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Apr 21. 2022

white windmill on a hill

At Trailstone, we celebrate Earth Day today, and every day, by making the transition to sustainable energy sustainable. As a global energy and technology company, we operate at the intersection of renewables and conventional power; providing renewable energy optimization solutions in the US, UK, and EU. But our commitment to the environment doesn’t stop with the services we provide to our clients. As a company, we actively engage in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives because we recognize that the way in which we operate can make a crucial difference in securing a viable future for generations to come. We recently released our annual ESG report which revealed key areas where we’re performing well and other areas that we can continue to improve upon. We firmly believe that if we are to live up to our mission of making sustainable energy sustainable, we will always have work to do!

Environment

We’re always looking for actionable ways to reduce our carbon footprint — not just offset the CO2 emissions that we create. We encourage our people, clients, and business partners to do the same. To achieve this goal, we audit all areas of our business where CO2 emissions are created, including the power we use in our offices and the business travel of our employees.

Our achievements so far:

  • In 2020, we saw a 16.4% decline in our overall emissions from our business activities, going from 1,229 tCO2e in 2019 to 1,027 tCO2e in 2020.
  • Our London office was awarded the 2020 Clean City Award Platinum Prize, Green Apple Environment Award, and was rated “Excellent” by BREEAM. Our London office features water and waste recycling facilities, as well as a Recycling Education Training for tenants within the building.

Our ambitions for the future:

  • We’re exploring physical carbon offsetting initiatives to reduce our CO2 emissions to net zero, including planting trees in the communities where we operate.
  • We’re also looking to become sustainable in all our business activities, such as replacing our paper business cards with e-cards.

Social

Trailstone is an organization that is open to all, respectful of differences, and reflective of diversity. The nature of our work requires that we bring new ideas and solutions to emerging challenges in the world of energy. To build a culture where everyone can thrive, we’re always striving to recruit talent with different backgrounds, a range of experiences, and diverse perspectives. Making sustainable energy sustainable is not purely for our planet. It’s for the people who live, work, and help shape it too.

Our achievements so far:

  • We actively support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives and have a committee of Trailstone employees who are dedicated to advancing DE&I across our organization.
  • Trailstone partnered with East London Business Alliance (ELBA) in 2021 through the Mentoring Works program. Trailstone employees were paired with Sixth Form students from an inner city school to help develop their knowledge and skills to prepare them for higher education and their careers.
  • Achieved an 8% increase in female employee representation in 2021
  • Diversity training is included in all Trailstone employees’ annual training calendars including unconscious bias training.
  • We observe and celebrate important nationally recognized days and months such as Women's History Month, Juneteenth, Mental Health Awareness Month, Pride Month, and more.

Our ambitions for the future:

  • We want to build on our 2021 achievements and are eager to make our team more diverse and build upon the 8% increase in female representation.
  • We continue to support local charities in the communities where we operate to make a positive difference with both our time and financial support.

Governance

Trailstone is committed to ethics and accountability, which is reflected in our policies, code of ethics, and compliance to laws and regulations. Our internal guidelines foster high standards and efficiency, and a zero tolerance policy for bribery and corruption. One of our highest priorities is being a responsible market participant that supports a well-functioning, stable market to mitigate the risk of market abuse.

Our achievements so far:

  • Revised and updated our compliance manual
  • Introduced a new learning and development policy
  • Updated our risk, credit, and finance procedures

Our ambitions for the future:

  • Design and implement a global ESG policy
  • Review our internal board practices to ensure they are effective and in-line with Trailstone’s commitment to ethics and accountability.

We look forward to continuing to lead the transition to a more sustainable future and make a meaningful, positive difference with our business practices on a global scale.