eGDCEquality and Sustainability
Commitment to Equality
Best practice requires us to report on our work with regards to the public sector equality duty (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). We consider the needs of different groups or individuals when carrying out our day-to-day work. This includes having due regard for the need to:
- Eliminate discrimination, harassment, or victimisation.
- Advance equality of opportunity; between people who share a protected characteristic and those who don’t.
- Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who don’t.
Sustainability
We seek to minimise our environmental impact in several practical ways. For example, our London office incorporates a sustainable design, energy efficiency and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) reduction. It is on year two of a two-year electricity contract on a green tariff. Our recycling rate in London is 46%, with 36.94 tonnes of CO2 being offset.
In our Birmingham office, we have worked with the landlord to recycle as many waste streams as possible. The office lighting has motion sensors and is reduced after a period of inactivity, and there are recycling points in all the kitchens. We have supported the upgrade of the landlord’s building management system which should be more energy efficient.
All staff are encouraged to use public transport and have access to the Cycle to Work scheme where the GDC provides a bicycle purchase as part of a salary sacrifice employee benefit, which is exempt from National Insurance. Both offices have secure cycle storage facilities.
Print usage is actively managed and monitored. Staff are encouraged to use scanning and electronic filing. GDC Committees use electronic documents and iPads instead of paper. Reports showing the number of pages printed are periodically sent to all staff as part of a drive to reduce waste. All confidential waste and mixed waste is recycled.
We consider sustainability issues within our procurement and investment practices.
Our investment advisors, who manage our financial asset portfolio, utilise Principles for Responsible Investment concepts, supported by the United Nations, in any investment decision.
Carbon footprint
Information of our carbon footprint has been calculated for our energy usage and business travel, using the relevant requirements of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate standard and details both absolute and normalised (relative) emissions. Comparative information for 2020 is not available as this is our first year of reporting.
Breakdown of annual greenhouse gas emissions by activity type for 2021
| Emission type | Activity | Units | (tCO2e) | % of Total |
Indirect energy (Scope 2) | Emissions from the purchase of electricity, including heat, steam and cooling (KWh). | 414,434 | 96.62 | 86.2% |
Other indirect emissions (Scope 3) | Emissions associated with grid losses, in getting electricity from power plant to organisation (KWh). | 414,434 | 8.31 | 7.4% |
| Business travel (miles). | 18,124 | 6.66 | 6.0% | |
| Emissions associated with the upstream process of extracting, refining and transporting (known as Well-to-tank emissions). | 18,124 | 0.45 | 0.4% | |
| Total emissions (tCO2e) | 112.04 | 100% |
*Scope 1 emissions arise from organisation-owned and operated vehicles, plant and machinery