We're continuing to reduce our carbon footprint

At Leeds Building Society, we’re serious about doing our bit for the environment. So we’re proud to say that we’ve held the Carbon Trust Standard for Carbon since 2018.

The certification shows that we’re committed to minimising our carbon footprint. And we’re one of only two building societies to have it.

What is the Carbon Trust Standard for Carbon?

The Carbon Trust Standard for Carbon recognises organisations that are cutting their carbon footprint. It was developed by the Carbon Trust, an independent, expert partner of leading organisations around the world, helping them contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable future.

Here are three things we’ve done to help reduce our carbon footprint:

1. 100% renewable electricity

We’re continuing to purchase 100% renewable electricity in our branches and offices. This energy comes from wind and hydro sources, which is matched to Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs). So for every unit of energy we use in our branches and offices, another unit of renewable energy is put into the National Grid.

2. Our new head office

We opened our new head office in Leeds city centre in May 2021. During its development, we worked with a company called Graham to reduce the building’s carbon footprint. We’ve replaced the existing façade with glass, increasing the amount of natural daylight. This means we can use less artificial lighting. We’ve also installed new cladding, keeping the heat in during winter and reducing the amount of cooling we need in the summer. And we’ve taken out all the fossil fuel heating from the building. That means it’s completely powered by renewable electricity, like the rest of our branches.

3. Encouraging our colleagues to take action

In 2019, we teamed up with Do Nation to support our colleagues to make sustainable lifestyle changes. Since then, our colleagues have made 100s of pledges. They ranged from taking the stairs to cutting down on meat consumption. The pledges were estimated to save almost 3,000kg CO2, or the equivalent of 27 flights from Glasgow to Amsterdam. According to Do Nation there’s a 54% chance people will stick to their pledges for two months, and a 42% chance they’ll continue for a year or more. [2]

Market Based Aproach

Location Based Approach

[2] https://www.wearedonation.com/about/