Fact:
At our headquarters we recycled just over 45 tonnes of paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, batteries and glass during 2006/07
Advisor’s Statement
May 2007
Advisor’s Statement
Upstream has undertaken a formal review to establish The Crown Estate’s level of achievement against each of its 2006-07 Corporate Responsibility (CR) targets. Upstream continues to provide strategic advice to The Crown Estate on CR strategy, and should therefore not be considered fully independent.
As in previous years Upstream’s review has consisted of the following:
- Attendance at quarterly meetings of both the CR working group and the CR committee, which include updates from members on progress against annual CR targets.
- Meetings with representatives from corporate support, and interviews with key individuals within the various businesses.
- A review of documentation submitted as evidence against each target
Summary of achievement against public targets 2006-07
For text-only table of information, please follow the link.
From the review findings, Upstream would make the following comments:
- A total of 19 public targets were set for 2006-07, of which 58% were fully achieved during the year. This compares with a larger number of public targets set in 2005-06 (26) and a higher proportion fully achieved (73%). This shift reflects the growing maturity of The Crown Estate’s CR strategy, with fewer more performance related targets being set, thereby representing a more challenging but aspirational commitment.
- Interestingly, unlike in previous years, none of the targets for the latest financial year remain either entirely or significantly unprogressed (either 0% or 25% achievement). This is also testimony to the organisation’s increased attentiveness to the target-setting process, as it seeks to make meaningful improvements in its CR management year on year.
Particular achievements to be highlighted include:
- The profile of corporate responsibility within The Crown Estate has risen quite dramatically during the past financial year. Forming the main focus of senior management away days, and staff awareness raising sessions, as well as a critical topic for discussion at management board meetings, theorganisation’s commitments – particularly in relation to environmental management – have reached a new level.
- A very significant improvement has been noted in the environmental management practices of the urban managing agents. The use of a bespoke tool, the environmental performance index, to monitor their progress over the year has led to the achievement by all agents of at least 75% of the foundation criteria set out by The Crown Estate. This is a considerable achievement, and it is worthy of note that the same tool will be adapted to the housing business group and Windsor estates in the coming year.
- In line with this, a more robust approach to understanding and mitigating the risks associated with climate change has emerged over the year. This has led to the establishment of a baseline carbon footprint associated with the rural estate, and with energy used in the close managed urban properties and this information will be used to set a long-term reduction target to be achieved by 2011. Any efforts in this area will, of course, be complemented by the unique roles played by both the marine and rural estates in the active promotion of renewable energy technologies.
Nevertheless, in keeping with all other businesses and particularly property players, The Crown Estate continues to face several major challenges ahead, including:
- The continued development and implementation of a responsible procurement strategy, so as to address the social and environmental risks throughout the organisation’s supply chain.
- The need to deepen the stakeholder engagement programme, extending the reach of internal communications and training on relevant issues, and moving towards a more externally focused programme of stakeholder dialogue to underpin the company’s future CR efforts.
- Relating to this is, of course, the importance of The Crown Estate’s customers, without whom sustainable development cannot be fully achieved. It is here that the efforts of the rural estate to engage with, and assist rural tenants in responding to a set of changing business opportunities will prove invaluable learning outcomes across the whole organisation.
- Finally, it is clear that excellent mechanisms already exist to invest in local communities in and around The Crown Estate’s portfolio, most notably with initiatives such as the marine stewardship fund. It will be important in coming years to seek to align such community efforts with business goals, and measure the impact that they might be having effectively.
We look forward to continuing to work with The Crown Estate as it further articulates its commitment to CR, and embeds this throughout the business.
Julie Hirigoyen Katherine Thorne
Director Lead Consultant
Upstream
1 Quality Court
Chancery Lane WC2A 1HR
tel: +44 (0)20 7061 6430
fax: +44 (0)20 7061 6440
