Our Environmental Performance
Environmental Impacts
Our main direct environmental impacts arise from the use of our buildings and directly managed properties and from staff business travel. Indirect impacts are produced by the goods we purchase, during their manufacture, transport and disposal, and by our investment decisions (see 'Socially Responsible Investment').
Our key environmental issues can be divided broadly into:
- Emissions to air (greenhouse gases and ozone depleting substances)
- Emissions to land (waste)
- Resource use (use of water, gas, electricity and materials purchased)
During 2005, we worked with the Carbon Trust to investigate the challenges and opportunities that climate change and carbon constraints will present to our business. Recommendations were developed to address short, medium and long-term impacts in each of our business areas. As a business operating in the insurance sector, Legal & General faces particular operational risks associated with climate change and its effects on our policy holders and the built environment. We recognise this and will continue our dialogue with the Carbon Trust, incorporate their recommendations into our 2006 environmental action plans where appropriate, and aim to develop a longer-term strategy to address the consequences of climate change.
Initiatives have also been undertaken to minimise the environmental impact of our supply chain (see 'Our Suppliers').
