Tower’s ESG journey reflects real progress. Cutting emissions, reducing waste, and strengthening community impact through purposeful action, sustainable innovation, and a commitment to building a better future for our customers and the planet.
Looking back over the last year, I realise how far we have come on our ESG journey. Our commitment to ESG principles has strengthened partnerships with our customers and within our own supply chain.
We’ve been on our sustainability journey for some time, but this year marked a real turning point. Appointing a Head of ESG has enabled Tower to embed sustainability into every corner of our business. This new leadership role has been pivotal in shaping our strategy and accelerating our impact.
We’re proud to see our employees drive various initiatives that have made a real difference. Whether it's educating on energy consumption, improving our supply chain with stronger ethical safeguards, supporting customers with sustainability, or making meaningful contributions to charity. Everything we’ve done this year has helped build a more responsible and sustainable future.
With our Net Zero target set for 2035, we are pleased to confirm that our Scope 1 and 2 emissions are now below our baseline levels set in 2017. This year, we have seen a 29% reduction in our Scope 1 and 2 emissions. This was achieved through a reduction in energy usage, improvements in our monitoring and data recording. Within our market-based emissions, we have seen a 50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2. This was driven by reducing consumption and moving all our sites to green electricity contracts. Whilst we are proud of what we have achieved, we know there are more improvements to be made. We have recently completed energy audits across our sites – laying the foundation for a clear and actionable roadmap which we plan to publish later this year.
Education has been central to our approach and will be the key to real change and a critical factor in us achieving our goals, one of the reasons we have seen year-on-year reductions in our sites' energy usage, whilst growing and increasing our operational output to our customers. We’re proud that two of our employees have achieved the Carbon Literacy certification from the Carbon Literacy Project. Something we’ve committed to expanding across our workforce in the coming year.
Beyond our own operations, we’ve begun engaging with our top 50 suppliers on energy and waste data collection, laying the groundwork for a more sustainable supply chain that benefits everyone.
Meanwhile, our Facilities Manager has led biodiversity projects at each of our sites, from creating an onsite gardening club to wildflower planting, composting, and building a wormery. These may be small initiatives, but meaningful actions reflect our belief that everything we do makes a difference.
Waste reduction is a challenge for any business, but one that we’re determined to achieve. Our recent partnership with Suez Waste Management has enabled us to digitise our waste records and introduce food recycling across all our sites. Our target over the next 12 months is to reduce our general waste by 20%.
Despite increased output, we’ve cut packaging waste by 32% - a testament to the innovation and dedication of our operations teams. And through our partnership with Avena, we were awarded the Circular Economy category in the 2024/25 Sustainability Awards for our PPE Recycling initiative by SSEN, who stated that our recycling initiative is a strong example of how simple, well-executed strategies can deliver significant environmental impact. In the last financial year, we also helped our customers divert tonnes of PPE from landfill.
Last year we strengthened our supply chain, conducting modern slavery risk reviews and ensuring our operations are built on responsible practices. Beyond compliance, this work reinforces the trust we build with customers and partners. Launching our ultra-lightweight FR and Arc FireBear range of sustainable products - proving that responsible innovation can drive commercial success, was another proud moment.
Community engagement has been a highlight this year, deepening our relationship with the community and understanding where we can add real value. Presenting at a local Council Event reaffirmed our commitment to social value, and formed part of our updated social value strategy.
From beach cleans with Clean Jurassic Coast to supporting Hope for Food, a charity, we’ve contributed over 50 hours of volunteer work and meaningful aid to those in need.
This has made me reflect on how ESG isn't just about business results. It’s about people, places, and protecting what matters.
One of the things that sets Tower apart is our commitment to giving back. Donating 10% of our annual profits to the Rapid Relief Team and The Grace Trust has allowed us to support vital causes globally and locally, from education and poverty alleviation to humanitarian aid.
It’s not just the business making an impact. Our employees have also raised over £3,000 for local charities through staff-led initiatives. This spirit of generosity and community is at the heart of who we are.
Reflecting on the past year, I’m proud of what Tower has achieved. ESG isn’t just a corporate responsibility, it’s an opportunity to lead, to innovate, and to inspire. What excites me most is the momentum we’ve built. This isn’t the end of the journey; it’s just the beginning.
As we move forward, I know we’ll remain committed to making a difference. For our business, our employees, our customers, and the wider community.
As CEO, Charlie is responsible for Tower's continued growth, development and strategic thinking. Charlie's passion lies in the development of our people to empower them to deliver excellence in all our business dealings.
