Sky is well on its way to cutting its carbon emissions in half by 2020 after the group’s latest sustainability update showed a reduction of 44% since 2008.
According to Sky’s Bigger Picture Performance 2015/16 report, improved building management, more energy efficient buildings and on-site renewables have contributed to its emissions reductions.
A fifth of the company’s emissions reportedly originate from vans belonging to its fleet of engineers and other vehicles, and this has been “a big focus area for reducing emissions”. Sky is now piloting new lower carbon technologies as part of its commitment to making the fleet 15% more energy efficient by 2020.
Despite its earlier claims, the report shows that Sky has faltered in its efforts to adopt energy efficiency measures and renewable energy, which are both well below the 20% target for the end of the decade.
The broadcaster has a target of increasing energy efficiency by 20% across all its buildings, but has so far only achieved 8%. It has the same target for energy obtained from owned or controlled renewable energy at Sky-owned sites but had only reached 6% in 2015/16. This marks a fall from 2013/14 when renewable energy made up 7% of the energy used.
Currently, Sky uses energy from a combined cooling, heating & power plant (CCHP) as well as wind power (100KW) and biomass boilers at it’s head office in Osterley, with biomass boilers in Scotland and geothermal power at its site in Germany. Solar PV panels are installed across the UK sites with the majority on top of its Osterley building.
In the coming year, a spokesperson said additional solar panels will be installed in the UK along with a CCHP in Italy.
This is likely to increase further following Sky’s decision to join the RE100 and commit to 100% renewable electricity from either on-site renewables or procured from clean energy sources in the UK and Ireland.
