Carbon Reduction
& Net Zero Plan

Sustainable care for healthier communities, today and tomorrow.

We're committed to reducing our environmental impact, building a cleaner, greener future and helping to create healthier communties for generations to come.

ONE

Caring for People. Caring for Our Planet.

At Kingdom Kare, our responsibility extends beyond providing safe, compassionate and person-centred care. We also recognise our responsibility to the environment and to the communities in which the people we support live.

Climate change and environmental pollution can have a direct impact on health and wellbeing. Cleaner air, more sustainable communities and responsible use of resources all contribute to healthier places to live and work.

As a homecare organisation, we understand that our activities have an environmental impact. From the journeys our care professionals make between people's homes to the energy used in our offices and the products we purchase, we are committed to identifying where we can make meaningful improvements.

Our Net Zero 2050 commitment sets out how Kingdom Kare will work towards reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and becoming a more environmentally responsible organisation.

Staff Travel

Travel between people's homes is expected to be one of the largest contributors to our operational emissions. We therefore see sustainable and efficient travel as one of the most important areas for action.

Understanding our environmental footprint is essential if we are to reduce it effectively.

As a domiciliary care provider, our carbon footprint is influenced by several areas of our operation.

Energy Consumption

Our offices and other workplaces require electricity, heating, lighting and technology. Reducing unnecessary energy use and improving efficiency will help us lower associated emissions.

Where Our Emissions Come From

TWO

Purchasing

The products and services we buy also have an environmental impact. This includes items such as PPE, uniforms, cleaning products, stationery, IT equipment and other operational supplies.

Waste and Resources

Reducing unnecessary consumption, increasing digital working and improving recycling and waste management can help us use resources more efficiently.

As our Net Zero programme develops, we will continue to improve the accuracy of our emissions data and identify additional areas for reduction.

THREE

Making Travel More Sustainable

Travel is an essential part of delivering homecare, so our approach must balance environmental responsibility with the need to provide reliable and safe care.

Smarter Scheduling

Our scheduling and care management systems will be used to identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary mileage.

Where service requirements allow, we will aim to:

Group visits geographically.
Reduce unnecessary journeys between appointments.
Allocate care calls within smaller local areas.
Identify opportunities for walking or cycling between nearby calls.
Allow realistic travel time between appointments.

Reducing unnecessary mileage can benefit both the environment and our care teams by creating more efficient working patterns.

Lower-Emission Vehicles

We will encourage colleagues who use vehicles for work-related travel to consider lower-emission alternatives where practical.

This may include:

Hybrid vehicles.
Electric vehicles.
Other lower-emission transport options.

We recognise that the transition will depend on factors such as affordability, vehicle availability, charging infrastructure and individual circumstances.

Our ambition is to steadily increase the proportion of care-related mileage undertaken using lower-emission vehicles as infrastructure and technology develop.

Sustainable Travel Choices

Where appropriate, Kingdom Kare will encourage the use of:

Walking.
Cycling and e-bikes.
Public transport.
Car sharing.
Electric and hybrid vehicles.

We will also explore relevant schemes and partnerships that could make sustainable travel more accessible to our workforce.

Greener Workplaces

FOUR

We recognise that our day-to-day working practices have an environmental impact. We are committed to making responsible choices and reducing unnecessary energy and resource use wherever practical.

Kingdom Kare will work towards improving energy efficiency by:

Using energy efficiently across our workplace and day-to-day operations.
Moving towards energy-efficient lighting.
Improving heating efficiency.
Switching off unnecessary equipment and lighting.
Monitoring energy consumption.
Reducing unnecessary paper use.
Making greater use of digital systems.
Considering energy efficiency and sustainability when choosing any future business premises or equipment.

Technology will also be used to reduce avoidable travel. Where appropriate, meetings, training and administrative activities may be delivered remotely.

FIVE

Responsible Purchasing

Our environmental responsibilities extend to the suppliers and products that support our services.

When purchasing goods and services, we will consider environmental factors alongside quality, safety, suitability and value.

Where practical, we will:

Work with suppliers that demonstrate responsible environmental practices.
Consider the environmental impact of products before purchasing.
Reduce unnecessary packaging and waste.
Look for lower-impact alternatives to commonly purchased products.
Consider sustainability when purchasing uniforms and PPE.
Explore environmentally preferable cleaning and office products.
Reduce unnecessary consumption through better purchasing controls.

We will progressively incorporate environmental considerations into our procurement processes.

SIX

Building an Environmentally Aware Workforce

Net Zero cannot be achieved by management alone.

Our colleagues play an important role in identifying practical ways to reduce our environmental impact because they understand our day-to-day operations.

Kingdom Kare will encourage a culture where employees are able to contribute ideas and identify opportunities for improvement.

This will include awareness around:

Sustainable travel.
Fuel-efficient driving.
Energy conservation.
Reducing waste.
Responsible use of resources.
Digital working.
Sustainable purchasing.

Where appropriate, environmental responsibilities will be incorporated into staff development, training and organisational initiatives.

Our targets will develop as our carbon baseline becomes more established and as new technology and sustainable solutions become available.

2027

Establishing Our Baseline

By late 2027, Kingdom Kare aims to:

Establish a comprehensive organisational carbon baseline.
Identify the main sources of our greenhouse gas emissions.
Develop a detailed Net Zero action plan.
Establish appropriate systems for monitoring progress.
Identify immediate opportunities to reduce emissions.

2030

Reducing Our Footprint

By 2030, our ambition is to achieve at least a 30% reduction in operational emissions compared with our agreed baseline year.

Priority areas will include:

More efficient staff travel.
Localised care scheduling.
Fuel-efficient driving.
Reduced energy consumption.
Increased use of digital systems.
More sustainable procurement.

Our Roadmap to 2050

SEVEN

2035

Accelerating Change

By 2035, we will aim to:

Source 100% renewable electricity for our offices where practical.
Significantly reduce emissions associated with our workplaces.
Increase the use of lower-emission vehicles.
Continue improving the efficiency of care staff travel.
Review our progress and strengthen our action plan where necessary.

2040

Preparing for the Final Stage

By 2040, Kingdom Kare will focus on accelerating the transition towards low-carbon operations.

This will include further increasing the proportion of care-related journeys made using electric, hybrid or other low-emission vehicles and continuing to improve our buildings, technology and procurement practices.

2050

Net Zero

By 2050, our objective is for Kingdom Kare to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions across our operations.

Any emissions that remain unavoidable after reasonable reduction measures have been implemented will be addressed through credible and appropriately verified measures.

Measuring Progress

EIGHT

Our Net Zero journey will be evidence-led.

We will seek to monitor relevant information such as:

Business and care-related mileage.
Energy consumption.
Electricity sources.
Fuel use.
Procurement and resource consumption.
Waste where meaningful data is available.
Progress against our emissions reduction targets.

As our data improves, we will refine our understanding of our carbon footprint and use this information to set increasingly meaningful targets.

NINE

Accountability and Review

Responsibility for the implementation of this policy sits with the Kingdom Kare Senior Management.

Progress will be reviewed as part of our wider organisational governance arrangements.

Annual Review

This policy and our associated action plan will be reviewed at least annually.

Reviews will take account of:

Progress against targets.
Changes in environmental legislation.
Government policy.
New technologies.
Changes within the health and social care sector.
Feedback from our workforce.
Opportunities to further reduce emissions.

Our targets and actions will be updated where necessary to ensure that they remain appropriate and achievable.

TEN

Communicating Our Progress

Kingdom Kare believes that transparency is an important part of our environmental commitment.

Where appropriate, we will communicate our progress through our website and other organisational communications.

Updates may include:

Actions completed during the year.
Progress against our Net Zero targets.
Changes to our environmental initiatives.
Future priorities and areas for improvement.

We will continue to develop our reporting as our carbon measurement systems become more established.

ELEVEN

Addressing Residual Emissions

Our first priority will always be to avoid, reduce and eliminate emissions wherever reasonably possible.

Some emissions may remain unavoidable while technology, infrastructure and operational circumstances continue to develop.

Where this occurs, Kingdom Kare may consider appropriate measures to address residual emissions, including credible and independently verified environmental projects.

Any such approach will be considered carefully to ensure that it supports genuine environmental benefits.

Offsetting will therefore form part of our longer-term approach to residual emissions rather than being used as an alternative to reducing emissions from our own activities.

Our Net Zero commitment forms part of Kingdom Kare's wider approach to social responsibility.

We believe that sustainable care is about considering the long-term wellbeing of people, communities and the environment.

By reducing unnecessary journeys, using resources responsibly, improving energy efficiency and encouraging sustainable working practices, we can contribute to healthier communities while continuing to deliver high-quality care.

Our environmental ambitions also support the long-term resilience of Kingdom Kare, helping us adapt to changing environmental expectations, technology and the needs of the communities we serve.

"At Kingdom Kare, caring means looking beyond today. Our commitment to Net Zero 2050 is part of our promise to provide compassionate care responsibly, protect the communities we serve and help create a healthier and more sustainable future for generations to come."

Our Wider Social Value

TWELVE

Policy Commitment

Kingdom Kare will continue to review, improve and strengthen its approach to environmental sustainability as we progress towards our Net Zero 2050 ambition.

We recognise that meaningful change will take time, collaboration and ongoing investment. Through responsible leadership, the involvement of our workforce and continuous improvement, we will work towards delivering care that is not only person-centred, but environmentally responsible too.

Companionship and emotional wellbeing support