People Powered Impact
Collaborating for a better tomorrow by tackling the environmental and social challenges facing businesses and society.
ExploreOur sustainability mission
We’re on a journey to deliver a positive impact for the planet, people, and society through sustainable and diverse vehicle solutions.
Destination: operate a net zero business that helps all people to achieve their full potential.
We nurture the planet together.
We create a diverse and inclusive working culture together.
We collaborate with local communities to deliver social value together.
That’s what People Powered Impact is all about – people working together to create meaningful, long-lasting change.
Ready to see what we can do? Launching in 5…4…3…2…1
Our focus areas
To fulfil our mission, People Powered Impact is split into three focus areas in which we will deliver a positive impact. Buckle up, the road to a sustainable future starts here…
Planet
Our vision is to operate as a net zero business – a better Zenith where we work together to help rebuild, strengthen, and preserve the planet.
Culture
We’re here to create and promote a healthy work culture where difference is valued, inclusion is standard, and everybody is empowered to unlock their full potential.
Community
Driving regular people powered impact in our local communities, in all our partnerships, and making a real difference as a business.
Our commitments
Within the three focus areas, there are 10 positive outcomes that we are driving towards. Each commitment relates to a specific focus area – interested in learning more? Take a journey through the focus area pages to get clued up!
01
To reach net zero for our own operations.
02
To enable customer fleet decarbonisation.
03
To lead a low-impact, circular supply chain.
04
To enhance biodiversity.
05
To build an inclusive and diverse workforce.
06
To provide colleagues with development to be the best they can be.
07
To deliver a safe and healthy workplace, free from exploitation and discrimination.
08
To support our communities.
09
To promote sustainable mobility.
10
To deliver good outcomes for all customers and help them to reach their goals.
People Powered Impact:
collaborating for a better tomorrow
Join Mark Wilson, Sustainability Manager at Zenith, as he guides you through the story of People Powered Impact. From the decarbonisation of the UK vehicle parc, to creating a better culture and a healthier community – meet key figures on our sustainability journey, and discover how we are changing the way we work to help create a more sustainable planet. This is our commitment.
STAYING ON TRACK
As our People Powered Impact plan progresses, we’ll keep ourselves on track through the following methods.
MEASURING SUCCESS
We ensure we’re delivering a truly positive impact in each focus area through a series of measures of success. These are a mixture of deliverable targets that have been defined by our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) committee and signed off by our Board. Progress is also tracked through key performance indicators (KPIs), which have been based upon the World Economic Forum paper; ‘Measuring Stakeholder Capitalism’.
GOVERNANCE FOR GOOD
We have a clear sustainability governance structure in place to ensure we’re always acting with integrity, fairness and transparency. Together, the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Committee and our Sustainability Manager, lead the design, delivery, and reporting arms of our strategy.
Our ESG Committee is supported by our Climate Risk working group and the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) Committee. Underpinning the ED&I Committee, are six colleague-led Focus Groups: Gender; Age; ZenAbility; Neurodiversity; LGBTQIA+ and the Ethnicity, Race and Religion group.
Read more in our 2023 Annual Report, pp. 78-83.
Find our Modern Slavery Statement here.
ENGAGING WITH PEOPLE
What would a People Powered Impact strategy be without communicating with our people? We build long-term environmental, social, ethical and economic sustainability through regular engagement with all of our people. From our customers to our colleagues, investors, and local communities, people are at the beating heart of Zenith. They’re what makes Zenith, Zenith.
Plus, we will gain input from our stakeholders through a double materiality assessment – this is informed by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) materiality finder, and includes a process of internal interviews, research, and reviews.
Find out more in our 2023 Annual Report (p.25 and 31).
MANAGING THE RISKS
Zenith has committed to implementing the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations in full, with a best-in-class climate risk management framework covering four key areas: governance; strategy; risk management; and metrics and targets.
So, how will we track this? Our ESG Committee is responsible for driving action on climate change. Beneath our ESG committee sits our Climate Risk Working Group who identify, assess, and manage climate-related risks and opportunities. They report quarterly to our ESG Committee and Leadership Board, helping to ensure that we deliver on our sustainability-led purpose and create long-lasting value for everyone involved.
Delve further into TCFD in our 2023 Annual Report (pp.78-83).
CONSTANTLY LEARNING
We prioritise learning as we know that our people will be happier, have more options for their future and create more magic when they’re equipped with the right knowledge and skills.
With this, we’re focussed on developing our colleagues with the know-how they need to be able to progress the strategy. This includes essential training to reduce risk and deliver good outcomes for our customers, investors and each other; we have loads of optional training too to support the development of our people in whichever direction they choose to grow. In addition, we’re on a journey to ensure all our colleagues are Carbon Literate certified and provided with inclusion training.
FULL TRANSPARENCY
Of course, the proof is in the sustainability shaped pudding. That’s why we’re committed to keeping our sustainability efforts totally transparent.
We’ll report on our sustainability progress in each Annual Report and at regular intervals throughout the year. Via the public Carbon Disclosure Project and the EcoVadis platform, we’ll be open and honest around our aims, progress, and achievements to date. Plus, we’ll also gain external third-party assurance of specific actions to help us continually develop and improve (like with our annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting).
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Our approach is aligned to and supports the aims of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These are overarching objectives created by the United Nations (UN) to help businesses, and society as a whole, achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. Of the 17 goals, we’re confident that we can make direct, or indirect, contributions towards 13 of them.
How we’ll make an impact…
Good health and well-being
Links to commitments 7 & 9
Quality education
Links to commitments 5 & 7
Gender equality
Links to commitments 5, 6 & 7
Decent work and economic growth
Links to commitments 6, 7, 8 and 10
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Links to commitments 10
Reduced inequalities
Links to commitment 5
Sustainable cities and communities
Links to commitment 2
Responsible consumption and production
Links to commitments 1 and 9
Climate action
Links to commitments 3, 7 & 9
Life below water
Links to commitment 4
Life on land
Links to commitment 1
Peace, justice and strong institutions
Links to commitments 5, 7 & 10
Partnerships for the goals
Links to commitment 10
Tim Buchan, CEO of Zenith
“At Zenith, we’re committed to delivering a positive impact for the environment, society, and our people.
I am proud to say that we’ve already achieved a lot, from the UK’s leasing industry’s largest Green Bond, to our People Promise delivering a thriving culture, all the way to our award-winning apprenticeship programme creating development opportunities for local people.
“People Powered Impact is about taking our efforts to the next level through a holistic plan, addressing the critical sustainability issues that we impact upon, or impact upon us.”