Decarbonisation is critical to James Cropper, and we have developed a comprehensive roadmap to rethink our energy consumption, reduce primary energy use and shift to renewables. We plan to cut natural gas use by 25% by 2025 and achieve net zero across our supply chain by 2050.
We currently operate one of the UK’s largest roof-mounted PV systems and have planning permission for a new Low Carbon Energy Centre to electrify our papermaking processes. Sustainable product development helps our customers and consumers reduce their carbon footprints.
Key achievements:
We are committed to fostering a positive and safe workplace that prioritizes the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of our employees. The pandemic has highlighted the need for a healthier world, making the wellbeing of our communities a top priority.
Our employee engagement initiatives have particularly focused on mental health services and support. Over the past year, we launched mental health awareness campaigns, providing information and advice from the Mental Health Foundation.
Key initiatives include:
Through the application of our intellectual property and innovative technologies, our smart solutions work to reduce our impact, and that of our customers on the environment.
Over centuries, industry and land management have shaped and polluted our river systems, lakes, and oceans. James Cropper has developed a water strategy that minimizes water use in manufacturing, recycles water used in production, and includes a water treatment facility. This approach ensures that 97% of the water used in our operations is cleaned and returned to the rivers we depend on.
At James Cropper we are committed to providing meaningful work. At the heart of this commitment is fair pay, even more important in light of the global cost of living crisis.
Equality and diversity are essential to ensuring we run the business ethically for our valued employees. Our Gender Pay Report ensures transparency of data and our approach to improve equality for current and future employees.
The mean gender pay gap at James Cropper in 2022 was -0.5%. Our continued focus will act as a catalyst, ensuring equality of pay in the workplace.
At James Cropper, our core values of Forward Thinking, Responsible, and Caring are central to our operations, as outlined in our people policy framework. These values guide our interactions with customers, suppliers, and employees. Our Code of Ethics and Behaviours (the Code) provides detailed guidance on these values and expectations, which all employees are required to uphold. The People team maintains a register to ensure all employees have received and understood the Code, emphasizing honesty and integrity in all business conduct. Additionally, both external and internal factors are considered when assessing risks, including legal, regulatory, environmental, social, and governance aspects.
James Cropper is committed to being recognised as a leading innovator in the recovery of fibre, through post consumer or manufacturing waste. Additionally, we work to ensure that our waste that can’t be recycled is upcycled and approved by the environment agency as fertiliser on farms near our Burneside site. For James Cropper, making a material difference means ensuring that our products and by-products don’t make their way to landfill.
James Cropper is dedicated to being a force for good in society, focusing on ensuring economic sustainability, employment, and positively contributing to the local community. We support the local community through monetary and material donations, volunteer work, and initiatives like modernizing the local school library to encourage reading among students.
We promote sustainable practices through our approach to raw material procurement, which supports sustainable sourcing and supplier partnerships. This commitment provides our customers with confidence in the provenance of materials. Our dedication to sustainable sourcing is reinforced by supply chain certification and transparency, ensuring environmental integrity and social accountability.
In 2022, we implemented our Supplier Code of Conduct (SCoC), achieving over 90% compliance from key supply chain partners. Confirming the environmental and social standards in our upstream supply chains has become an increasingly crucial prerequisite.
