Mitie shoots past its industry leading ESG targets with new 2021 Social Value report

• Mitie has met or exceeded all 13 of its ESG targets for FY20/21
• Hitting these targets keeps Mitie on track to reach zero operational emissions by 2025, 25 years ahead of the UK Government’s target
• New Social Value report outlines excellent progress across all areas of Mitie’s ESG strategy

Mitie, the UK’s leading facilities management company, has launched its 2021 Social Value Report. As well as detailing how Mitie has progressed against its industry-leading targets over the past financial year, the report shares key achievements for each of the five pillars of Mitie’s Social Value Strategy: People, Responsible Supply Chain, Community, and Environment, all of which are underpinned by Innovation.

People

Following the acquisition of Interserve’s facilities management business, Mitie now has over 75,000 colleagues and is a major UK employer committed to promoting skills and employment opportunities. Developing and nurturing a workforce that is representative of the communities and customers it serves, from the frontline to the boardroom, by 2025 is a key commitment and to do so, improvements are being made to the way Mitie hires, develops, listens to, and rewards colleagues.

Over the past year, Mitie has increased the percentage of racially diverse colleagues on its Leadership Team to 8%, exceeding its 3% target. Meanwhile 21% of leaders are female, exceeding its target of 20%. For three consecutive years, Mitie has been listed in the top ten on the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers list. To ensure that progress is made across all levels of the business, the almost 90 strong Mitie Leadership Team has also set targets to improve diversity and inclusion within their own teams.

Mitie has an apprenticeship-first approach to training and has set a target of 2.5% of its employees enrolled on an apprenticeship. With over 1,170 apprentices across more than 50 roles within its diverse portfolio of contracts, Mitie has flown past this target. 3.6% of the Mitie workforce is now either on or has completed an apprenticeship.

Responsible Supply Chain

Recognising the contribution Voluntary, Charity and Social Enterprise (VCSEs) and Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) make to local communities, economies and vulnerable groups, Mitie set ambitious targets to increase its spend with these key groups.

During FY20/21, Mitie spent nearly £500,000 with VCSEs, compared to a target of £300,000, and 29% of Mitie’s spend was with SMEs, in line with its target. This was underpinned by Mitie becoming a signatory to Social Enterprise UK’s (SEUK) ‘Buy Social Corporate Challenge’, committing to buy more from social enterprises.

Community

Mitie is an active part of the communities in which it operates. This has included supporting colleague health and wellbeing, particularly during the pandemic when employees have been on the frontline looking after the places where Britain works. In addition to a range of mental and physical wellbeing initiatives, 2,300 hours of health and wellbeing training were delivered, well in excess of the 2,000 hour target.

Through the Mitie Foundation, colleagues also exceeded the target of 8,000 volunteering hours in the community, despite the challenging circumstances of COVID-19.

As part of its commitment to the Armed Forces, Mitie achieved a recruitment level of ex-military personnel at 2.6%, which is 0.5% above the population average.

Environment

In February 2020, Mitie launched its Plan Zero commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions for its own operations by 2025, while also helping customers reach their own sustainability targets. Since the launch, just under 22% of Mitie’s fleet, over 1,200 vehicles, have been switched to electric; carbon emissions have reduced to 19,205 tonnes, considerably less than the 25,000 tonne target; and waste to landfill now stands at only 12 tonnes, well below the 350 tonnes target.

Furthermore, as part of helping customers reach their own sustainability targets, Mitie released its Plan Zero Playbook. Using this methodology, clients have saved £28 million through energy optimisations.

Innovation

All of these pillars are underpinned by a constant focus on innovation which is shown by Mitie’s commitment to finding new ways of delivering social value through fresh thinking.

For example, in February 2021, Mitie launched the UK’s first ever electric gritter for commercial use, ‘Gritter Thunberg’, developed to help businesses keep their people safe through winter whilst limiting their impact on the planet.

To support a safe return to the workplace after the COVID-19 pandemic, Mitie has introduced cutting-edge air disinfection solutions using the power of ultraviolet rays to help eradicate viruses and bacteria in the air and on surfaces, ensuring indoor air and surfaces are disinfected.

As a result of all of the business’ work to deliver on its social value commitments, Mitie’s ESG leadership is being recognised externally by organisations such as CDP, which awarded Mitie with the ‘Leadership Ranking’ in December 2020. Meanwhile Sustainalytics ranked Mitie the number one ESG business support services company globally.

Simon King, Director of Sustainability and Social Value, Mitie, said:

“Social value is at the heart of how Mitie operates, both within our own business and for our customers. Our people are the driving force of our organisation and we are committed to being an employer of choice, as well as leaving the world in a better place through innovation and environmental leadership.

“I am immensely proud of the progress we have made, particularly as we have also kept Britain working throughout the pandemic. We have the opportunity to make even more progress over the coming years, and I look forward to leading the sector and leaving a positive legacy in the communities in which we work.”