Carbon reduction plan

About us

GoFibre is a rapidly growing Scottish independent broadband builder and provider, providing ultrafast full fibre broadband across Scotland and the north of England. We are dedicated to bridging the digital divide by enhancing internet accessibility and reliability, especially in rural communities. We have distinguished ourselves by our community-centric approach and our mission to ensure that local populations have the necessary infrastructure to thrive in an increasingly digital world. This dedication not only drives technological advancement but also fosters significant community development, particularly in rural broadband areas where reliable connections are essential for growth.

Commitment to achieving net zero

GoFibre is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. Furthermore, through our Carbon Reduction Plan we are targeted to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2042. Scope 1 emissions (direct emissions from our operations) represent 65.8% of our total in-scope emissions. Within this, transportation was responsible for the greatest proportion of emissions.

Therefore, achieving the 2050 target will mostly require us to upgrade the current vehicle fleet to a fleet powered by renewable energy sources once the required infrastructure becomes suitable. Further improvements across the three emission scopes will come about as a matter of course (via UK Gov targets and requirements, evolution of industries, new regulations etc.) and will require active engagement by us with our suppliers and staff as well as development of supply chain and operational policy.

Since our baseline year of FY 2021 we have made strides towards the implementation and development of various carbon reduction activities, and we are confident that we can achieve business growth without the same subsequent increase in our emissions.

During this reporting year, we made some improvements to our data calculation methodology, and we strive to continually increase our data quality year on year.

Baseline emissions footprint

Baseline emissions are a record of the greenhouse gases that have been produced in the past and were produced prior to the introduction of any strategies to reduce emissions. Baseline emissions are the reference point against which emissions reduction can be measured.

Current emissions reporting

Emissions reduction targets

In order to continue our progress to achieving Net Zero, we have adopted the following carbon reduction targets.

We project that our Business As Usual (BAU) carbon emissions will increase over the next five years to 1,004.1 tCO2e by FY2028. This increase is due to the expansion of our business, and is expected to become more gradual in the coming years.

Our current strategy is to make emissions reductions via a three-stage CRP, concluding with Net Zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. It is our current intention to practicably minimise our emissions as much as possible by 2042. From that point, we aim to offset all residual emissions such that our carbon footprint defined by this PPN 06/21-aligned disclosure is zero from 2042 through to 2050 and beyond.

Therefore, our emissions target for 5 years from the Reporting Year is 895.8 tCO2e (a reduction of 10.8% against BAU).

Progress against these targets can be seen in the graph below. The years displayed in the graph represent financial years.

Carbon Reduction Projects

The following environmental management measures and projects have been completed or implemented since the FY 2021 baseline:

We maintain a small number of hybrid sales vehicles. Unfortunately, the current nature and location of our business is not yet supported by the required infrastructure to switch to fully electric vehicles; however, we endeavour to make the switch once this becomes adequate.
We promote hybrid working across our business to minimise travel, with a significant reduction in unnecessary travel facilitated by good communications, diary management, and effective IT systems.
The majority of our onsite roles are located in Edinburgh, which has a good public transport network.
We are continuously improving ordering and stockholding processes, supported by new facilities and supply arrangements.
All our waste is segregated onsite into specific categories, with no waste sent to landfill.
We have implemented battery disposal and electrical waste bins at the Berwick depot.
Several of our base and relay stations have wind or solar power available on site.

In the future we plan to implement further measures such as:

Reduction of travel in cars for business travel, through more public transportation use, as well as more cycling/walking/carpooling, short-term, corporate delivery. Where business travel is necessary, we will encourage our staff to use alternative methods of transportation to cars if possible. This could include making use of public transport, walking/cycling if the location is nearby, or carsharing, if multiple staff are heading to the same site.
Green driving policies for staff driving company vehicles, short-term, corporate delivery. We will aim to implement green driving policies for staff who drive company vehicles, such as including guidelines aimed at reducing fuel consumption. We aim to encourage our staff to practice efficient driving techniques and to minimise unnecessary trips. We will ensure consistent vehicle maintenance to reduce unnecessary fuel usage.
Carry out delivery consolidation actions on all items delivered to site, short-term, corporate delivery. We will place orders to consolidate deliveries into fewer, larger shipments, which can significantly reduce emissions by minimising the number of trips required, thereby contributing to more efficient and environmentally friendly logistics operations.
Carry out energy efficiency measures within buildings to reduce consumption, mid-term, corporate delivery. Implementing energy-saving measures following a thorough site audit significantly reduces emissions, contributing to environmental sustainability. This approach may also lead to substantial cost savings.
Reduction of business flights and business train travel through e-meetings and other collaborative solutions, mid-term, corporate delivery. We are aiming to cut down on our business flights and train travel by having more online meetings and exploring other ways to collaborate. This could mean meeting at halfway points between locations or sending fewer people on trips.
Domestic energy efficiency behavioural change, mid-term, corporate delivery. We will aim to educate our staff who work from home to improve their energy efficiency behaviours in order to reduce homeworking emissions.
Reduction in hotel stays due to utilising online video conferencing where possible, mid-term, corporate delivery. By reducing the number of in-person meetings where possible, we can reduce the number of hotel stays required. This will not only save us money but also reduce emissions.
Change electricity contracts on large sites to 100% renewable energy sources, mid-term, corporate delivery. We will aim to switch all electricity tariffs to green tariffs with 100% REGO backed renewable electricity, to reduce emissions from purchased electricity.
Conversion of company fleet to EVs, long-term, corporate delivery. As electric vehicle technology improves, it should be both economically and sustainably advantageous to migrate to complete electric vehicle use.
Decarbonise all assets to reduce reliance on fossil fuels in favour of electrical alternatives, long-term, corporate delivery. We will investigate reducing our reliance on propane and explore more environmentally friendly alternatives.

We also anticipate some changes in UK industry and infrastructure which will help us to reduce our carbon footprint further:

Sustainability improvements in public transport (affecting business travel and commuting emissions).
Sustainability improvements in third-party delivery vehicles (e.g. switching to electric vehicles), both upstream and downstream.
Sustainability improvements in municipal waste management.
Reduction in the carbon content of National Grid electricity.