Plant a Tree for Every Placement: our environmental campaign

​As part of Morson’s Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) strategy, we’ve committed to plant a tree for every placement we make as a business.

Plant a Tree for Every Placement is a new initiative for the Morson Group as we aim to achieve net zero by 2023 and offset our carbon emissions. This forms part of a larger strategy that we’ve been committed to for a number of years, involving cutting our emissions.

Gareth Morris, HSQE Director for the Morson Group, explains the initiative:

​Forests cover over 30% of the world’s land area, but during the last 50 years, around 20% of the Amazon rainforest has been lost. Every minute, 69 football fields worth of forests are cut down, and in 2019 this equated to an area the size of the United Kingdom.

In association with Treeapp, Morson is committing to doing our part to help tackle this global deforestation and help maintain the delicately balanced ecosystems that make up our world. Treeapp is a mobile app which enables anyone to plant a tree in less than a minute. The planting activities are performed by local tree-planting partners, who make sure every single tree they plant benefits endemic species and local communities. Treeapp has partnered with tree planting partners to plant trees around the world. All have met the internal criteria surrounding ethical tree planting, transparency and use-of-funds. All tree planting activities not only have environmental benefits, but also a social and economic impact by working closely with local communities.

So far, Morson has planted 7,200 trees across 12 global locations including Madagascar, Tanzania, Nepal and Indonesia.

As part of our environmental commitment, we have continued our energy reduction activities actioned during previous years while adding further measures. This has included motion sensor LED lights, increasing the percentage of electric and hybrid vehicles, (which now account for 77% of our car fleet) and maintaining a modern commercial fleet with all vehicles less than four years old. We have also continued the use of Shell Fuel Cards, as well as transferring managed offices to renewable electricity as current contracts expire. This has been aided by continuing to issue quarterly HSQE bulletins to our entire workforce to encourage greener behaviours concerning energy reduction and recycling.

This has resulted in a more than 20% decrease in our electricity usage and a more than 28% decrease in our Scope 2 indirect emissions between 2020 and 2021.

Gareth talks about the importance of ESG within businesses:

Why should ESG be a board level priority for large staffing firms?

Environmental, Social and Governance encapsulates the current corporate responsibility of organisations including the staffing sector. We have a responsibility not only to our staff and clients, but also our neighbours, community, and our environment. The future is about corporate responsibility and profit, doing one is no longer acceptable. Company boards direct the governance of an organisation. They have the power and influence to turn the ESG drumbeat into the heartbeat of the organisation. Strong governance is the hallmark of large organisations such as Morson. Good Governance at board level drives environmental and social responsibility throughout the organisation at all levels.

How has it helped Morson to win or retain big clients over the last year?

It is clear that Morson and its clients are on the same path regarding ESG. Large organisations like Morson already comply with the Regulatory requirements of ESOS and SECR regarding energy and carbon disclosures. Some of our clients who commission public services comply with the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 and the corresponding Procurement Policy Note PPN 06/21 which takes into account carbon reduction plans and the monetary value of social value positive impacts when assessing tenders. Through this compliance we are able to add value to our clients in Environmental and Social commitments, and transition from the supply chain to the value chain. This has been of great importance in winning new clients and retaining others in the last few years.

Which part of ESG has the business achieved the greatest impact in, what are you most proud of, and why?

Strong Governance has always been there at Morson. Environmentally we have taken great strides in reducing our environmental impact. Several of the Morson Group’s organisations have achieved scope 1and 2 net zero emissions, and we have committed to accelerate the low carbon transition towards the ultimate goal of total zero. In terms of Social Value You only have to look on Linkedin to see the fabulous charitable work and community engagement of both individuals and collectively throughout the Morson Group. Our leader, Ged Mason leads from the front in terms of charitable activities and local community engagement with SMEs, schools, colleges, universities, and sporting clubs small and large.

How has ESG helped to differentiate us an employer as well as a recruitment partner?

It is really important that as an employer we clearly demonstrate and communicate the positive impact we have on our staff, our agency workers, our clients, our communities and our environment. We believe that this helps differentiate us from others, and makes us an attractive proposition to potential candidates. ESG is integral in our talent acquisition strategies.

For our clients who have committed to achieve environmental targets, and measure their positive impact on people’s lives, we add value in both these areas, and we collaborate with our clients and share data and information to support both their and our Environmental and Social goals.

What is your prediction for how the ESG related expectations of clients, candidates and consultants will change over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years clients, candidates and our staff will expect us to be a socially responsible organisation working with socially responsible clients. More clients will commit to environmental and social targets, and they will expect their value chain to support them in achieving these goals.

Find out more about Morson Group’s commitment to health, safety and the environment here