ESG strategy for a financial sector client

Together is one of the UK’s leading specialist lenders, with a track record of success over nearly 50 years in operation. The Cheadle-based group offers a range of flexible mortgages and loans, making finance work to help customers to realise their ambitions.

Together came to Rawstone with a strong history of engaging with the community, numerous charitable and environmental accomplishments, which were driven through the business by the company’s ‘Let’s Make it Count’ programme. These colleague-led work streams had been successful for a number of years, but with Together also having developed a new Purpose and Vision they thought it was the right time to develop a formal sustainability strategy.

Rawstone Consulting were chosen to support Together in the development of their updated approach to sustainability because of our ability to develop a sustainability strategy that is individual to the businesses we work with. This involved an in depth materiality assessment of the whole business which included an ESG risk and legislative review of the market, as well as engaging with Together’s colleagues, customers and investors. We identified four strategic priority areas that Together should focus on, which were underpinned by strong governance. Highlights included:

• A review of the current ongoing activity at Together to understand how this would form the basis of the updated sustainability strategy, including a restructured, but more engaged ‘Let’s Make it Count’. recommended participation in a national commercial energy reduction competition, which we demonstrated would likely be cost-generative.

• Recommendations for how Together could baseline their full emission footprint, inclusive of all three scopes of emissions, to understand their overall environmental impact.

• Identifying possible next steps for Together based on how they could make the most positive impact in the community, mitigate risks and capture opportunities.