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At Sky, we’ve been <a href="https://static.skyassets.com/contentstack/assets/bltdc2476c7b6b194dd/blt0521475f4428efe3/5e3c52cbaf081c680c6b2be6/Sky-carbon-neutral-policy-2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon neutral since 2006</a>. We cut the carbon emissions created by our offices and studios and offset the rest. We’re committed to powering our business with renewable energy and we’re always improving efficiency. To get to net zero carbon, we’re developing the world’s most sustainable film and TV studio. We’ll make every TV channel, show and film we produce net zero carbon. We’ll transform our 5,000 vehicles to create a zero emissions fleet. And we’ll do much more with our supply chain and with our products.

Our Operations

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We’ve always cared about our impact on the world. Over the last 10 years, we focused our attention on our energy, travel, waste and water.
During that time, we reduced our carbon intensity by 55% and cut our business travel emissions by 39%. We send 0% of waste from Sky-owned sites to landfill. We recycle 100% of food waste at our main offices and have reduced water consumption per person too. We increased fuel efficiency across our fleet by 15%.
To find new ways to reduce emissions, we’re reviewing progress and piloting low-emission vans and shuttle buses. As members of <a href="http://there100.org/">RE100,</a> we only use renewable energy for our owned and controlled sites. We also invest in on-site renewable energy. This accounts for at least 20% of the energy used. It includes solar panels and a wind turbine at our Osterley campus.
As members of the <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/climate-change/zero-carbon-london/london-business-climate-leaders">London Business Climate Leaders Group</a>, we’re working towards a zero carbon city with the Mayor of London.<ul><li>Our operations will continue to be carbon neutral. We’ll keep reducing emissions as fast as we can and investing in natural sinks – forests, mangroves and seagrass – to absorb the carbon emissions we can’t cut… yet.</li><li>We will grow our business in the most efficient way, and cut our carbon intensity across the Sky Group by 50%.</li><li>We’ll keep powering our business with 100% renewable energy. And we’ll grow our investment in on-site renewables.</li><li>We’ll transition our 5,000 vehicles to create a zero-emissions fleet. This includes our engineering vans, company cars, broadcast vehicles and shuttle buses.</li></ul>

Our TV Productions

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We believe TV should be made in the most sustainable way. So we’re making all the TV channels, shows and films we produce net zero carbon by 2030. And we’re working with our partners in the industry to create change.
In the UK and Ireland, we’re raising awareness through the <a href="http://wearealbert.org/">BAFTA albert Consortium</a>, which we jointly founded with other broadcasters in 2011. When we commission new TV shows, we use BAFTA albert's carbon calculator to measure carbon emissions and going forwards we’ll set genre-specific targets. These targets include the transport of all people and goods. We’ve encouraged production teams to use public transport and car shares, and cut the number of flights they take..
Also in 2019, we announced our ambitious plan to develop Sky Studios Elstree, one of Europe’s leading TV and movie studios. We’ll make it the world’s most sustainable studio. Sky Studios Elstree will run on renewable energy and on-site renewables, with plenty of electric vehicle charging points. It will be built in line with the Green Buildings Council’s Framework Definition for Net Zero Buildings.
In Germany, we require all productions to set and meet environmental targets, and these are supported with a Green Productions Guide and Consultant.
Across the Sky Group, our Sustainable Production Working Group supports progress across every genre of TV. 
Recently, we’ve been working with BAFTA albert on empowering creators to make editorial content that supports a vision for a sustainable future, because it’s not just about how we make TV. We’ll use our scale and reach as Europe’s leading direct-to-consumer media and entertainment company, to start new conversations and inspire action. We’ll spread the word through our channels and shows, inspiring as many people as we can to join us and #GoZero.

Our Supply Chain

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Around 11,000 companies work with Sky, doing everything from making our Sky boxes to producing the next hit TV series. We’re supporting our suppliers across the world to work towards a net carbon zero world, alongside us. Their carbon emissions make up 34%* of our total value chain carbon footprint. So together, we can make a difference.
Since the Carbon Disclosure project launched their <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/supply-chain">Supply Chain Programme </a>, we’ve been a leading member. We engage our suppliers on responsible sourcing, including energy efficiency and renewables.
Zinwell is one of our manufacturing partners, making the Sky tech products that end up in millions of customers’ homes. In consultation with Sky, they installed large-scale solar panels to power their factory in Shenzen, China. The first of their kind in the district, the solar panels produce around 1.4 megawatts a year, providing roughly 50% of the electricity used to make Sky products there. Two other suppliers in China, WNC and Picotronics, are also taking action on renewable energy and efficiency.
We will now engage our global supply chains, starting with the most carbon intensive suppliers, and the suppliers where we can make the biggest difference. As we did with Zinwell, WNC and Picotronics, we’ll support them with the tools and knowledge they need to make the transition to a net zero carbon future.
Just like Sky Ocean Rescue, everything we’re doing to get to net zero carbon by 2030 has to be financially sustainable. Where necessary, we’ll invest to meet this goal and we’ll work with suppliers to map a programme that is ambitious, but achievable. We have a rigorous monitoring programme to ensure that what we do is good in the round: good for people as well as good for the planet. 
*Based on 2017/18 Audited Scope 1,2 and 3 data – can be viewed in our <a href="https://static.skyassets.com/contentstack/assets/bltdc2476c7b6b194dd/blt88eebb8943f06b03/5bd6e0c5e6058c675f8e4bad/Sky_Bigger_Picture_Impact_Report_2018.pdf" target="_blank">Bigger Picture Impact Report</a>

Our Products

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We have 23 million customers across Europe. Millions more watch, surf and chat with Sky every day. The energy use of our products in customer homes is the biggest part of our carbon footprint. It changes as our business grows and as we introduce new products to enhance the customer experience. In 2018, this amounted to 53%* of our total direct and indirect footprint.

So we’re working to cut the emissions created by the use our tech products in customer homes, by at least 50%, by 2030.

We’ll do it by focusing on sustainable product design and delivery. Our hardware and software design teams will work closely with our industrial product design colleagues to increase the efficiency of our products and engage customers. We are setting our net zero carbon pathway for customer emissions and will report on our progress as we go.

We’ve always cared about the full lifecycle impacts of our products. For years, we’ve been working to drive efficiencies and improvements.

Our Sky and NOW TV product portfolio offers a range of options which have different energy consumption profiles, from Apps to TV sticks, broadband routers, Sky mobiles, Sky boxes and now TVs.

Sky Glass is our first product to be certified CarbonNeutral®. By combining a TV, Sky box and sound bar in one we’re saving our customers energy, and ongoing software updates will keeping Sky Glass cutting edge for years to come. The design and product supply chain are continually reviewed to reduce emissions where possible. 

We introduced Active Standby to our set top boxes, and extended our standby mode hours, to save energy. We’ve equipped Sky Glass with built-in power saving features like Auto-switch off mode, which kicks in after 50 minutes when no motion is detected, and auto-adjusting screen brightness. We design for material efficiency, with Sky Q boxes being 50% smaller than our previous Sky+HD box and Sky Glass combining three devices into one. We are always innovating with sustainability in mind, both in our hardware and software.

We’ve designed Sky Glass for repair, and moved to a service model for our Sky Q portfolio and broadband hubs, to increase material efficiency and close the loop.

When we calculate our customer carbon footprint, we include all the products we provide to our customers. We don’t include the use of other products, like TV sets, and any broadband and mobile devices not provided by Sky. That’s in line with the GHG Protocol.

Through a collaboration with Bristol University, we are mapping the wider digital impact of our industry, to enable more informed decision-making to reduce the carbon emissions caused by the use of digital services.

We are also collaborating to ensure resource efficiency is placed at the heart of the UK’s industrial strategy in its path to net zero, with academic and industry partners UK Future Industrial Resource Efficiency Strategy.

*Based on 2018 Scope 1,2 and 3 data – can be viewed in our Bigger Picture Impact Report

Business transformation

Transforming our business