Protection

Download our impact report 2023 (17MB)

We strive to deliver services and initiatives which address environmental emergencies such as air pollution, water pollution, biodiversity and habitat loss.

How we have performed

Fleet vehicle emissions

We continue to seek to lower emission from our fleet vehicles. This has included:

increased review and reporting of opportunities across our fleets through better collaboration with our fleet partners;
increasing the availability of lower emissions company cars;
upgrading light commercial vehicles with electric alternatives where possible;
sourcing a supplier of Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel in the UK and influencing customers to use this fuel in diesel vehicles;
tracking manufacturer warranties on the use of low carbon fuels such as HVO; and
the inclusion of a decarbonisation pathway in a Serco Asia Pacific fleet provider tender.

Air pollution footprint network

We have joined the Air Pollution Footprint Network to gain more insights on our impacts via a free reporting toolkit that allows all organisations to estimate their air pollution emissions.

Serco Americas has joined forces with a global leader in sustainable cargo transportation and storage solutions to address significant safety issues with shipping lithium-ion batteries on ships and aircraft. Lithium-ion battery fires are an increasing risk with growing and accelerating global demand for clean energy sources. Serco will provide technical input and expertise in battery safety, assessments and testing, component design and facilities. Find out more

Environmental organisations

We continue to grow and establish new partnerships with environmental organisations to support ecosystem restoration and increase biodiversity. This has included:

On Earth Day 2023, Serco Middle East launched 'Serco Forest', a partnership with the Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG), responsible for planting mangroves in the Jebel Ali Marine Reserve, UAE. Through the scheme, Serco funded the planting of 1,000 mangrove trees. Individual trees can then be 'gifted' to colleagues and other valued stakeholders; recipients can track and 'visit' their trees online. To date, c.500 trees have been gifted and Serco has funded the planting of additional trees, raising the current total to nearly 1,200. In November 2023, colleague winners of a Divisional 'Hero to Net Zero' competition visited the site, participating in planting and clean-up activities. Find out more
Serco UK & Europe have supported the Canals and Rivers Trust and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust on habitat restoration and protection.
We have had ongoing engagement with stakeholders on wider investment opportunities in nature-based solutions (such as the UK Peatland Code team) taking into account scrutiny on the quality of voluntary carbon offsets, new standards and greenwashing claims.

Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD)

We are preparing for future Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD) reporting requirements. Following the launch of the final recommendations in September 2023, we have joined the TNFD forum to demonstrate our alignment to the principles and gain learning and networking opportunities.

Environmental protection

We continue to deliver a range of services which directly support environmental protection and provide a real and tangible understanding and interpretation of the planet-focused high level UN SDGs in action.

In Europe, our Copernicus Marine System Dissemination Unit Contract supports the European Union (EU) on marine environmental monitoring and in its efforts to protect the marine environment, natural resources, and fight climate change. The EU also utilises the data when developing frameworks for sustainable use of marine waters.

In 2023, Serco was awarded a new contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to lead the implementation of a key element of the European Commission’s flagship initiative, Destination Earth (DestinE): the DestinE Core Service Platform. The DestinE initiative aims to create a digital model of the Earth that will be used to monitor the effects of natural and human activity on our planet, anticipate extreme events and adapt policies to climate-related challenges. Along with its partners, Serco will setup and operate a digital platform enabling the development and exploitation of applications and services leveraging DestinE data.

In Europe, we also support the EU Green Deal through the PROBONO Contract. Our primary role is to deliver the methodology for Green Sustainable Neighbourhoods.
In the Middle East, through our Advisory with Purpose division, we were awarded a contract to act as managing agent for the full suite of sustainable mobility services across Saudi Arabia’s visionary new tourism destination, The Red Sea. We have also supported the Royal Commission for Al 'Ula (RCU) with a Dark Skies initiative, developing plans to eliminate light pollution and reduce associated biodiversity impacts.
In Asia Pacific and UK, we deliver maritime services which support pollution response.

Through our contracts to support naval customers around the world, we have significant presence at their coastal facilities. On land and at sea, our marine colleagues live our commitments to people, place and planet – so, when our customers call for help to prevent environmental incidents, they are ready to protect home waters from harm. In the last year, our Defence Marine Support Services colleagues at Jervis Bay, a protected marine park in Australia, helped contain any adverse environmental impact of an emergency helicopter landing within the park's tidal zone, while Maritime Engineering, Technology & Sustainment colleagues at Panama City, US, saved a sinking third-party craft from leaking oil into surrounding waters. Find out more

Serco Goes Green 'Ambassador' network

We continue to mature our Serco Goes Green 'Green Ambassador' network, which supports behavioural and cultural change. Environmental protection examples include:

Creation of wildlife gardens, bug hotels and ponds at hospitals in the UK.
Promoting pollinator gardens and native species planting as well as supporting mussel planting through scuba diving with a river charity in North America.

Across the United States, our Environmental & Life Sciences business works closely with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ensuring they have the critical intelligence they need – robust, reliable data, fresh from affected sites and environmental monitoring programmes – to protect human health and the environment. Operating within EPA laboratories, our experienced Environmental Chemists, Field Scientists and Air Audit Specialists specialise in the analysis of environmental samples and comprehensive data validation. In 2023, they enabled the EPA to respond to more than 250 emergency and hazardous waste sites while also supporting their efforts to hold responsible parties legally accountable for violations. Find out more

EarthCARE project

Equipped with four instruments, ESA's Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) satellite mission has been designed to make a range of different measurements that together will shed new light on the role that clouds and aerosols play in regulating Earth’s climate. Serco are proud to have been chosen for this project. Read about our contribution here.

What next

We will continue to engage customers on alternative fuel and EV transition opportunities to reduce air pollution and carbon, taking into account emerging government strategy and policy.
Contribute to forthcoming UK Government consultation on UK green taxonomy which categorises economic activity which is deemed to be sustainable.
Work with the new TNFD framework to assess our risks and opportunities that result from our impacts and dependencies on nature, also supporting future reporting requirements to meet European Sustainability Reporting Standards.
Grow partnerships with environmental organisations to support nature recovery.