- Integrate sustainability goals into employee performance evaluations
- Promote a culture of sustainability within the organisation
Finance
- Conduct cost-benefit analyses of sustainability initiatives
- Integrate sustainability metrics into financial reporting
- Explore green financing options for sustainability projects
Marketing and communications
- Develop internal and external communications on sustainability efforts
- Ensure transparent reporting of sustainability performance
- Engage with stakeholders on sustainability issues
Employee engagement
- Establish a Green Team of volunteer employees to champion sustainability initiatives
- Implement a suggestion scheme for sustainability improvements
- Recognise and reward employees for contributions to sustainability goals
Environmental performance
UNIT 05The reporting framework we are putting in place
Our operations and services have a significant impact on energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. We are committed to reporting our energy usage transparently and to putting measures in place that reduce our carbon footprint. We are building that reporting framework around the GHG Protocol, and the areas below set out what it is designed to cover.
- Office facilities
- Total energy consumption in kWh, energy use intensity in kWh per square metre, and a breakdown of energy sources across grid electricity and on-site renewables.
- Employee remote work
- Estimated energy consumption arising from remote work activities.
- Scope 1 emissions
- Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources, such as company vehicles.
- Scope 2 emissions
- Indirect emissions from purchased electricity.
- Scope 3 emissions
- All other indirect emissions in our value chain, including employee commuting, business travel, purchased goods and services, use of sold products, and end-of-life treatment of sold products.
Emissions reduction initiatives
These are the measures we are working to put in place across the business, at differing stages of adoption.
Renewable energy adoption
- Procuring renewable energy through power purchase agreements
- Installing on-site solar panels where feasible
- Purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates to support clean energy projects
Green software development
- Developing and implementing energy-efficient software solutions for our clients
- Optimising code to reduce processing power requirements and minimise energy consumption
Sustainable hardware procurement
- Prioritising energy-efficient and environmentally friendly IT equipment
- Running e-waste recycling programmes for responsible disposal of electronic equipment
Employee engagement
- Promoting telecommuting and remote work to reduce commuting-related emissions
- Providing training on energy-efficient practices and encouraging adoption
Digital carbon footprint reduction
- Implementing data deduplication and compression to reduce storage needs
- Optimising data lifecycle management to minimise unnecessary storage and processing
The framework above is being put in place; we are not reporting against it yet. We would rather say so than publish a number we cannot show the working for. Once there is a baseline worth publishing, it appears here as an annual report, with the method attached.