Digital for Good. Building a sustainable future.
Updated October 2024
Introduction
In 2021 we publicly launched our first Sustainability Strategy. It fundamentally changed the way we run our business and gave us a clear focus on reducing our carbon emissions and our commitments to our own employees and the wider community. Since then, we’ve been working hard to refine our data management, targets and commitments.
As we navigate through an era marked by unprecedented global challenges, it’s imperative for us to align our business practices with principles that not only encourage sustainable growth, but also contribute meaningfully to the well-being of our employees, our communities and the environment. The role technology plays in improving the lives of Islanders is fundamental and we must embrace it, to move forward together.
At JT, we recognise that our responsibilities extend far beyond delivering cutting-edge connectivity and telecommunications solutions. Our commitment to people encompasses a diverse and inclusive workplace, prioritising employee well-being, and actively engaging and improving the lives of the communities we serve. By investing in our workforce and community, we are supporting digital advancements that promote social equity and bridge digital divide.
Our dedication to the planet underlines our view that there is an urgent need to address climate change and environmental degradation. Through innovative technologies, energy-efficient practices, and sustainable resource management, we strive to minimise our ecological footprint and contribute to a healthier, more resilient planet for future generations.
Our JT strategy is built around three key strategic priorities, one of which is ‘Building a Sustainable Future. Each priority has a number of strategic objectives, all aligned to our Balanced Scorecard. It contains annual targets and measures, ensuring that we maintain focus on our strategic goals.
Our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments now sit at the very heart of our overall 5-year business strategy, as we strive to Build a Sustainable Future for all. This report will provide some further detail around People and Planet pillars and the underpinning importance of effective governance and reporting.
By integrating ESG considerations into our business model, we not only mitigate risks but also uncover new opportunities for growth and innovation. As we optimise our operations, enhance our efficiency, and foster longterm relationships with stakeholders, we are confident that our commitment to sustainable practices will drive value creation for our customers and bolster the use of technology to improve sustainable practices across all industries.
Importantly, our strategy aims to support our local market and customers; it also sets a precedent for the wider technology agenda by demonstrating that ESG practices can enhance financial performance, strengthen brand reputation, and create shared value for all stakeholders. We want to play a key part in industry-wide change and, in doing so, drive collective action towards a more sustainable future.
Our strategy represents forward steps towards a more inclusive, resilient, and prosperous future. We still have a way to go but by truly embracing the principles of people, planet, and robust governance, we are making significant progress as we lay the foundation for long-term success and impact.
Daragh McDermott Chief Executive Officer, JT
Sustainable Planet
Sustainable Planet recognises the critical importance of preserving our planet for future generations.
The rapid growth of the technology industry presents significant challenges in reducing emissions, despite increasing efforts towards sustainability. As global demand for data, connectivity, and digital services surge, so does the need for expansive infrastructure — new networks, data centres and energy-intensive technologies. While companies globally are innovating to improve energy efficiency and adopt renewable
Our first key step is to proactively understand, monitor and address our environmental impact across all our operations and supply chain.
Through better data monitoring, we are constantly finding ways to reduce, improve or remove our carbon footprint.
energy, the increasing demand for services, makes significant reductions harder to achieve.
As part of our commitment to sustainability, we have set several goals, with the aim of balancing the need to meet rising consumer and business demand with the fundamental need to reduce our emissions across scope, 1, 2 and 3. To do so requires a transformative shift in technology, operational processes, and collaboration across the value chain.
We’ve already made some investments in renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies, such as new air-conditioning units in our buildings, and will continue to seek new ways to challenge ourselves and our supply chain for continuous future reductions.
The chart to the left provides examples of the breakdown of measurable emissions by scope type.
The table below shows our key areas of focus as well as some specific actions and achievements.
Objective
Reduce scope
1 & 2 GHG emissions to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
Replace our older airconditioning plant by 2030, with the aim to reduce our refrigerant gas losses by 75% against our 2020 results.
Convert all dieselpowered generators to sustainable bio-fuel by 2030.
Improve Energy efficiencies across networks and platforms.
In 2023 we replaced 12 of our legacy air-conditioning units. By doing so we showed a significant reduction in emissions from refrigerant gas leakage –a 31% reduction since 2020.
2024 will see a further 20 older air-conditioning units replaced with new modern technology, further reducing risk of future refrigerant gas losses.
Reduce scope 3 GHG emissions
Review and reduce our property portfolio, improving energy efficiency across all remaining sites.
Reduce our fleet size by 30% by 2030, ensuring all remaining vehicles will be sustainable modes of transport.
Encourage sustainable commuting for JT employees.
Reduce business travel by 20% between 2020 and 2026.
We have increased the use of bio-fuel in some of our generators providing a 38% reduction in emissions from 2022.
We’ve invested in 2 pilot solar-powered sites. A mobile site in Sark and an equipment exchange in Jersey. In Jersey, the solar roof at our West Exchange, generated 36Mwh of energy in 2023.
We have also replaced several UPS systems and air-conditioning units which are more efficient and reduce energy consumption.
Since 2022, we have exited 3 JT sites and some legacy IT rooms.
We are committed to ensuring all remaining generators run off biofuel. For those that cannot be converted, we will look to replace them by 2030.
Working with our network partners, we are assessing a number of new energy saving platforms and tools across managed services, RAN and our Cloud strategy.
Collecting supplier sustainability data.
Focus on our Supply chain management and capturing the ESG data of our partners.
To-date, we have reduced our fleet size by 17%, 39% of which are now electric vehicles and 44% are run on bio-fuel.
We have launched a number of sustainable travel initiatives including bicycle and bus pass subsidies.
We’ve invested in high-tech video conferencing facilities for all our offices and tech hubs, reducing the need for unnecessary travel. We have a strict ‘essential travel’ policy and approval process in place to reduce any unnecessary flights.
Our membership of global platforms; The Carbon Disclosure Programme (CDP) and Ecovadis enables us to share our performance with stakeholders and monitor the performance of our suppliers. This provides us with a deeper understanding of the ecological and societal impact areas to focus on.
We have started to work with all our suppliers to identify their carbon footprint data and reduction plans.
We have other sites under review, some of which we will be looking to repurpose or end leases to improve efficiencies.
We will continue to mimimise vehicle use, investing in tools that help to fix faults remotely, reducing the need for engineers to travel.
We will continue to invest in the scheme, promoting the benefits to all employees across the Channel Islands.
We will continue to invest in the latest virtual collaboration tools to keep our travel policy to essential travel only. We are also investing in a new travel booking system, with clear emission information that will allow us to accurately offset the carbon from essential flights undertaken.
We continue to focus on obtaining data across our full supply chain, as we show continuous improvement across our detailed data gathering, assessment and sustainability reporting.
Our 2024 focus is on identifying sustainable practices with our suppliers, whilst also reducing our overall supplier base, to encourage the emission benefits of economies of scale purchasing.
Our Carbon Footprint
The chart below shows our combined Scope 1 + 2 verified footprint since 2020. We are committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050.
The below chart shows our 2023 Scope 1, 2 and 3 by category. The Scope 3 data will act as baseline for all future reporting. Scope 1+2 Emissions
Reducing our Air-Conditioning Refrigerant Impact
A key focus for JT is to reduce air-conditioning refrigerant impact by 75% by 2030. In 2023, we installed 12 new units to replace some of our older equipment, which reduced our emissions by 31% since 2020. With more equipment changeouts planned for this year and beyond, we are on track to reach our target.
Sustainable People
Our people and the communities we serve are at the very heart of everything we do at JT.
Inside JT, we believe in cultivating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed. By embracing diversity in all its forms and fostering a culture of belonging, we not only drive digital innovation and creativity but also strengthen our sustainable resilience as an organisation.
Actions Progress to date
Create a diverse and inclusive culture, where employees feel a sense of belonging.
With the aim of being in the Top 5% of Technology companies globally for our Diversity measure.
Provide working environments inclusive to all.
We have served the people of Jersey for over 135 years and even though we have grown internationally, our home is in the Channel Islands. We take a huge amount of pride in the work our communities do to improve people’s lives and we are proud to play our part in that. We are committed to making a positive impact beyond the walls of our offices, enriching the lives of those we serve and supporting the many charities and community groups that make our Islands such a special place to live.
We have implemented a number of inclusive initiatives, including: the introduction of pronunciations and pronouns on employee signatures, a review of inclusive working environments, introduced a pilot scheme for employee ‘recharge days’, and some new enhanced policies to better support key life events and retirement.
We also champion the voluntary disclosure of protective characteristics to better understand and support the needs of our people.
In 2023, we increased our internal diversity score, measured through our monthly employee engagement survey, to a yearly average of 71. A 6 point increase on the 2022 year average, moving us to the Top 5% of Technology companies globally.
We continue to listen to employee feedback to enhance all aspects of our working environment.
Conduct inclusive people practices (recruitment, development, etc).
Support the mental & physical wellbeing of our people.
We have invested in a number of training exercises including Diversity and Inclusion training for all employees, management and recruitment training for teams. Our own policies and Job roles are reviewed and updated annually.
We’ve delivered a full calendar of free initiatives to our employees, including;
Mental – mental health first aider training,
AXA mental health coaching sessions, pilot recharge days, employee assistance support line.
Physical – free health checks and flu jabs, cycle to work scheme discounts, plus regular information and support around areas such as sleep, nutrition and physical activity.
Financial – we’ve provided professional 3rd party guidance around budgeting, saving and pensions and we continue to provide financial support for employees through times of hardship.
Social – we actively encourage an environment of positive reinforcement and peer recognition, as well as a full calendar of JT run social events.
Further investment in a reverse mentoring scheme and return to work workshops are in plan for 2024 and beyond.
We will continue to listen to our people and design future support initiatives around their needs.
Give back and support our local communities.
Give back to our local charities and community groups through our Community Giving scheme.
JT Volunteer Days and £4£ matching.
In 2023 we helped 125 charities through our scheme. Support ranged from device requests that allow the expansion of support services, laptops for free digital learning sessions to wellbeing events for cancer patients.
In 2023, 76 JT employees used a volunteer day to support a charity of their choice, with many fundraising in their own time too. JT also support fundraising efforts through our £4£ matching scheme.
The scheme will continue to run through 2024 and beyond as we increase our support in areas that provide digital upskill and security awareness for all.
We continue to promote our scheme to our employees and positively reinforce the key part everyone can play in the future of our Islands.
Support and champion digital education and upskilling in CI schools.
Raise awareness of Cyber Security across the CI, including community, business and educational engagement.
In 2023, over 20 JT employees represented JT at career fairs, school engagement events, upskilling workshops and work experience opportunities across the Channel Islands.
In 2023, JT’s Security team supported a number of business and industry events to help raise awareness of Cyber Security training and incident response exercises. The team have also attended a number of school events, to educate Islanders at a grassroots level.
We continue to support community and grass roots events, where JT can share knowledge and skills for the future.
We continue to increase our engagement with all Secondary schools across the Channel Islands, providing technology demos, talks and educational workshops to build on STEM education locally.
Online security and training continues to be a big focus for JT and 2024 will see a roadmap of collaborative exercises aimed to increase awareness and support for Islanders and businesses.
Championing Cyber Security and Safety across the Channel Islands
In 2023, JT’s Security team supported a number of business and industry events to help raise awareness of Cyber Security training and incident response exercises.
We’re a member of the Channel Island Information Security Forum, were the team volunteer their time to organise community events such as the Cyber Security Conference.
Supporting schools and charities with security awareness and training is also a key focus for JT. The team are very active within the Jersey Charitable Skills pool initiative, whereby charities can request time from a cyber security professional for help, support and guidance. We’ve also held talks and workshops at various schools, with the aim to engage and build awareness around the subject.
We also recently sponsored a series of mock incident response exercises with the Jersey Cyber Security Centre, to educate and share best practice across industries spanning charities, small businesses, finance, hospitality and IoD members.
JT’s Chief Information Security Officer, Peter Lescop provides training for the Jersey Employment Trust.
JT in the Community
To celebrate the first anniversary of JT Community Giving, we invited all Jersey charities to a breakfast event to foster relationships and build on Jersey’s incredible community support network.
Provided Brighter Futures with two laptops for their keyworkers to use when meeting with clients to improve efficiency and confidentiality.
Provided Nature Commission Guernsey with a tablet for their Environmental Citizen Science Projects, to enable them to collect data to help us understand our local natural environment.
JT volunteers helped to plant 1,555 hedging whips over a total of 1.2km of hedgerows.
Provided EYECAN with two laptops for an autistic client who has sight impairment issues and her son, who is also autistic, to benefit their mental health and provide access to sources of entertainment, literature and educational material.
Funded Macmillan Jersey’s first ever well-being retreat for cancer patients.
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Our JT Mental Health First Aiders
Our people’s well-being is central to our People strategy. We continue to introduce and invest in new initiatives and awareness tools to assist and support our people through their mental, physical, financial and social well-being. We’ve funded over 100 JT employees to be trained as Mental Health First Aiders, supporting colleagues, friends and family across the Channel Islands.
Sponsored a Wetwheels experience, designed to enable our disabled community the chance to experience the excitement of power boating.
Donated two iPads to Jersey Spartan Athletics Club to enable them to use real-time input when out on the track.
Donated four iPads to Le Marchant Ward, Guernsey’s specialist rehabilitation unit, to enable the team to record patients’ unique care needs and improve patient care communication.
JT’s Community Giving Scheme donated 7 refurbished laptops to Beresford Street Kitchen (BSK). The laptops were used to run a Learning For Life education programme, increasing digital skills and experience for members.
Governance
Effective governance and transparent reporting are key focus areas for JT.
Governance serves as the framework through which we set strategic direction, allocate resources, and monitor performance. Information on our Board Structure, Corporate Governance and Risk Management is documented and reported yearly, within our Annual Report. These are published on our website at www.jtglobal.com/about-us.
In the context of our overall strategy, governance plays a pivotal role in guiding decision-making processes that impact the environment, social equity, and financial performance. Clear policies, procedures, and risk management frameworks help to identify, assess, and mitigate sustainability risks and
Our People
Here at JT, we believe in a work environment where everyone feels valued and respected. We’ve built a culture where our people feel trusted and empowered and we deliver frequent Strategy and Balanced Scorecard training and updates to support this.
We are dedicated to maintaining a respectful and inclusive environment for all our employees and set out a series of organisational strengths to enable every one of our people to deliver on the strategy with integrity and positivity, fostering
Focus on ESG Reporting
A lot of our focus over the last 12 months has been spent on the monitoring and consolidation of our data as well as setting the parameters around how we govern and report on our findings and navigate towards a roadmap of reduction. We have invested in an automated carbon tracking tool, which captures our scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions at invoice level. This provides us with live information and highlights any spikes in the data, so we can review it in real time. This tool enables us to report accurately and efficiently.
We use EcoVadis to actively review, access and monitor the sustainability performance of our own business and those of our suppliers. By providing standardised and reliable evaluations across key areas, including, environmental impact, labour practices, ethics, and sustainable procurement, EcoVadis helps ensure that we collaborate with responsible and ethical partners. This promotes transparency, reducing risk in our supply chain whilst supporting our commitment to ESG and sustainability goals. Additionally, it also helps us to identify areas for improvement, giving us the flexibility to improve
opportunities, enabling us to integrate environmental, social, and governance considerations into our day-to-day operations and strategic planning.
Creating the right underlying governance for incorporating sustainability into all decision making is fundamental and that is why Building a Sustainable Future now sits at the very heart of our strategic objectives and Balanced Scorecard. We’ve made good progress, but there is still work to be done to embed an ESG culture across the business. We have restructured the ESG committee to create Senior Leader champions, to help spread awareness and engage employees. Our objectives are a collective effort and every member of the team are now measured on the Balanced Scorecard and their combined contribution towards each goal.
a culture of mutual respect.
We want our people to feel safe and supported, and as part of that we deliver a full calendar of both mandatory and optional learning courses. These include Cyber Security Training, Health and Safety, Ethics and Human Rights, Compliance, Anti-Corruption, Responsible Sourcing and Privacy and Data.
goals and targets year on year. In 2023, we were awarded the EcoVadis Silver Sustainability Rating and we continue to work with them to improve our standings.
We know we have progress to make, and we are dedicated to doing just that.
As we work towards a full holistic view of our data, we improve the accuracy of our reporting and we are committed to annually publishing our performance, progress and challenges for all to see in our Annual Report.
By sharing additional insights and best practices with stakeholders, including investors, customers, employees, and regulators, we foster dialogue, collaboration, and collective action to address shared sustainability challenges and drive positive change for our Islands.
Thank You
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you – our JT family, our customers, our suppliers and our Islanders for your on-going support. There is a reason we have served the Channel Islands for over 135 years, and we hope we can do you proud for many more years to come. By sharing more about our strategy and championing Digital for Good, we hope that together we can move forward and reach our goal of making the islands and jurisdictions where we do business, better places to live, work and play. We look forward to building a better future, together.
Daragh McDermott Chief Executive Officer, JT