Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).
ESG is important to us and we are proud of the progress we’ve made, as a business, in understanding our environmental impact and the steps we have already taken towards improved sustainability. We are committed to driving positive change to protect the environment and build a sustainable future.
Our ESG Commitment
As Europe’s leading temporary security specialists, VPS Group is dedicated to protecting our customers’ assets, while also prioritising environmental responsibility and sustainability.
We work with ESG-focused markets and work with environmentally conscious customers, making us a trusted partner in sustainable security solutions.
We are committed to shaping a better future – we integrate ESG principles into out operations and continuously develop products and services that support the ESG goals of our customers and colleagues.
Key Highlights
- Social impact through Protection by Use:
- VPS is the only business in the sector to offer socially positive Protection by Use alongside other temporary security offerings
- Through repurposing vacant buildings, VPS provides affordable residential and commercial spaces
- Net Zero Commitment:
- VPS targets Net Zero by 2045, five years ahead of the UK Government’s deadline, with a 27% reduction by 2030 and 90% by 2045 (baseline year: 2023).
- Emission Hotspots for targeting improvements:
- Six critical areas contribute most to our emissions: transport, purchased goods and services, capital goods, fuel and energy activities, employee commuting, and upstream transportation and distribution.
- Diversity Progress:
- Women hold 31% of management roles, an 8% increase from 2022.
- Our Employees:
- 96.5% of employees feel their jobs are fulfilling.
- 77.7% report a healthy work-life balance.
- 81.4% feel acknowledged and appreciated for their efforts.
Our ESG Baselines
- Employee Development: In 2023, VPS invested £400,000 in employee training, delivering 5,685 training hours to all employees. Initiatives included a coaching and mentoring program, and two leadership development programs focused on High Potential Leadership and Female Leaders.
- Health & Safety: Every division has a Health & Safety (H&S) policy and designated business leads. Senior managers regularly visit sites to engage teams and address H&S concerns. Lost-time due to employee injury was 18.8 hours per million hours worked.
- Quality Standards: VPS divisions in the UK&I, Evander, Nexus, the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany are accredited to ISO 9001, undergoing annual reviews and external certifications.
- Community Contributions:
- VPS donated £52,933 to charity in 2023 and offers employees one volunteer day annually.
- UK entities contributed £12,000 in monetary and gift donations to Mission Christmas, aiding children in poverty.
- VPS France partnered with Stop Homophobie to provide emergency housing for homeless LGBTQ+ youth.
- Sustainable Procurement: Supplier vetting incorporates ESG criteria, including renewable energy use, H&S practices, and modern slavery policies. All new vehicles are hybrid or electric, with plans to phase out the grey fleet responsibly.
How Our ESG Approach Benefits You
The VPS Group has had our carbon output independently measured and are on a journey to be Net Zero by 2045. We ensure that our offering benefits our customers, their ESG goals and the colleagues working for us.
Our blended consultative approach to temporary security delivers a fully integrated security solutions offer, an enhanced and environmentally positive option compared to competitors.
Technology-Driven Security: VPS uses cutting edge monitored video technology working alongside human intervention and physical barriers. By utilising cloud-based security monitoring systems working with an Alarm Receiving Centre who analyse the footage, guards are despatched from the nearest depot only when an alarm is activated. Having a manned guard on site every day can mean a commute to and from site every day by car, compared to a huge reduction when only attending site when an alarm is activated. This technology-focused solution can provide up to 82% reduction in emissions and reduce operational emissions by 96%. *
ISO 14001: UK Guardians, Evander and Nexus are ISO 14001 certified – an internationally recognised standard for environmental management systems.
Off Grid Solutions: Our newest security towers use a combination of solar and methanol power. Solar panels power and charge a battery within the tower, with the methanol battery working when solar radiance has been insufficient. In Southern France, Spain and Italy these product options work primarily on solar and reduces power consumption by an estimated 78% versus traditional hydrogen or mains powered towers.
Modular Equipment: Compared to other Monitored Video Technology providers we ensure that our new technology is modular and does not rely on heavy logistics to install. Modular options can be transported in standard work vans and require one or two installers to fit without the use of any additional lifting apparatus.
Unique Offerings: In the UK, Netherlands and France, VPS have a Guardians business, offering a unique proposition to property protection by placing vetted individuals into vacant properties to provide security as well as a valuable social and economic benefit. Guardians protecting an otherwise vacant property repurposes vacant buildings, creates affordable housing, supports local economies and communities and provides enhanced security for property owners. The Guardians model offers a security solution for both residential and commercial properties. The VPS Group is the only temporary security company to offer the Guardians proposition, and we plan to expand the offering into new geographies.
Net Zero Emission Reduction Plan
The VPS Group has a detailed carbon emissions reduction plan, the key actions of which are summarised below:
Emission Breakdown:
- 23% Transport and Stationary Combustion.
- 1% Electricity usage.
- 76%, with the largest contributors:
- Purchased goods/services (48%).
- Transport (21%).
- Capital goods (9%).
Strategic Actions:
- Transitioning fleet vehicles to EVs.
- Shifting all sites to verified renewable energy sources.
- Improving data for logistics emissions and waste tracking.
- Promoting lower-emission commuting and remote working practices.
How Smart Technology helps reduce Carbon Emissions
- a saving of 6.78 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent (tCO2e)
- reduces operational emissions by 96%
- cuts transports emissions by 82%
Our Accreditations
VPS Group business units Nexus and VPS Site Security are approved by the SIA within the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) for Security Guarding, Key Holding and CCTV.
