We recognise that ESG initiatives are only ever truly effective when they are embedded into an organisation’s strategic outlook.
Our ESG framework helps us be more effective in driving ESG engagement across the organisation. This reflects a commitment to powering public good through developing and delivering public services that advances the lives of citizens and the communities we service.
ESG is a complex area and whilst the ESG Framework encapsulates all that we do, to bring this to life we have pulled out five themes that really emphasis our focus and where we believe there is differentiation. These Five Themes encapsulate how we approach ESG and are designed to resonate with key stakeholders: colleagues, customers, investors, and communities and encapsulates one or more elements of the framework.
The positive human outcomes that are generated by the unique way in which Serco delivers services – this might be reducing costs and improving outcomes to help maintain national security; safeguarding society and supporting vulnerable people in their journey through justice or immigration; providing safe, sustainable and smart transport solutions; improving patient outcomes through safe, caring and efficient healthcare support services; and through our citizen services contracts we build greater wellbeing, resilience and sustainability in society.
Serco is a global company at the heart of the communities we serve. Each of these communities has a unique character, history, and culture. Serco benefits these communities through investment in local jobs and local businesses, and through fundraising and volunteering efforts. Serco has a proud history of fundraising and donations to help challenge the most pressing causes in these communities. In many communities, especially those in isolated locations, Serco is the economic lifeblood through partnerships with local businesses and the provision of good jobs.
Serco is only as good as its people. Contented colleagues, with agency to speak up and have their voices heard, will ultimately deliver more positive impact for the benefit of our customers and citizens. Our people are critical, and we are committed to ensuring our operations are safe and that people get home safely. We need to ensure our colleagues our healthy and we look out for their wellbeing. We seek a diverse workforce as a diversity of voices and backgrounds sparks a creativity that leads to healthier colleagues and ultimately better public services.
As a leading provider of public services, Serco plays - and will continue to play - a key role in partnering with governments to help them achieve net zero. But we are much more than a partner to governments in the journey to net zero. We partner with our supply chain to ensure that high environmental standards are a prerequisite for any partnership, and then work with supply chain partners to help them achieve their environmental goals. We strive to ensure our operations prevent pollution, protect, value and enhance biodiversity and the natural world which sustains us and we are committed to driving sustainable procurement improvements and the implementation of operational efficiencies to minimise resource use, avoid waste and help the transition to a circular economy.
Responsible governance is the strong foundation which allows Serco to deliver our approach to ESG. It is about identifying the most salient risks, whether those relate to human rights, environment and economic risk, cyber and information security risk, contract risk such as misreporting or fraud, or whether we are paying our people correctly and addressing these through robust assurance, polices, procedures and business models. We operate within a comprehensive corporate governance framework and approach, with clearly defined responsibilities and accountabilities and maintain internal control systems supported by internal compliance and assurance controls and risk management processes.
These themes articulate Serco's unique approach to ESG and by which we want to be known. They support how we embed our ESG framework in the activities colleagues deliver every day and leverage the impact they have in those areas of ESG that are important to us.
With a robust framework covering all aspects of ESG, supported by key themes to inspire and focus on priority areas for frontline colleagues, we have the basis for effective management and delivery of our ESG commitments. This is supported with clear sponsorship across Serco’s executive committees of the updated ESG framework and subject matter expertise, which will continue to provide robust oversight over our global operations.
