Our Sustainability Journey Sustainability
We're a purpose-led, sustainability leader in the international finance industry, constantly learning we have begun to integrate our purpose-driven ethos into the heart of what we do as a business.
Oak's sustainability journey
To start our journey, we began by listening. We wanted to hear thoughts from our people about leading with a sustainability strategy and the feedback was unanimous, our people want to integrate sustainability into the heart of our business and the services we offer to clients.
Please watch this video to get an insight from our people as we embark on Oak's sustainability journey.
STEP 1Sustainability education
So our people are comfortable discussing sustainability issues with colleagues and clients, we implemented a series of training workshops with Elixirr (formally KIT Consulting).
STEP 2Net Zero commitment
Our critical concern was climate change so we're prioritising a Net Zero commitment and embedding regular carbon foot-printing into our business.
STEP 3UN Global Compact
To integrate sustainability into our core, we are integrating it into the governance areas of our business and are in the process of signing the UN Global Compact.
Our Sustainability Committee
Comprised of senior leaders across our business; our Sustainability Committee is committed to setting, measuring and reporting on our ESG targets.
Jo Gorrod , Joe Woodward , Oliver de la Fosse , John Doublard , Lisa Le Ray , James Tracey , Paul Schreibke , Tanya O’Carroll , Catherine Pigeon
James Tracey, Head of Sustainability
“We have engaged with our people to consider our corporate purpose and we have set out our ambition to be a leading purpose-led business in financial services. We are committed to a journey of learning and leading by example in matters of sustainability. We have taken steps to ensure that the pillars of sustainability; Environmental, Social and Governance are embedded in our business.”
Oliver de la Fosse, Group Chief Financial Officer
“We’re only at the start of our journey but I’m looking forward to what we can achieve in the coming years to make Oak a true “green” business!”
Joe Woodward, Managing Director
“Our business is built on helping clients to build and leave long-lasting legacies. We must therefore ensure that we make a positive impact on our planet and ensure that future generations can enjoy the benefits of the actions we take today to help secure a better tomorrow.”
Going Net Zero
Oak is acutely aware that climate change is the most critical global environmental issue and our people's main concern. The COP26 summit highlighted that the targets set by the original 196 parties to the Paris Agreement can only now be delivered with an overwhelming increase in ambition and action on greenhouse gas reduction.
We take our role as a sustainability leader within the international finance industry seriously by demonstrating how financial service firms can push the greenhouse gas reduction agenda by planning the delivery of our own Net Zero target. We also intend to actively influence our stakeholders to reduce their carbon footprint.
The UN Global Compact
We are committed to becoming signatories to the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, the UN Global Compact.
Why the UN Global Compact?
We will align with the UN Global Compact because;
1. The 10 principles of the compact act as our go-to source of inspiration for what a sustainable business looks like in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption.
2. As a signatory, we will be able to share and learn corporate sustainability best practice with our global peers.
3. It will motivate us to compile an annual communication on progress to provide transparency to our stakeholders on the actions we are taking to deliver on our sustainability purpose.
UN Global Compact communications
This governance model places sustainability as a key consideration in all the actions and decisions we take as a business. The compilation of an annual UN Global Compact communication progress report will be a result of the implementation of our sustainability governance model, and we will share our letters of commitment and communication on progress with our stakeholders in our annual publications.
Should you wish to communicate with Oak on any of the contents published, please contact sustainability@oak.group.