QA Carbon Net Zero Policy

Climate change affects us all, wherever we are, and we all have a part to play in reducing the causes of that change. Although QA’s skills development and education activities have a low carbon footprint, we have taken many steps already to reduce our direct and indirect carbon emissions arising from use of fossil fuels.

Through increased use of virtual and digital training methods, we are taking steps to significantly reduce our property portfolio together with the level of corporate travel to deliver in-person learning. In addition, our recently introduced work-from-home policies are also helping lower future property needs and the extent of travel undertaken by employees. We have already taken steps to procure zero carbon utilities where available.

Through this statement, we state our intention to continue our journey to reducing our carbon emissions to net zero by 2030.

To further achieve net-zero carbon emissions, we will:

• Determine our current baseline energy consumption and carbon emissions
  within our business and our supply chain and set targets for reducing
  those emissions
• Reduce our direct and indirect carbon emissions to zero where possible and offset unavoidable emissions through sustainable offsetting projects by 2050. Ultimately however, we aim to minimize and ideally eliminate the need to offset emissions altogether
• Review the way that our staff work, and our methods for delivering training to our learners to further eliminate avoidable carbon emissions from travel and to ensure efficient use of our buildings
• Implement improvements to building services and design that reduce and minimize energy use and direct use of fossil fuels in particular
• Work with our travel partners to encourage use of zero and low-carbon vehicles
• Work with our other supply-chain partners to encourage their adoption of net-zero carbon strategies

We will publish our formal strategy and plan for achieving our 2050 target before the end of 2022.

Paul Geddes
Chief Executive Officer
3rd November 2022