"Committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050"
1. Introduction
M4 Digital Group Ltd is committed to reducing its carbon footprint in compliance with the UK Government’s Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 006/21 standards whilst handling the data in alignment with ISO27001 standards for Data Security. This comprehensive plan outlines our strategy to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.
2. Governance & Responsibility
To ensure effective implementation, the responsibility for implementing and monitoring this plan falls to the IT and Compliance Manager, supported by the Company Administrator, the finance team and Directors. responsibilities are assigned as follows:
- Company Administrator: Oversees documentation, reporting, and assisting with compliance.
- IT & Compliance Manager: Manages digital infrastructure, energy efficiency, and security. Assures compliance with and proposes policy. Provides insight and support in what and how we measure and improve our Carbon Footprint.
- Finance Team: Tracks carbon-related expenditures and investment in sustainability.
- Directors: Provide strategic oversight and ensure alignment with business objectives.
3. Scope and Methodology
This carbon reduction plan covers Scope 1, Scope 2, and relevant Scope 3 emissions. All measurements are reported on a per person basis to account for fluctuations in staff numbers as our client base and needs differ from year to year. The baseline year for our calculations is 2020.
We will continue to conduct an annual assessment of our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, including:
Scope 1 Emissions
Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. For M4 Digital Group Ltd, this primarily includes emissions from the use of gas for heating the office space.
Scope 2 Emissions
Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy. This includes electricity consumption for office operations, any server hosting and similar activities.
Scope 3 Emissions
Scope 3 emissions are all other indirect emissions that occur in the value chain. This includes business travel, employee commuting, and hotel stays. We have used UK Gov and GHG guidance to estimate tCO₂e in our supply chain. We are continuing to evaluate and introduce further supplier data as it becomes available.
4. Baseline Year (2019-2020)
During the baseline year, M4 Digital Group Ltd leased office space in a shared building in Bristol and had the following commuting and travel activities:
- A Director travelled weekly by air to the UK, drove to our Bristol office, and regularly made a return journey via train to London for client meetings, staying two nights in an average hotel.
- Staff members travelled weekly to client sites across the UK.
- A team travelled from London to the Far Northwest of England, using trains from London to Penrith, followed by shared use hired diesel cars to their destination, and stayed three nights in hotel accommodation, making a total of 49 trips in 2019.
Baseline Year Emissions (2020)
5. Current Emissions reporting
From 2021 onwards, the office space was closed, and the company shifted to remote working and a paperless office strategy. This has resulted in over 90% reduction in our Carbon footprint. The key changes implemented where:
- Director travel by air to London reduced from weekly to once a month, staying in a hotel for two nights, with no return trip to Bristol.
- Team travel to Northwest England reduced to average of two trips per year for essential face to face meetings only with two members of the team attending.
Annual emissions reporting summary of tCO₂e
6. Emission Reduction Strategies and Targets
We aim to introduce further initiatives in the next five years to reduce our overall emissions and per head emissions by a further 20-30% by 2030 introducing behavioural changes and driving emissions awareness in both our internal teams and clients. Our aim is to achieve our goal of negligible carbon emissions by end of financial year 2040, ahead of the 2050 requirement.
M4 Digital Group Ltd have implemented the following strategies and are building on available learning:
Energy Efficiency
- Transition to renewable energy sources for any future office operations, using shared office space from suppliers with a similar commitment.
- Upgrade to energy-efficient IT infrastructure and appliances, recycling or repurposing all equipment with due regard to data security.
- Promote the use of energy-efficient appliances and practices among remote workers.
- Providing guidance on the best Energy Tariffs promoting renewable energy sources to our team working from home.
Travel Reduction
- Encourage and facilitate virtual meetings to reduce the need for business travel.
- Optimize travel plans to minimize emissions from necessary trips. Prioritise use of public transport. Further encourage car sharing if/when teams travel to meetings. Encourage the use of electric vehicles wherever practicable.
Carbon Offsetting
- We are carrying out an ongoing investigation into the best way to Invest in carbon offset projects to compensate for unavoidable emissions.
- Partner with organizations that focus on reforestation, renewable energy, and other carbon reduction initiatives.
Employee Engagement
- Provide training on sustainability best practice to educate and engage employees on the importance of carbon reduction and sustainable practices.
- Encourage employees to adopt low-carbon lifestyles, both professionally and personally.
- Maintaining carbon-conscious travel policies.
Waste Management
- Implemented recycling programs and reduce single-use plastics.
- As an Example, the Company have arranged a Contract with an ICO registered and Licenced Waste Carrier to carry out Secure data destruction and technology recycling of devices. This is at no cost to the end user or the Company, consequently this service is available to all M4 staff and associated and we encourage and will assist in its use for personal devices as well as in scope Assets to both reduce the carbon impact and protect against any Data loss.
- Optimize digital storage using on and offline assets to minimize unnecessary data processing and increase Data Security.
Long-Term Commitment
M4 Digital Group Ltd will continuously refine its carbon reduction strategies, leveraging government guidance and industry best practices to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
7. Monitoring and Reporting
M4 Digital Group Ltd will regularly monitor and report on its carbon emissions to ensure compliance with PPN006 and progress toward our net zero goal. Annual reports will be prepared with the following details:
- Emission estimates Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 based on our financial accounts and GHG Guidance.
- Progress on reduction strategies and initiatives.
- Adjustments to the plan based on changes in operations or external factors.
8. Conclusion
M4 Digital Group Ltd is dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. By implementing this comprehensive carbon reduction plan, we will contribute to a more sustainable future while maintaining compliance with PPN006 and ensuring protection of Data to ISO27001 standards and compliance with GDPR legislation.
9. Declaration and Sign Off
This Carbon Reduction Plan has been completed in accordance with PPN 006 and associated guidance and reporting standards for Carbon Reduction Plans.
Emissions have been reported and recorded in accordance with the published reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans and the GHG Reporting Protocol corporate standard [1] and uses the appropriate Government emission conversion factors for greenhouse gas company reporting [2].
Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions have been reported in accordance with SECR requirements, and the required subset of Scope 3 emissions have been reported in accordance with the published reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans and the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard [3].
This Carbon Reduction Plan has been reviewed and signed off by the board of directors.
Signed on behalf of M4Digital Group Ltd:
Signature redacted on website for security reasons.
This Notice was last updated August 2025.
References:
[1] https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-standard
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-conversion-factors…
[3] https://ghgprotocol.org/standards/scope-3-standard