Our Sustainability Work

Katie Milligan, Chief Commercial Officer: 

Our mission is to build Full Fibre. From Shetland to the Scilly Isles, Llandudno to Limehouse, our engineers are building a network that’s faster and more reliable. That network uses 80% less energy than the old copper-based one – and it’s five times more resilient. Fewer faults mean fewer engineer callouts, fewer miles travelled, and less energy consumed.

A faster, more reliable network also means that people can work more flexibly, can travel only when they choose to, and can plug in smart technologies to manage and reduce their energy usage.

The Full Fibre network we’re building doesn’t just mean faster and more reliable communications; it means more sustainable communications as well.

Abby Chicken, Head of Sustainability: 

We also know that the work of transforming our network will have an impact on the environment. It’s a big job, requiring lots of energy and lots of materials. So, we’re determined to build sustainably.  It’s one of our driving principles, it’s written into our values and it shapes how we work. 

As we build, we’re constantly challenging ourselves and others to develop new and better ways of working so that we look after the environment. This plan – Reach Zero – is focused on three specific objectives: First, lowering our emissions; second, using fewer materials and reducing our waste; and third, minimising our impact on the natural environments in which we work.

Mark Fry, Advanced Engineer:

Our ambition is to be a Net Zero business by 2031. We’re reducing the emissions across our entire network, including how we get to every corner of the country. We already have over 4,000 electric vehicles and our entire fleet will be fully converted by 2031.

Samantha Phillips, Advanced Engineer:

As we build, we’re using less, wasting less, and keeping tools in use for longer. We’re continually exploring new ways of recycling, re-using or re-purposing our materials. And we’re demanding change from our partners and suppliers too.

Andy Duncan, Clerk of Works:

Few businesses range as far and as wide as we do, and lots of things we do put us in direct contact with nature. From volunteering to clean up our local beaches or creating special build plans for National Parks, to checking sites for wildlife, we are doing everything we can to reduce the disruption our build has on the environment.

Abby Chicken, Head of Sustainability

This is our plan to Reach Zero. Building our network sustainably is the right thing to do for our business, the communities we serve, and the environment we all share.