Environmental, Social and Governance
Taking account of our actions for the betterment of people and planet
Environmental, Social and Governance
We care about delivering the highest quality service to our clients whilst protecting and improving the environment and wider society. Since the company was founded in 2000, starting with one man, one dog and one van, a family-centred approach has underpinned the way that we do business. Showing kindness and loyalty towards our people and those we work with, from our network of suppliers to our valued clients, has been a fundamental tenet of our business and will continue to be so.
To guide our approach to operating more responsibly, we have implemented a five-year Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy (2024–2029). Importantly, the strategy outlines our objectives, targets and supporting KPIs across three core pillars: People, Partners and Planet.
Putting Our People First
We have been accredited as a Recognised Service Provider of the Living Wage Foundation since 2017. This means that we pay all our directly employed and contracted staff, who are not tied to client contracts, the real Living Wage. We also offer the real Living Wage in every bid that we make to a prospective client.
Moving Towards Net Zero
As our fleet accounts for a large part of our carbon footprint, we have prioritised replacing petrol- and diesel-fuelled vehicles with low-carbon models. While we work hard to decarbonise our operations, we have offset our scope 1 and 2 emissions since 2021. We will reduce our impact in any way that we can to achieve net zero by 2050.
Giving Back to the Community
By supporting local charities and groups in different ways, from fundraising to volunteering to mentoring, we are making a positive difference in the communities in which we work. In addressing the needs of our communities, such as by providing jobs for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, we are helping to create a happier, healthier and more fulfilled society.
Improving Community Safety
We collaborate with TINYg, the police and various other law enforcement agencies to raise awareness of safety in the community. In addition, we partner with these organisations to highlight the important role that businesses can play in tackling significant security issues, such as violence against women and girls.
How do we integrate ESG across the business?
We have established an ESG governance framework to ensure that we appropriately address ESG issues across the company. This will help us to conduct business in a way that positively contributes to the environment and the communities we operate in.
From our Executive Board through to our frontline security officers, we have defined clear roles and responsibilities at each level of the company with respect to the management of ESG-related matters. A pivotal part of the ESG governance framework is our ESG Committee. Chaired by our ESG Manager, the ESG Committee is responsible for overseeing and monitoring Ward’s performance with respect to its environmental and social commitments. By reviewing progress made against established objectives and targets, the ESG Committee ensures that Ward’s ESG strategy remains fit for purpose, aligns with global best practice, and supports the delivery of the company’s overarching business strategy.
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Our People Pillar
Our People pillar focuses on our efforts to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees. We recognise the vital role our people play, from our service support personnel to security guards acting on the frontline, in enabling Ward to effectively meet the needs of its clients. We are therefore committed to fostering a healthy and safe workplace, where each individual feels able to achieve their full potential at work. Moreover, it is critical to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background or identity, feels welcomed and cared for at work; this is why diversity, equality and inclusion are core principles that we abide by.
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Our Partners Pillar
The Partners pillar of our ESG strategy centres on how we establish partnerships built on mutual respect with our key stakeholders to achieve our ESG goals, but to also support them in meeting their ESG commitments. We believe that only by working together can we solve the world’s most pressing issues, from climate change and biodiversity loss to rising inequality and famine, in order to create a more sustainable future. The Partners pillar also accounts for how we engage with charities and other causes within our local communities to create social value; from beach cleans to sponsoring counter terrorism awareness events, we regularly volunteer our time and donate funds to help tackle environmental and social issues. Some of the charities we support include:
- Dandelion Time
- Forever Manchester
- WaterAid
- Living River Foundation
- Macmillan Cancer Support
- Mind, Body & Sole
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Our Planet Pillar
And last but not least, our Planet pillar details how we measure, assess and manage our impact on the environment; ultimately, we do this so that we can minimise the harm we inflict, and thus, allow nature to regenerate and thrive. As a key part of our response to tackling climate change, we made a company-wide commitment in 2023 to achieve net zero by 2050, ensuring we align with the Paris Agreement and climate science. To guide our decarbonisation efforts, we have developed a net zero pathway that outlines five key steps we will take to achieve our net zero goal. By prioritising the most carbon intensive areas of our business, such as our fleet and the use of the security solutions we sell to clients, we will ensure that the emission reductions we make have the greatest impact. We are also committed to using resources more responsibly and reducing the amount of waste we produce; by procuring low-carbon products, as well as reusing and recycling goods wherever possible, we will play our part in supporting the global transition to a circular economy.
Our ESG publications
As part of our ongoing commitment to operating in a more responsible way, we have developed and published our inaugural ESG Report. Covering the 2023 calendar year, the report details the main initiatives we carried out across the three pillars of our ESG strategy, key achievements, and plans to improve our performance. By annually disclosing the progress made against our ESG commitments, we will better hold ourselves to account and ensure greater transparency regarding the action we take to be a more sustainable business.
Click here to read our ESG Report 2023.
Our accreditations
