BT is a climate change leader

BT has emerged as a leader in managing climate change-related risks and opportunities - ranked among the UK’s top four companies.  

A report by Insight Investment, the asset management arm of Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS), sees BT join BSkyB, Marks & Spencer, and National Grid in scoring more than 80 per cent in a benchmark study.

The report - Taking the Temperature: Assessing the Performance of Large UK and European Companies in Responding to Climate Change - found that while the 39 companies scoring between 60 per cent and 80 per cent had many elements of best practice, the four leaders stood out because of the way they have integrated climate change into their core business activities.

It also took into account their track record of performance, their commitment to significantly reducing their own greenhouse gas emissions - and their efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their suppliers and customers.

Dr Rory Sullivan, head of investor responsibility at Insight Investment, said: “More specifically, each company has a clear structure, appropriate to its other management systems and structures, for managing climate change and related issues.”

He said they also have a clear policy on climate change that includes commitments to significant reductions in total greenhouse gas emissions across the range of its activities and its wider footprint - and strong support for government action directed at meeting the commitments in the Kyoto Protocol and towards 60 per cent or 80 per cent emissions reductions by 2050.

Additionally, they have conducted a comprehensive assessment of the risks and opportunities presented by climate change - including those from regulation and the physical effects of climate change, he added.

And each company has made a clear statement of its views on the financial significance of these risks and opportunities -, and of the actions it intends to take to mitigate risks or maximise opportunities.

The report looked at benchmark standards in governance, policy, risk assessment, inventory, targets, implementation, leadership and performance.

BT Group head of climate change Donna Young said: “This is a very good result for BT and recognises the long term commitment that we have shown in this area.

“BT has been measuring and reducing its footprint since 1992 - far longer than the other organisations in the survey.

“Our future commitment is even more challenging and takes us beyond 2016. This is part of our DNA - and one I am proud to be associated with.”