Cpl Releases first Sustainability Strategy and Report
15th December 2022
Cpl has committed to supporting decent work for 100,000 people in Ireland by 2030, according to its first Sustainability Strategy and Report. The report, released today, outlines the company’s achievements to date and its future plans to become a more sustainable organisation.
This commitment can be seen in the report which notes, for instance, that 63.7% of Cpl’s overall employees and 55% of its leadership team are female. The report outlines the diversity of its employee base with 55 nationalities working across the business; 8% are members of the LGBTQ+ community and 15% have disclosed that they have a disability. 24% of employees cited that they are responsible for caring for a dependent.
Lorna Conn, Cpl CEO said: “I am very proud to launch Cpl’s first Sustainability Strategy and Report. Sustainability across the business is key to the success of Cpl and our people.
We are not just about placing people in roles, we are fully aware of the wider impact on the businesses, environment and communities in which we work.
The working landscape has changed and we cannot look at jobs or careers in isolation, we need to take a more holistic view and see the synergy between our working lives, our wellbeing and our impact on the environment.
A new working world requires a new way of thinking.
The input from our people was paramount when it came to putting this report together. In July 2022, we undertook the company-wide Sense of Us survey which enabled us to learn more about our employees lives, what’s important to them and what they’d like to see from their employer.
Along with interviews from our partners, internal workshops and policy reviews, the voice of our employees was key to the preparation of this report.”
The report also outlines Cpl’s development plan to achieving net zero emissions by encouraging greater environmental awareness within Cpl’s client base by demonstrating how the company’s service delivery will be underpinned by environmental efficiencies. According to the report, this will be achieved by 2045 which is five years ahead of the EU’s net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target.
Lorna Conn continued:
“With environmental issues I truly believe that small incremental changes are crucial too – every drop of water used, every piece of waste disposed of, every piece of paper saved.
These all add up to our greater impact and it is something we will continue to scrutinise and focus on into the future.
This year, Cpl successfully completed its first report to CDP and received a C rating. This submission process has helped us to identify additional areas that require work over the next year and we hope to see our score improve, year on year.”
In order to ensure impactful and measurable sustainability plans, Cpl has aligned its objectives with the United Nations Strategic Development Goals and has outlined five key objectives:
•Provide decent work by operating to the highest standards and complying with all existing laws and regulations
•Protect our people’s Health, Safety & Wellbeing within and outside of the working environment
•Provide first class Learning and Development opportunities to empower Cpl’s people and communities with the skills and knowledge needed to fulfil their potential
•Reduce inequalities by eliminating discriminatory practices and implementing appropriate legislation, policies and practices that improve the way Cpl interacts with its people, clients, candidates, and communities
•Reduce Cpl’s environmental impact and provide greater environmental awareness to its people and suppliers
Cpl’s Sustainability Strategy is informed by the results of a double materiality assessment conducted in 2022. This assessment allowed Cpl to identify the most important issues for Cpl’s business, and the impact the business has on society, the environment, its people, and the economy. It was created from a review of Cpl policies and sustainability documents, stakeholder interviews, a companywide survey and from a workshop with its GreenWorks Committee.
