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Our Planet, Our Plan

Our sustainability strategy to deliver a positive impact for our colleagues, clients, suppliers, communities and planet.

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Our priorities

Corporate integrity

Integrity is the foundation of our culture and client relationships. We are committed to ethical conduct, transparency and accountability, supported by strong safeguards against bribery, corruption and misconduct. We foster an environment where concerns can be raised safely and doing the right thing is expected at every level.

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People experience

Our people are at the core of LRQA’s success. Therefore, our people experience priority reinforces our dedication to fostering a workplace where every individual can thrive, develop and contribute meaningfully.

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Enhanced livelihoods

Our work directly enhances livelihoods across global value chains, creating positive social impact in the communities where we operate, ensuring better outcomes for workers and strengthening ethical labour practices worldwide.

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Climate action

We are committed to partnering with clients to navigate the energy transition and achieve net zero. Alongside supporting sustainable solutions externally, we are taking proactive measures to reduce LRQA’s own environmental footprint, with a commitment to reach net zero by 2040.

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Sustainability governance at LRQA

Sustainability governance at LRQA is built on clear lines of ownership and accountability, extending from individual contributors to board-level oversight.

Board-level oversight

LRQA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board of Directors hold formal oversight of the company’s sustainability performance, ensuring that our sustainability strategy, called Our Planet, Our Plan, is effectively governed and implemented. This group of leaders is responsible for approving, monitoring and reviewing the strategy, conducting quarterly assessments and reviewing our sustainability progress reports. The Board also conducts annual meetings with the Sustainability Team for a comprehensive progress review and an evaluation of future priorities.

Executive Leadership Team

The Executive Leadership Team (ELT) serves as the governing committee for sustainability at the executive level, actively overseeing the review and approval of strategic decisions that align with Our Planet, Our Plan. Within the ELT, an Executive Sponsor holds primary responsibility for sustainability stewardship, ensuring alignment with broader corporate objectives. 

Sustainability Team

Our dedicated Sustainability Team leads the implementation of Our Planet, Our Plan, working across the business to embed sustainability into daily operations and strategic decision making. 

Sustainability Leadership Team

Our Sustainability Leadership Team (SLT) consists of global heads from across LRQA’s operations, ensuring that sustainability is embedded into our business strategy and effectively coordinated with internal and external stakeholders. The Sustainability Team is responsible for engaging the SLT, facilitating collaboration and driving the implementation of sustainability initiatives across the organisation. 

Sustainability Ambassadors

Our Sustainability Ambassadors are self-nominated employees who are deeply passionate about advancing Our Planet, Our Plan. These individuals play a hands-on role in executing sustainability actions and initiatives, acting as champions for environmental and social impact within their respective teams and business units. 

 

Our Double Materiality Assessment

In 2024, we conducted a Double Materiality Assessment (DMA) to identify our material topics – the key ESG matters where LRQA’s business activities have the most significant impact, as well as the greatest risks and opportunities posed to our business. Led by our Sustainability Team and internal experts from our ESG consulting practice, the DMA involved more than 60 internal and external stakeholders. Using these insights, we evolved Our Planet, Our Plan, driving impact where it matters most.

Our approach followed a four-step process.

Map value chain and ESG matters

Map stakeholders and value chain and list potentially relevant sustainability topics based on ESRS, SASB standards, etc.

Step 1

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Analyse impact materiality

Analyse topics based on impacts on the environment, economy and people using expert insights and stakeholder engagement.

Step 2

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Analyse financial materiality

Analyse topics based on risks and opportunities for LRQA, with inputs from key internal stakeholders.

Step 3

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Confirm and present material topics

Combine findings from in the materiality matrix. All matters above a certain threshold are material. The ELT and Board approve the final material topics.

Step 4

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Our material topics

The material topics uncovered through the DMA directly shaped our sustainability strategy. Due to the broad nature of our business and client industries, we have 10 material topics and 25 material sub-topics, as shown in our materiality matrix. 

an overview of the DMQ matrix

 

Material topics and sub-topics are outlined in the table below

Click here to view the table
Pillar Code Topic Sup-topics
Environment E1 Climate Change
  • Climate change mitigation
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Energy
  E2 Pollution
  • Air pollution
  • Water pollution
  • Soil pollution
  • Pollution of living organisms and food resources
  • Substances of concern
  • Substances of very high concern
  E4 Biodiversity & Ecosystems
  • Impacts and dependencies on ecosystem services
  E5 Circular Economy
  • Waste
  • Resource outflows related to products and services
Social S1 Own Workforce
  • Labour conditions
  • Equal treatment and opportunity
  S2 Workers in the Value Chain
  • Labour conditions
  • Equal treatment and opportunity
  • Other work-related rights
  S3 Affected Communities
  • Economic, social and cultural rights
  • Civil and political rights
  S4 Consumers and End-users
  • Personal safety of consumers and end-users
  Sx¹ Privacy and Cybersecurity
  • Privacy and cybersecurity
Governance G1 Business Conduct
  • Corporate culture
  • Corruption and bribery
  • Whistleblower protection
  • Supplier relationship management including fiscal practices

 

¹This sub-topic is not part of the ESRS, and was added as a self-identified disclosure

 

Embedding ESG into business practice

LRQA is a Participant of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business. We have embedded its Ten Principles in the priority that shape Our Planet, Our Plan and that each priority contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Reports and Policies

Read about the progress we have made in our annual sustainability progress reports, and view the policies that guide our sustainability actions.

2024 Sustainability Progress Report

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2024 Report

In this report we share results of our double materiality assessment, evolution of our sustainability priorities and continued progress towards our sustainability goals.

Read the report

2023 Sustainability Progress Report

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2023 Report

Our inaugural sustainability progress report, where we introduce our model for sustainability governance, report against key performance indicators and more.

Read the report

Policies

compliance

Policies

Doing the Right Thing is at the very core of who we are as a company and the services we offer. It is important that we have a common understanding of what Doing The Right Thing means to help us frame our conversations both internally and externally.

Read our policies