XPS Pensions Group becomes carbon neutral across entire value chain
· Pledge sees purchase of high-quality carbon offsets to cover Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions
· Move supported by broader effort to reduce emissions and limit business's environmental impact
XPS Pensions Group has become net carbon neutral by offsetting carbon emissions across its entire value chain, as part of its journey to limit the business's environmental impact whilst helping clients and stakeholders also move towards a more sustainable future.
The Group's Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions will be offset by the purchase of high-quality, UN-approved renewable energy* with immediate effect. The move marks a significant step in XPS Pensions Group's drive to become a more sustainable business, which will see it undertake continued efforts to significantly reduce emissions in the coming years.
XPS is also using its advisory position, with assets under advice totalling £140 billion, to encourage clients to reduce the environmental impact of their own activities and investments. As signatories of the UN Principles of Responsible Investment and the FRC's UK Stewardship Code, the Group actively influences and partakes in industry-wide initiatives to help tackle climate change.
Paul Cuff, Co-CEO of XPS Pensions Group, said: "Becoming a carbon neutral business is a major step forward in XPS's sustainability journey and we have invested in highly reputable carbon credits to help achieve this. We do, however, recognise this can only be part of the solution in solving the climate crisis, which is why we're committed to undertaking multiple initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint directly. We are also using our wider influence to create positive change by encouraging capital flows to move in the direction of a more sustainable future."
ENDS
For more information please contact:
For more information please contact:
XPS Pensions Group Plc
Snehal Shah
CFO
+44 (0)20 3978 8626
Camarco
Gordon Poole
Nick Hennis
+44 (0)20 3757 4997
Notes to Editors
*XPS Pensions Group's carbon neutral status has been achieved through the purchase of high-quality, UN-approved carbon offsets. As the UK carbon offsetting market is still relatively immature, we have chosen to invest in a Hydroelectric plant in Chile. Hydro projects generate electricity from flowing water and reduce the need to burn fossil fuels to generate power. The benefits of this offsetting project include the preservation of natural resources, promotion of renewable energy generation, a reduction in dependency on non-renewable resources and helping to spread green technology worldwide.
The offsets cover XPS Pensions Group's Scope 1 (operational emissions), Scope 2 (energy consumption emissions) and Scope 3 (supplier and indirect emissions), as based on the international accounting tool, the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol. These have been calculated and verified by Blackmores (UK) Ltd a leading quality, risk and environmental consultancy and specialists in Sustainability Standards.
About XPS Pensions Group
XPS Pensions Group (XPS) is the largest pure pensions consultancy in the UK, specialising in actuarial, covenant, investment consulting and administration. XPS combines expertise, insight and technology to address the needs of over 1,500 pension schemes and their sponsoring employers on an ongoing and project basis. We undertake pensions administration for over 948,000 members and provides advisory services to schemes of all sizes including 47 with over £1bn of assets. We also provide pension advisory and administration services to over 200 defined contribution schemes, with over one million members and combined assets in excess of £15bn.
XPS Pensions Group was awarded Actuarial/Pensions Consultancy of the Year and Investment Consultancy of the Year at the 2021 Professional Pensions Awards and highly commended for Third Party Administrator of the Year and Education /Thought Leadership Initiative of the Year. In 2020, XPS was awarded Third Party Administrator of the Year at the UK Pension Awards for the second year running and has also been ranked the No.1 Third Party Administrator in the Professional Pensions Administration Survey in four of the past six years. Also in 2020, XPS Pensions Group was awarded the FT's PIPA Technology Services of the Year Award and in 2019 awarded Actuarial/Pensions Consultancy of the Year at the UK Pensions Awards.
XPS Pensions Group has also been ranked Gold in the Employee Engagement category and Silver in the Employee-Centric Company category at the 2020 UK Employee Experience Awards. XPS Pensions Group also won two awards at the 2020 Business Culture Awards winning Best Business Culture Transformation Initiative and the overall Gold Award winner for Business Culture.
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