The story

Simply Sustainable has been working with Speedy Services since February 2023. As a leading provider of tools, equipment hire and services to the construction industry, infrastructure and industrial markets in the UK, Speedy Services is committed to being at the forefront of sustainability and innovation and is dedicated ‘to inspire and innovate the future of hire’. With this in mind, Speedy Services approached Simply Sustainable to carry out an in-depth ESG horizon scan to identify and assess the potential legislative changes that may affect its operations.

Working closely with the Speedy Services team, Simply Sustainable first identified sector-specific ESG topics relevant to Speedy Services. Zooming in on the most important topics, Simply Sustainable analysed the sustainability trends that could affect Speedy Services, including an in-depth evaluation of existing and forthcoming legislation. By applying our deep expertise, we provided robust recommendations for managing emerging issues and incoming regulatory requirements.

Executed in a 2-week sprint, the analysis gave Speedy Services a comprehensive understanding of the latest developments in relation to the most critical sustainability topics, as well as clear recommendations and next steps to address the identified impacts. We are delighted to continue the collaboration with Speedy Services, using the outcome of the horizon scan as robust basis for its materiality assessment.

To find out how Simply Sustainable can help you develop your ESG and sustainability strategy, request a call-back from one of our team of experts.

The story

In 2023, Simply Sustainable supported Amtico to develop its first ESG and sustainability report. This built upon our existing relationship, having previously worked together in 2019-20 to tailor a sustainability strategy that suited the unique luxury flooring manufacturer. Amtico’s first ESG and sustainability report, therefore, communicated the business’ progress against its ESG and sustainability strategy.

Through engaging with key stakeholders at Amtico, Simply Sustainable was able to get beyond the surface and develop a true understanding of the business’ character, sustainability aspirations and progress during 2022. Equipped with this knowledge, we segmented the report in accordance with the four pillars of Amtico’s ESG strategy and used KPIs and targets to clearly communicate Amtico’s current position in its sustainability journey.

Simply Sustainable applied the principles of the best practice framework, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), during the development of the report. This led to further information being offered surrounding the management of Amtico’s material sustainability topics, thus providing greater transparency. In subsequent years, Amtico aims to report with reference to and, over time, in accordance with the GRI.

To find out how Simply Sustainable can help you develop your ESG and sustainability strategy request a call-back from one of our team of experts.

The story

Simply Sustainable has worked with GKN Automotive since early 2021, providing expertise to help build sustainability into the core of its business. Whilst GKN Automotive has a long history of embedding sustainability into its business, we have been able to provide focus and create a strategy that accelerates the company’s purpose of driving a cleaner, more sustainable world.

GKN Automotive wanted to ensure its approach was future-proofed. Our highly experienced sustainability experts and qualified consultants began working on a robust, deep insight of the sector, customers, suppliers and employees, exploring GKN Automotive’s dynamic needs, now and in the future. We conducted a risks and opportunities assessment of sustainability topics as well as a materiality assessment to highlight the top priority focus areas.

Working closely with the team at GKN Automotive, we pride ourselves on building strong working relationships and always being a joy to work with, these priority topics were further evaluated in the context of the business, the automotive manufacturing industry, the global landscape of the company and further external drivers. This analysis informed the development of the strategy, with a framework of KPIs, targets and action plans to achieve the strategy. The strategy was mapped to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), demonstrating how GKN Automotive contributes to the goals by its delivering strategy.

With the strategy in place, it was important to ensure key employees are informed, engaged and inspired about what this means for them. We developed and delivered a series of training sessions to senior leaders in key roles responsible for communicating the strategy to stakeholders. This training equipped employees with a fundamental understanding of sustainability, knowledge about the Sustainability Strategy and the ability to effectively communicate the sustainability work GKN Automotive is delivering.

Simply Sustainable continues to support the successful implementation of the strategy. This has included support with governance processes (including attending Executive Committee meetings), developing a Responsible Sourcing Policy, reviewing internal policies and conducting in-depth research. To showcase the achievements of the strategy, we are delighted to be assisting GKN Automotive in producing its first standalone Sustainability Report.

To find out how Simply Sustainable can help you develop your ESG and sustainability strategy request a call-back from one of our team of experts.

At Simply Sustainable we develop tailored, robust strategies that are designed to guide our clients to achieve a step-change in their ESG and sustainability performance, creating long-term value and delivering positive impacts on people and the environment.

The story

We were delighted to begin working with WSH, a hospitality business with a host of brands across the UK, Ireland and Europe. This was a fantastic opportunity to support WSH on their mission to develop the business’ first group-wide ESG and sustainability strategy.

From the outset of the project our strategic planning priorities were to acquire a thorough understanding of WSH’s heritage, company culture, external drivers, core operations and goals. Engagement with internal and external stakeholders was fundamental to developing a strategy which personified WSH’s rich heritage and culture. Over 300 stakeholders were surveyed or interviewed, including WSH and subsidiary brand senior leaders, customers and suppliers. This gave us broad-ranging, deep insights into the business priorities. Along with a business impact evaluation for each topic, we produced a comprehensive Double Materiality assessment.

The outcomes of the Double Materiality assessment were complemented with a review of the business’ external ESG drivers to determine the priority ESG topics and key objectives for the strategy.

With the strategic framework in place and consideration of key external drivers and best practice we worked with the leadership team at WSH to co-create a comprehensive set of KPIs and targets with focused objectives. In order to successfully integrate the strategy, we produced a series of focused target action plans covering a period of 18-months. Since the conclusion of the project, we have continued to support WSH through a retained support agreement focused on the development and initiating of a new ESG governance and resourcing framework to ensure the effective allocation of resources and delivery of the strategy.

The final strategy builds upon WSH’s strong heritage of social and environmental performance across its subsidiary brands and the business’ commitment to become an ESG leader within their industry.

To find out how the Simply Sustainable team can help you on your ESG and sustainability journey request a call back here.

The story

At Simply Sustainable, we pursue an evidence-based approach to developing strategy for our clients. This ultimately ensures time and resource is focused on the areas with the greatest potential to generate positive impact.

We’ve been working with the team at MAG for over five years providing independent support to help them translate myriad stakeholder views into strategic insight. So when talk turned to their new CSR strategy, we couldn’t wait to get started with a tailored approach that took MAG’s unique operating model into account.

Our work began with in-depth consultations with local residents and groups, customers and partners to explore their dynamic needs. Analysing these incredible insights informed a detailed materiality assessment that built on our previous work and broadly identified MAG’s priorities.

We then scrutinised each priority topic – a process which involved analysis in the context of MAG’s business and operations, the local landscape, the wider aviation sector and global challenges – before bringing experts from across the business together in a series of workshops to agree the overall direction and generate the ideas that will bring the approach to life.

The resulting strategy builds on MAG’s strong track record of operating for the benefit of the communities, regions and environment around its airports whilst recognising its role in tackling the significant sustainability challenges facing the aviation sector.

The story

Simply Sustainable is known for being a practical and inspiring consultancy so helping our clients to integrate sustainability into what they do and how they think is a great fit for us. That’s why, having developed EE’s new responsibility strategy, we were ideally placed to support its integration across the business as part of this long-term partnership.

We know that this requires a holistic approach, working at every level of the organisation. Here we started at the top, guiding leadership to advocate for sustainability and creating a strong governance and management structure which included feedback loops between the Board and core functions and established an external board of experts to advise and challenge the business.

Next, working across core functions in the business, we turned to identifying and developing the policies and processes needed to embed sustainability priorities into EE’s ways of working, before establishing the KPIs and systems that would drive accountability via monthly performance reporting.

EE’s workforce is diverse and varied so naturally, engagement and ownership of this agenda is a key priority. To address this, we worked with in-house teams to co-create and deliver a series of engagement events across the UK designed to ‘activate’ their interest in the social and environmental issues core to EE’s approach and their role in supporting company ambitions.

Elsewhere, we supported EE in partnership and programme development, reporting and benchmarking – a whole package tailored and delivered over time to bring sustainability to life in the business.

The story

At Simply Sustainable, working with our clients to create sustainability strategies that will have a deep positive environmental and social impact while adding tangible business value is at the very core of what we do.

So when we started talking to the team at Central England Co-operative, one of the UK’s largest independent co-operative societies, about their hopes for a new ethical business plan, we knew it was a great fit. They wanted an approach that would enhance their values, create deep positive impact and support the business’ commercial goals.

We began with a detailed analysis of various internal and external factors which helped to draw out CEC’s strengths and weaknesses, major sector and national trends, and local social issues. During the next stage we gathered crucial insights from employees, customers, partners and local communities through surveys, workshops and leadership interviews.

The resulting plan identified CEC’s priority sustainability issues, based around three areas with the greatest potential to achieve positive impact, complete with objectives, targets and recommendations on the course of action to achieve them.

The story

Materiality is the process which supports a business to determine the relative importance of Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) issues. It is an evidence-based approach that enables a business to focus time and resource on what really matters, rather than everything all at once. The principle is a vital one in corporate sustainability because it recognises that efforts are more successful when they focus on tackling a smaller number of priority (or material) issues really well, rather than diluting attention and resources by trying to focus on too many things.

Working closely high-profile property developer Berkeley Group at every stage, we supported the company to engage with a diverse range of stakeholders to compete their materiality assessment.

Being careful to match the company’s culture and ethos, we crafted and managed an internal and external survey reaching 1,200 people and conducted a series of in-depth external interviews with key stakeholders and opinion leaders, capturing extensive data and valuable insights.

Using our special methodology, developed to best practice standards, we analysed the results and mapped them against significant risks and opportunities. Our findings of the priority issues were accompanied by a series of strategic recommendations, and enabled Berkeley Group to achieve their ambition of a business vision built around solid, well-reasoned commitments.

The story

Campus Living Villages is a leading provider of student accommodation across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders, in a sector under scrutiny, the business was looking for a logical structure for its responsible business efforts going forward.

The crucial first step was to engage the leadership through a series of interviews with the UK Board and other senior figures. The longlist of issues revealed, we then examined the significance of each through in-depth, expert analysis of the risks, impacts and opportunities.

Our final report and presentation to the Board pinpointed seven priority issues and offered strategic practical recommendations related to each, spanning strategy, governance, operational integration, and communications.

This offered the company a much better understanding of where to focus its attention, and a clear structure going forward.