Celebrating 20 years of innovation - Discover how we've been a catalyst for regional growth and UK innovation for over two decades in CPI's Annual Review 2023-2024.

ESG at CPI

Building a healthier and more sustainable future for people, places and our planet

Our vision for sustainability

At CPI, we recognise our responsibility to create positive impacts on both society and the environment.

We firmly believe that sustainable development is not just a choice, it’s our compass. It aligns with our core values and drives our decision-making. We will integrate sustainability into every aspect of our business. Focusing on our core pillars of People, Planet and Partnerships

And as we look to the future, we’ll continue to connect the dots in the innovation ecosystem to bring about pioneering changes that help to build a more sustainable future for everyone.

People 

People

If the world is going to change, it’s up to all of us to make it happen. That’s why we invest in people and their communities, developing the skills and technologies to form the building blocks of our sustainable future.

From school visits and open days to apprenticeships and work placements, we’re nurturing the next generation of talent and creating high-skilled jobs to transform our regions. We’re also partnering with universities, government and professional bodies to seed industry with the skills it needs to not only overcome the challenges of today, but also those that we will face in the decades to come.

Our work brings our values to life. That’s why CPI invests in people and programmes that make a tangible impact in the communities that we’re a part of.

One of these programmes is CPI Boost, a dedicated scheme that enables CPI staff to support local groups or projects. Whether it’s equipment for a youth sports team or litter-picking community groups, this initiative supports small steps that add up to make a big difference in the local community.

Planet 

Planet

Through CPI’s 6 innovation and technology centres, located across the North of England and Scotland, we utilise our collective expertise towards building a better planet — for everyone. We support projects that lower the footprint of manufacturing processes, helping reduce environmental impact. We’re also working with businesses developing new technologies to help tackle the threat of climate change. 

As an organisation, we’re working to understand our own impact on the world around us. That’s why we’re actively taking steps to reduce our environmental footprint. We’re on a journey towards the decarbonisation of CPI’s facilities, with an ambition to achieve NetZero by 2035. We have set ourselves the goal of achieving the highest industry standards for environmental best practice — ensuring that every action we take is backed up by robust scientific standards and reporting. 

Partnerships 

Partnerships

If we’re going to make a difference we can’t do it alone. That’s why collaboration is at our core. We support an inclusive innovation system, recognising and removing barriers to entry so that we can come together to solve some of the greatest challenges society faces.

By aligning our project portfolio with CPI’s Environmental and Societal values we can solve real life problems, creating solutions that have the potential to change the environmental landscape. 

Governance 

Governance

All of the above will be underpinned by effective Governance. Our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Policy Statement reflects our commitment to sustainable practices, transparency and ethical conduct. 

We will have senior level oversight and accountability of Sustainability targets and support the implementation of CPI’s ESG Framework, Roadmap and associated policies and procedures.

CPI is a member of the UN Global Compact (UNGC). Being a member of the UNGC provides us with an ethical and practical framework for delivering on our CSR. The framework comprises four key themes; Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption. Nested within these themes are the 10 Principles that we have committed to supporting. As a member, CPI will report on progress against all 10 Principles, annually, to the UNGC.

The report will be made available in our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Policy upon publication.

Our progress

Doing the right thing is central to CPI’s mission, but how will we know if what we’re doing is actually making a difference? 

That’s why measurement is so important. 

CPI is working with Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a globally-recognised standard for assessing GHG emissions, to monitor our impact across every aspect of our operation. Using 2022 – 2023 as our baseline we can now track our progress towards decarbonisation and measure our success along the way. 

Using this data we can measure consumption, but also see where there’s still room for improvement. It’s a vital step towards understanding and reducing our impact on the environment.

Greenhouse gas emissions at CPI

Our performance

Overview

Category

Unit

FY23/24

FY22/23

Difference

Scope 1

tCO₂e

1436.65

2000.05

-28.20%

Scope 2 (Market based)

tCO₂e

765.69

582.30

+31.00%

Scope 2 (Location based)

tCO₂e

2332.55

2053.85

+13.60%

Total Scope 1 & Scope 2 (Location based)

tCO₂e

3769.20

4,053.90

-7.00%

Energy intensity ratios (inc. Scope 1 and Scope 2 location based)

Category

Unit

FY23/24

FY22/23

Difference

tCO₂e per £1m revenue (Location based)

tCO₂e

46.97

51.96

-9.06%

tCO₂e per FTE (Location based)

tCO₂e

5.42

6.35

-14.60%

Scope 1 – Direct GHG emissions

Category

Unit

FY23/24

FY22/23

Stationary combustion

tCO₂e

1435.83

1891.77

Mobile combustion

tCO₂e

0.82

0.90

Fugitive emissions

tCO₂e

0

107.38

Total Scope 1 emissions

tCO₂e

1436.65

2000.05

Scope 2 – Energy indirect emissions

Category

Unit

FY23/24

FY22/23

Electricity – Market based

tCO₂e

602.53

573.99

Electricity – Location based

tCO₂e

2169.39

2045.53

Heating

tCO₂e

158.17

2.67

Steam

tCO₂e

4.99

5.65

Cooling

tCO₂e

0

0

Total Scope 2 emissions (Market based)

tCO₂e

765.69

582.30

Total Scope 2 emissions (Location based)

tCO₂e

2332.55

2053.85

Scope 3

Category

Unit

FY23/24

FY22/23

Purchased goods and services

tCO₂e

3065.59

3565

Capital goods

tCO₂e

2931.47

3180

Fuel and energy related activity

tCO₂e

987.17

1022

Upstream transport

tCO₂e

8.86

41.20

Waste

tCO₂e

9

4

Business travel

tCO₂e

342.64

271.80

Employee commuting

tCO₂e

1331

1064

Upstream leased assets

tCO₂e

33.93

29.67

Investments

tCO₂e

0.991

1.595

Learn more about CPI's impact

Case Study

The HISTORY Project

Ilika Technologies Ltd. collaborates with CPI through The HISTORY Project to deliver next-generation batteries to decarbonise road travel.

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Case Study

Continuous 2

Manufacturing biotherapeutics presents various scale-up challenges. Continuous 2 tackles these risks with a world-leading continuous manufacturing system.

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Case Study

Immune Boost Clinic

Immune Boost Clinic is developing a heat-killed, non-pathogenic mycolicibacterium as a novel food ingredient for to boost our gut microbiome.

Read More

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