To this end, LSL makes every reasonable effort to provide safe and healthy working conditions in all offices and branches. Similarly, it is the duty of all
employees to exercise responsibility and to do everything to prevent injury to themselves and to others.
Separate Health and Safety policies exist which employees are required to observe and Steve Cooke, the Group Finance Director has overall
responsibility for these. Compliance with legislation and Group policies is audited by the Group’s Internal Audit team with regular reporting to the
Board, and includes indicators such as accident numbers.
6. Environmental issues
LSL recognises that the environment has an intrinsic value, is central to quality of life and underpins economic development.
As part of this understanding, LSL has assessed the main areas in which it is able to effect the largest reductions in the Group’s overall environmental
impact. Since 2010, LSL’s ‘green’ priorities have therefore been to:
Governance
Directors’ Report and Business Review
• Improve energy efficiency and reduce energy usage
• Reduce waste and increase recycling
• Reduce transport generated CO2 emissions
Since the adoption of these ‘green’ priorities, LSL has sought to keep stakeholders informed on how LSL manages its environmental impacts and how
it is performing. Stakeholders may also provide LSL with views and opinions which can strengthen LSL’s approach to environmental management.
Within this framework, LSL companies assess and manage the environmental impact of their operations to ensure that LSL is an active participant in
the sustainable society and the LSL Board receives regular reports to enable it to monitor progress.
Environmental initiatives focused on in 2011 and continued in 2012 included:
• Recycling
• Power saving
• Avoid printing
• Remote meetings
The Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Directors’ Reports) Regulations 2013:
During 2012, in anticipation of the introduction of mandatory emissions reporting legislation that will apply to LSL from 2013, LSL commissioned
independent organisation, Carbon Credentials, to evaluate the Group’s preparedness via an objective assessment of emissions reporting capabilities,
including thorough investigation of the Group’s previous Carbon Disclosure Project responses.
With effect from the 2013 Annual Report and Accounts, LSL will report on appropriate targets and KPIs to be identified in consultation with Carbon
Credentials and agreed in accordance with LSL’s obligations under the new regulations.
A number of recommendations have been put forward that are currently being considered for implementation as part of LSL’s preparation for the
incoming emissions reporting legislation. This includes plans to adopt DEFRA’s ‘Guidance on how to measure and report greenhouse emissions’,
which is a widely approved standard requiring organisations to categorise emissions according to three separate scopes as defined by the WRI/
WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol. This allows for the identification of significant activities within the organisation that are responsible for the release
of emissions so that appropriate action can be taken.
Recycling Initiatives:
During 2012 and going forward into 2013, LSL continues to promote environmental awareness within the Group and continues to encourage the
use of environmentally sensitive confidential disposal arrangements for the destruction of office waste, including paper and toners. e.surv Chartered
Surveyors participated in the ‘Shred-Pro’ shredding and recycling programme and saved 63.9 trees in doing so.
Across the Group, recycling schemes are in place with Iron Mountain, which delivered the following benefits in 2012:
• 96 (2011: 110) cubic metre landfill reduction
• 798 (2011: 912) trees saved
• 42,476 (2011: 48,673) kilos of recycled paper produced
In 2011 LSL launched a waste management programme within parts of the Residential Sales and Lettings branches through the service provided
by Green Star (part of the Biffa Group). During 2012, e.surv Chartered Surveyors also joined the scheme and there are plans to roll out this
environmentally friendly waste management programme to other parts of LSL.
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