Investor relations
corporate responsibility
The environment
It is the Group’s policy to foster an informed and responsible approach to all environmental concerns and encourage the involvement of employees, customers and suppliers.
Our processes
It is the Group’s policy to:
- seek to eliminate and, where this is not practicable, to minimise negative environmental impacts from the pursuit of all business interests while continuing to produce high quality products which meet customer requirements;
- comply with all statutory environmental legislation as a minimum, and aim to improve upon the standards set by the local regulatory authorities; and
- foster an informed and responsible approach to all environmental concerns and encourage the involvement of employees, customers and suppliers. Regulatory authorities are consulted and informed at all appropriate times.
Waste and recycling
The Group has effective environmental management and health and safety systems in place, in support of, and to complement, its quality assurance systems. At its remaining site in Germany a proactive approach is taken to the pre-treatment of waste as required by the EU Landfill Directive. The purpose of this treatment requirement is to reduce the impact of waste sent to landfill and to increase the amount of waste that is recycled.
Environmental management systems
We recognise the need to establish, formalise and apply an environmental management system. Therefore, in order to enhance further its already effective environmental and health and safety management systems, the site in Erfurt, Germany, has been carrying out an environmental audit for more than ten years, focusing on the consumption of water and electricity and the emission of waste materials.
These high standards complement and consolidate the Erfurt operation’s EN ISO 9001 status; further fulfilling our responsibility to the environment and health and safety.
Our staff
The Group’s policy is to provide equal opportunities to all existing and prospective employees. The Group recognises that its operation and reputation depends upon the skills and effectiveness of its employees and is committed to the fair and equitable treatment of all and to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, race, nationality or ethnic origin.
It is the Group’s policy to give sympathetic consideration to the recruitment, continuing employment, training, career development and promotion of disabled persons. In the event that a person became disabled he or she would continue to be employed, wherever possible, in the same job. If the degree of disablement made this impractical, every effort would be made to find suitable alternative employment and to give any appropriate training. The Group’s policy on training and career progression applies equally to everyone within the Group whether or not disabled.
The Group communicates its performance to its employees following the release of the preliminary and interim results each year. In Germany there is a Works Council at which factors affecting workers’ employment is discussed.
Gender diversity
The following table sets out a breakdown by gender showing at 31 December 2019 (i) the number of persons who were directors of the Company; (ii) the number of persons who were senior managers of the Group (other than persons falling within sub-paragraph (i)); and (iii) the number of persons who were employees of the Group.
|
Number |
% |
Number |
% |
|
|
Directors |
3 |
100% |
0 |
0% |
|
Senior managers |
2 |
100% |
0 |
0% |
|
Other employees |
12 |
63% |
7 |
37% |
Training and health and safety
The Group recognises that a key factor in its successful operations is its personnel. Management’s top priority has been to provide a safe and secure work environment for all. To this end, health and safety training has been of paramount importance.
Initial in-house health and safety induction training for all personnel joining is supported by external specialist trainers for occupation specific training. A voluntary health management programme was run for all staff in Erfurt in 2019.
The Group is committed to the ongoing training and development of its personnel. Particular skills-based training is provided to individuals when identified and seen as beneficial to the overall operation of the Group.
The Group recognises its responsibilities under health and safety legislation to ensure, so far as it is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all its employees. Group policy is to take all reasonable precautions to prevent accidents and dangerous occurrences and for the creation of working conditions which safeguard employees. The Group attaches the greatest importance to health and safety, considering this to be a management responsibility. To this end the Group will allocate the necessary resources and enlist the active support of all employees upon whom duties are also imposed by health and safety legislation. The Group regards the standards set by the various relevant statutory provisions as the minimum standards which must be achieved and endeavours to improve upon these where reasonably practicable.
Human rights
We confirm our commitment to the human rights of our employees across all of our businesses.
We will include a statement concerning slavery and human trafficking on our website, www.pvcrystalox.com, as is required by the Modern Slavery Act.
PV Crystalox Solar greenhouse gas emissions
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
This greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions report is in line with UK mandatory reporting requirements as set out under the Companies Act 2006 (Strategic and Directors’ Reports) Regulations 2013.
The Group’s emissions have been calculated based on the UK Government’s Environmental Reporting Guidance. Emissions reported correspond with our financial year. We are reporting the direct emissions from combustion of fuel in PV Crystalox Solar facilities (scope 1) and indirect emissions resulting from electricity purchased by PV Crystalox Solar (scope 2). These emissions cover the operation of head office activities in the United Kingdom and the wafer production activities and slicing services in Germany.
Emissions are predominantly from gas and oil combustion and electricity use at our manufacturing facilities. We have used conversion factors provided in the “UK Government conversion factors for company reporting” for UK emissions and have taken into account the local electricity mix for the conversion factor for our German operations.
We have used tonnes of CO2 per €1 million of revenue as an intensity measurement.
|
2019 Tones CO2 |
2018 Tones CO2 |
|
|
Scope 1 |
||
|
Direct emissions from combustion of fuel in PV Crystalox Solar PLC Group facilities |
110 |
100 |
|
Scope 2 |
||
|
Indirect emissions resulting from electricity purchased by |
122 |
394 |
|
Scope 1 and Scope 2 |
322 |
494 |
|
Intensity measurement |
605 |
78 |
* It should also be noted that revenue includes multicrystalline wafer shipments in the prior year. This activity was terminated in 2018 and since then the Group has focused on providing slicing services for the high technology ceramic and optic industries in Germany. This means the intensity measurement for 2019 and 2018 compares different activities. The management team will continue to monitor and review the appropriateness of the intensity ratio.
Directors’ approval statement
This Strategic Report as set out on pages 1 to 8 of the Annual Report 2019 has been reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors, and signed on its behalf by:
Iain Dorrity
Chief Executive Officer
18 March 2020