Environment

We embrace our responsibility for protecting the natural environment and, since 2007, have taken significant steps towards reducing our carbon footprint.

Our environmental strategy focuses on energy efficiency as our main priority. Having established our environment committee in 2007, we have continued to take steps to reduce our carbon footprint. Approximately 90% of our emissions come from energy use in our buildings and the remainder from travel and waste disposal, so we have been working with The Carbon Trust to improve energy efficiency and ensure compliance with the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC).

Working with Inenco (an energy management, sustainability and environmental consultancy) and The Carbon Trust, we have carried out detailed energy surveys in a representative sample of properties, identifying ways to save energy and costs with potential for implementation across our estate. Recommendations cover energy use in everything from air conditioning to catering, and the charging procedures used for electronic bingo terminals. In addition to this work, the introduction of automated gas and electricity meter reading in Grosvenor Casinos and Mecca Bingo is providing us with an in-depth understanding of consumption patterns, enabling energy use to be analysed on a daily basis site-by-site. When fully implemented this will lead to increased energy efficiency across our estate.

This year we also:

• held seven regional training seminars on CRC and energy efficiency;
• continued to work towards achieving The Carbon Trust Standard, which recognises good practice in the key areas of measurement, management and reduction (targeted for summer 2010); and
• verified our previous carbon calculations to establish a basis for future reporting.

These and other environmental initiatives are being undertaken to ensure Rank fulfils its commitments in energy, carbon and cost efficiency.