• Our commitment
• Our actions
• Our achievements

Our commitment

The Financial Times (FT) recognises its responsibilities and is committed to reducing its environmental impact. Along with Pearson, our main aim is for our company operations – including emissions relating to buildings and business travel – to be climate neutral.

In 2009, we exceeded this target when we became climate positive and helped others within the Pearson Group to become climate neutral. This commitment continues into 2010, in which we expect to maintain our performance and remain climate positive.

Our environmental management and performance is overseen by our Environment Executive Committee.

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Our actions

To become climate positive, we implemented a three-part strategy.

1. Reduce our carbon footprint by decreasing energy use and business travel

Our first priority was to reduce the FT’s own carbon footprint, of which energy use is the largest element . To achieve this, we have been working with the Carbon Trust over the last decade to improve our energy efficiency.

In 2009, we were awarded a further three years’ re-accreditation (until 2012) at our London office under the Carbon Trust’s Energy Efficiency Accreditation Scheme (EEAS).

The re-accreditation is a strong sign of our commitment to reduce our carbon emissions. Our actions include:

• investing in a series of efficiency measures (such as sensor-activated lighting), which have reduced our electricity usage by 18 per cent since 2007
• reducing our impact from company cars by two-thirds by decreasing our fleet size and introducing a carbon cap
• ensuring that, wherever possible, waste is not sent to landfill.

2. Purchase green electricity for our London headquarters

Electricity is the largest single element of our footprint. As well as reducing our wider energy usage, we have also purchased green electricity for our London headquarters.

3. Invest in forest planting through the FT Rainforest

Through our partnership with Children’s Tropical Forests (CTF) UK and the Pearson Foundation, we invest in and raise funds for the purchase and protection of a large area of primary tropical rainforest in Costa Rica. Find out more about the FT Rainforest.

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Our achievements

Since the launch of the climate neutral commitment in 2007, we have reduced our carbon footprint for our UK operations by over 30 per cent.

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