BACKGROUND
In 2020 The City of London Climate Action Strategy was updated in continued support of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (2015) The wider Paris obligations were enshrined into to Law by The UK Climate Change Act (2019). See Appendix 1
In 2021 City of London Livery Companies came together to prepare a combined response to the challenge of climate change and to support City of London Climate Action Strategy.
Following a call for volunteers, the Livery Climate Action Group (LCAG) was formed with Alderman and Sheriff Alison Gowman as Chair.
Livery Companies were encouraged to take action on the climate issues and are supported through the relevant Guidance Notes across a range of topics on the LCAG website, developed specifically for Livery Companies. These guides can be accessed freely and are provided to help identify the issues that Companies might face and to hopefully point to where solutions might be found.
The LCAG website also provides guidance on how to establish and build a Livery Climate Action Plan. This is a long-term requirement of LCAG membership. The Worshipful company of Lifghtmongers have followed this guidance to create this plan. As a Livery Company we have addressed all these stages and are now in the process of implementation.
The resultant Lightmongers Climate Action Plan is set out in this document, which comprises the following sections: -
- Climate Action Commitment, Aims and Objectives
- Climate Action Strategy
- Carbon Baseline Measurement
1. Lightmongers Climate Action Commitment, Aims and Objectives
The Lord Mayor and the City of London Corporation have committed to a Climate Action Strategy for 2020-2027 which has three aims:
- To support the achievement of net zero carbon emissions
- To build climate resilience
- To champion sustainable growth
We share the Lord Mayor and Corporation’s vision of a responsible, sustainable and competitive City of London. We commit to helping to achieve the aims and objectives in the City’s Climate Action Strategy.
We believe that to reduce the impact of climate change effectively, the interdependent targets that define sustainable cities and communities as set out in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which are aligned with the City’s Climate Action Strategy, must also be delivered.
We, The Worshipful Company of Lightmongers support the Livery Climate Action Group in its aim of reducing our carbon emissions and our wider impact on the environment and fostering a more responsible and sustainable approach to the use of the planet’s scarce resources.
Accordingly, our Company commits itself to establishing a Climate Action Plan to work towards reducing its impact on the environment and will encourage its stakeholders and associated networks to do the same.
The Aims and Objectives of our Climate Action Plan are :-- To positively influence all Lightmongers activity, and collaborate with all our Company Committees and our Charitable Trust required to address climate change and biodiversity loss
- To participate within the City of London Livery Climate Action Group in support of their Climate Action Strategy
- We will reduce our direct and indirect carbon emissions wherever possible, and manage our impacts by: Establishing baseline data and setting out a road map and milestones for emissions reductions. This will be regularly reviewed and updated, and our progress and good practice shared within LCAG to assist others towards achieving their goals. We will produce an annual statement detailing our progress towards reducing our carbon emissions and wider environmental impacts
- Reviewing our purchasing, events, dinners, merchandising and other activities to identify opportunities for using fewer, more sustainable and less carbon-intensive products and services. When selecting locations and catering arrangements for our meetings, events and dinners we will particularly take account of the distances travelled, and the sustainability and carbon content of the food we provide and the other products we use. In collaboration with other livery companies, we will work with key catering suppliers to establish low carbon menu options using seasonal and local food where possible. We will ensure that they minimise the amount of food wasted. We will also review the social and employment policies and practices of our caterers and other suppliers to ensure that they meet high standards in relation to, for example, equality and diversity, the Living Wage, and modern slavery.
- Reviewing our waste policies and practices so as, to increase re-use and recycling with the aim of achieving zero waste to landfill, whilst not increasing carbon emissions. When selecting locations and catering arrangements for our meetings, events and dinners we will take account of our suppliers’ waste management practices in accordance with the principles of the waste hierarchy, starting with waste prevention.
- Reducing our per capita energy and water consumption When selecting locations and catering arrangements for our meetings, events and dinners we will require that tap water is provided in preference to bottled water. We will provide guidance on reducing overall per capita energy and water consumption.
- Reviewing the travel needs and modes of our employees, members and visitors, and identifying sustainable transport modes. When selecting locations for our meetings, events and dinners, we will take account of and encourage the use of public and low emission transport to the location. We will avoid unnecessary travel by encouraging virtual meetings whenever appropriate.
- Reviewing our investment portfolio(s) considering Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) good practice, and alignment with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement. The Trustees of the Lightmongers Charitable Trust have reviewed its investments according to ESG good practice and alignment with the Paris Agreement. We have instructed our Stockbrokers accordingly and our investments are reviewed every year.
- Increasing our charitable engagement with schools, universities, colleges, and other stakeholders to promote knowledge and research about sustainability and climate change. As part of our existing engagement with schools, universities, colleges and other stakeholders we already promote knowledge about sustainability, climate change and environmental management, and this will continue.
- Directly sponsoring initiatives in schools, universities and other groups that reduce their resource consumption and carbon emissions. We will facilitate our schools, universities, colleges and other stakeholders to reduce their carbon emissions through projects, education and knowledge sharing.
- Drawing on the expertise of our members to make learning and good practice on standards, tools, platforms and expertise publicly-available, to facilitate sustainable development and progress towards zero carbon.
- Encouraging and inspiring our members and networks to follow our lead within their own organisations and personal activities. By precept and example, we will encourage all of our members to review, identify and share good practices on sustainable development and climate change.
xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx Master Xxxxx Chair Climate Action Committee Senior Warden Junior Warden
2. Climate Action Strategy
As a non-hall owning Livery Company and in line with the chosen LCAG Carbon Baselining and measuring methodologies our annual emissions have been calculated to be relatively small, around (add words xxxxx)Tonnes CO2 Equivalent per annum. The detail of this is set out in Section 3 of this Plan. We are committed to find ways to reduce our annual carbon footprint.
Our Climate Action Committee will form Task Groups to deliver the aims and objectives of the Committee. These Lightmonger CAC Task Groups are listed below.
- Climate Action Committee Governance
- Task Group 1 Baseline Carbon Measurement
- Task Group 2 Events Committee
- Task Group 3 External Suppliers
- Task Group 4 Finance & GP
- Task Group 5 Charitable Trust
Each Task-Group will be managed in accordance with Terms of Reference and will report progress to the main Committee in accordance with the annual Court timescales and requirements.
The Outline Strategy for each of the Task Groups is as follows| CAC Task Group | Outline Strategy | Proposed Actions and Deliverables |
|---|---|---|
| Climate Action Committee Governance | Ensure the long-term success of the CAC and the overall aims and objectives of Climate Action Plan Communicate and report as per the TORs | • Formation of a Climate Action Committee with well-defined roles and responsibilities • Maintain and recruit CAC members, who want to be engaged in driving positive change within both the Liveries movement and the industry • Arrange and run relevant meetings • Ensure plans and strategies are fit for purpose and developed into budgeted and resources business plans with Court approval |
| TG1 xxxxxx | ||
| TG2 xxxxxx | ||
| TG3 xxxxxx | ||
| TG4 xxxxxx | ||
| TG5 xxxxxx |
3. Carbon Baseline Measurement
To support achievement of ‘Net Zero Carbon Emissions’ and address climate change we must first measure and understand the scale of current WCC activity at an organisational or Company level. This Carbon Baseline measurement is essential so that we can understand its significance relative to other areas of impact, such as industry influence and leadership.
LCAG have agreed on the methodology for these baselining calculations, bearing in mind the nature of the Liveries movement and the ‘SME’ status of the organisations involved. Baseline emissions measurements are a record of the greenhouse gases (GHG) that have been produced in a given period and were produced prior to the introduction of any strategies to reduce emissions. Baseline emissions are the reference point against which emissions reduction can be measured, in later years.
| LCAG Agreed Baseline Year: 2021 |
|---|
| Additional Details relating to the Baseline Emissions calculations: |
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LCAG have confirmed for non-hall owning Companies such as Worshipful Company of Lightmongers the following:- - GHG Protocol Scope 1 (fossil fuel burning) and Scope 2 emissions (purchased electricity) are not applicable, and not to be used within the Baseline Calculation for non-hall owning companies - GHG Protocol Scope 3 emissions for Water and Waste from Operations are not applicable and not to be used within the Baseline Calculation for non-hall owning companies The Lightmongers Chair of the Charitable Fund has confirmed that Scope 3 emissions related to Investments are not applicable as all our investments are within ‘ESG Funds’ and have been confirmed as such by the Companies External Investment Manager and reviewed and approved by the Charitable Fund and the Trustees.. LCAG have confirmed that the Carbon Baseline Measurement is to be calculated using: - The Climate Care Calculator for Meals, Business Travel and Business Travel Accommodation. - The Heart of the City Carbon Calculator for Employees Working from Home and Purchased Goods & Services. Information relating to annual activity has been gathered to populate the calculation tools and the output of which is provided later in this section. For the purpose of calculating a 2021 baseline in absence of certain specific data, several assumptions had to be made. These include: - 80% of members and guests travel by train to Company and City functions, with an average train journey of 50 miles - 80% of members use their petrol car to the station with an average car journey of 5 miles - 20% of members use a taxi to travel to events with an average journey of 50 miles - 10% of members stay overnight at dinner Baseline year emissions: Data obtained using the Calculation methodology agreed by LCAG |
| EMISSIONS | TOTAL (tCO2e) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope 1 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Scope 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Scope 3 (Included Sources) |
xxxxxx
Our Scope 3 emissions breakdown is as follows:
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This Baseline Emissions Calculation will be used to determine to Carbon Reduction measures that will be implemented going forwards.
Other considerations such as accuracy of data and the ability of the Company to make meaningful reductions will be taken into account when developing this Baseline assessment into a Net Zero Carbon Reduction Plan