Our commitment to sustainability

For many businesses, outlining their environmental commitments as part of an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) strategy is a key way for them to indicate how they plan to operate in a socially responsible way.

With the UK’s built environment being responsible for 25% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, facilities management can play a vital role in the drive for a more sustainable future, and ESG strategies within the FM sector can have far-reaching benefits.

At Precision FM, environmental sustainability is an integral part of our business model, and our ambition is that, through our ESG strategy, we can also positively impact our clients’ businesses.

Underpinning our ESG strategy is regular monitoring and measurement, as this not only allows us to make continuous improvements but also forms part of our environmental management requirements as part of ISO 14001.

We’re committed to positively impacting our communities through initiatives including carbon reduction, less waste, water management, and the use of sustainable resources.

Reducing waste and recycling

Of the 26m tonnes of waste produced in the UK, 12m tonnes are recycled, and 14m tonnes are sent to landfill sites. The more waste that needs to be removed, the greater the pollution caused by getting it to landfill sites.

We are committed to cutting our business waste in half over the next five years, a target that will be accomplished through increased recycling and investing in durable equipment and vehicles.

We take pride in leading by example and look at ways we can increase recycling initiatives and reduce waste at our customer sites.  Framed within a service-level agreement with specific KPIs (per site or company-wide), we gain a thorough understanding of our customers’ requirements. By ensuring we understand how the client operates and what is required to operate, we can then identify the priorities and suggest operational efficiencies.

Comprehensive water management

We aim to improve water conservation across our FM portfolio, including through process upgrades and using recycled water where appropriate.

When it comes to cleaning, we use a ‘Deep Visual Hygiene’ approach that aims to improve quality, while reducing costs. Through continued analysis of our services in situ, we can identify areas of ongoing wastage and amend our processes to ensure that we are working as efficiently as possible.

Precision FM’s teams have installed low-flow toilets, taps and showerheads to reduce water usage in buildings. We are also implementing water-efficient landscaping practices such as drought-tolerant plants, drip irrigation systems, and mulch to reduce evaporation.

We are investigating greywater recycling so that water already used in places like bathrooms can be reused for irrigation and other non-potable purposes. We also conduct regular water audits to identify areas where water is wasted and implement conservation measures such as rainwater harvesting.

We also use common sense with water too, including making sure pipes are regularly maintained and leaks are fixed fast.

Electric fleets

One of our priorities is to maximise the time we spend on-site with our customers, reducing our travel costs and the environmental impact of our vehicle fleet.

To help achieve that, we will invest heavily in an electric fleet of vehicles, which not only reduce air pollution but have a much lower running cost than traditional petrol and diesel alternatives. We’re aiming to have an all-electric vehicle fleet by 2030, and already try to use hybrid vehicles wherever possible.

Charging points are springing up across the country, and as this positive change continues, we’ll increase our number of electric vehicles and, in so doing, significantly reduce our carbon footprint.

The power to save

As facilities management experts, we know that we must make systems and buildings environmentally sustainable and low impact. We can make informed environmental decisions, such as safely reducing the hours the lights are on in buildings, through the effective use of monitoring technology.

Responsive lighting lowers clients’ carbon footprint by adjusting lighting levels based on the amount of natural light present in a specific space. Additionally, we are interested in compartmentalised lighting where one open-plan office is lit only where people are present. LED combined with responsive lighting brings impressive energy savings, lower overhead costs and—most importantly—helps our planet.

When possible, we use remote maintenance and troubleshooting technology to identify issues without having to visit the location in person. Thanks to remote access, we might not need to travel to a site to adjust the settings on a boiler or lighting system. The more tasks that can be completed remotely, such as software updates and door access authorisation, the less we travel and the lower our carbon footprint.

Our ESG commitments extend throughout our supply chain, too. When choosing suppliers and contractors, we select those with a positive environmental agenda, vetting them against our own high standards.

A greener world

Brij Thankey, CEO at Precision FM, says: “Intensive efforts in setting our sustainability standards have demonstrated that green business need not mean sacrificing profitability. On the contrary, more efficient tools and more effective practices also translate to greater corporate prosperity. Sustainability is a win-win for business and the planet.

“Transitions to new working practices are challenging for businesses everywhere. But we embrace this change with enthusiasm since we know a greener world will be a healthier, cleaner place to live and work.”

 If you need bespoke facilities management services with sound environmental credentials, contact us for a plan that meets your requirements.