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Independently assessed as carbon neutral since 2012
The FW Thorpe group of companies, which includes Philip Payne, has been officially recognised as being carbon neutral, with systems of reduction, measurement and certified offsetting in place, since 2012. This decade-long status has been independently assessed by a third party in accordance with ISO 14064-1, an international standard for the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals.
What does “carbon neutral” mean?
Being carbon neutral means that FW Thorpe Plc offsets the carbon dioxide emissions it generates (scopes 1 and 2 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol) by its business activities.
Scope 1 – All direct emissions from the activities of an organisation, including fuel combustion on site, such as in gas boilers and air-conditioning, and in its fleet of delivery and other company-owned vehicles.
Scope 2 – Indirect emissions from electricity purchased and used by the organisation. These emissions are caused during the production of the electricity that is ultimately used by the organisation
FW Thorpe Plc is a carbon neutral company through a combination of measures. Company-wide initiatives such as energy use minimisation, self-generation of renewable energy through solar photovoltaic (PV) units, and procurement of renewable energy have reduced the Group’s carbon footprint, whilst trees in the Group’s award-winning carbon offsetting afforestation project absorb the remaining carbon dioxide produced.
Sustainability Actions
Manufacturing Excellence
Philip Payne is proud that around 97% of its products are manufactured in the UK. This enables the company to meet urgent customer demands without the need to transport products by air, which would involve additional financial and environmental costs.
Philip Payne designs and manufactures its luminaires to the highest standards, ensuring optimal performance and reliability. All luminaires are covered by a 6 year warranty (including batteries). Customers can therefore purchase Philip Payne luminaires with even more confidence.
Waste Management
The manufacturing process is constantly monitored to improve resource efficiency and reduce waste. Any waste generated, including end-of-life components, is subject to ethical disposal or recycling.
Philip Payne is fully aware of its responsibilities to discharge its obligations under the UK WEEE regulations 2006 (SI3289) and the EC WEEE directive. The Philip Payne WEEE Producer Registration is WEEE/DK0073UQ and the company is registered with the Lumicom Compliance Scheme (www.lumicom.co.uk).
Transport
65% of Philip Payne company cars are either hybrid or full electric vehicles (EVs) and the company has a proactive policy in place to increase their use.
Philip Payne products are distributed via a national carrier service rather than its own fleet. Deliveries are collected once daily from our factory in Solihull and sent to a local hub, sorted and forwarded to other regional hubs around the UK, so minimising specific journeys.
Packaging
Philip Payne is working to eliminate plastics, increase recycled content and reduce overall packaging.
All cardboard packaging is made from recycled sources and recycled on site. Vinyl-based packaging has also been replaced with paper-based tape.
Philip Payne has moved from paper to digital installation guides. By scanning a QR code on either the packaging or the product users have access to installation information.
All printed product literature is made of material from well-managed, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified forests and other controlled sources.
All unwanted Philip Payne documents and correspondence are shredded for use in product packaging. Incoming packaging and pallets used in production are recycled where possible for further use.
Carbon Offsetting
In 2009, Thorlux designed an ambitious carbon-offsetting scheme to help compensate for the carbon dioxide (CO?) released as a results of our manufacturing and selling activities.
We chose to plant trees, because trees and other plants absorb CO? during photosynthesis. One tree grown to maturity in open space can absorb approximately 1 tonne of CO? over its lifetime. A forest covering many acres can effectively lock up CO?, creating a ‘carbon sink’.
The Thorlux Woodland project is the first site in Wales to gain approval from the Woodland Carbon Code (WCC). WCC is an independent standard devised by a group led by the Forestry Commission to certify woodland creation projects that can measure how much carbon is captured and stored.
Current:
165,687 trees planted since 2009 sequestering over 41,000 tCO2e over a period of 100 years
Future projections:
179,412 total capacity capable of offsetting 44,385 tCO2e over a period of 100 years
The site has a net capacity of 36,413 tonnes of CO2e for offsetting of Thorlux (and FW Thorpe Plc) emissions
Please see the Carbon Offsetting project for further information.
Employee Engagement
Philip Payne employees are encouraged to share their ideas for green initiatives and post them in the suggestion boxes located on site.
Every 6 months the FW Thorpe group recognises, with an award, the employee who has made the most interesting sustainability suggestion.
Our Future Plans
Company Targets
By assessing the company’s carbon impact right across our manufacturing and value chain then setting science-based targets in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, the goal is ultimately to reach zero carbon status well before the UK’s target for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
- Work is well under way to achieve the environmental management standard, ISO14001, which will be complete by spring 2022.
- New product design is to follow an FW Thorpe Plc agreed Circular Design Strategy, ensuring products last even longer, use sustainable materials in their construction and are easier to reuse, refurbish or recycle at the end of their lifetime.
- Philip Payne will provide electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at the workplace.
- All finished goods packaging is to be supplied from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or equivalent sources.
- Philip Payne employees are to be trained in environmental initiatives.
Chairman's Comment
FW Thorpe Plc has a longstanding commitment to tackling global environmental challenges, principally through its core business of manufacturing energy efficient lighting equipment. The company has a genuine desire to become a more sustainable business.
Over the last two decades, at FW Thorpe we have sought to address our carbon impact by working towards carbon neutrality for our manufacturing and distribution operations. It gives me huge pleasure that our hard work and ambitions have paid off in achieving our carbon neutral status both now and historically.
But our work doesn’t stop here. By assessing our carbon impact right across our manufacturing and value chain then setting science-based targets in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, our goal is ultimately to reach zero carbon status well before the UK’s target for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Watch this space.
Mike Allcock
FW Thorpe Group Chairman