10 highlights from our 2020 Purpose Report
2020 was an incredibly challenging year, but we stayed true to our purpose of helping fight climate change.
It was meant to be the year of climate action. But 2020 became very much the year of COVID-19. Good Energy responded by staying true to our purpose, and today as we publish our full 2020 Purpose Report we look at 10 of the highlights.
Marching with Greta Thunberg
In February, climate activist Greta Thunberg came to our local city of Bristol to march for climate action. As a hero of ours, we told Good Energy staff they could go and march with her and the thousands of other strikers. Good Energy’s people were a visible presence at the event, and when a campaign was launched afterwards to rewild Bristol’s College Green which got very muddy being trampled in the rain, we were the biggest donor.
Fundraising for the NHS
During Mental Health Awareness Week in May, we promised our people to donate £1 per kilometre walked, run or cycled to NHS Charities Together. The combined 1,400 kilometres in the week raised £1400 which we rounded up to £2000, and then added a further £260 when staff donated money in exchange for surplus office equipment.
Better Business
Our Founder Juliet Davenport took time working from home to speak to some of our partners and customers about the topics of purpose led business and how we can build back better. The Better Business video series features Finisterre, Julie’s Bicycle, Farm Drop, Rapanui and Wyke Farms.
Greener heating
Our carbon neutral gas launched in 2016 was made up of 6% biogas, and in 2020 we increased this to 10%, with new gold standard carbon offset schemes for the remainder. Whilst Good Energy has long offered this carbon neutral gas project, the future of decarbonising the way we heat our homes is renewable heat pumps. In 2020 we launched the UK’s first energy tariff designed specifically for heat pump users.
Driving change
Transport is another major area where we need to decarbonise, fast. Good Energy launched its first time of use electric vehicle tariffs into pilot phase in 2020, helping EV drivers lower their costs and charge at times when the grid is greener.
Emissions reduction
The shift to remote and home working had a huge impact on our carbon footprint, which saw a 64% reduction in total emissions driven mainly by scope 3 which includes employee travel. That is on top of several years of more incremental reductions.
Tackling greenwash
We have been very vocal in tackling greenwash in the energy market and 2020 saw some significant breakthroughs. The regulator Ofgem pledged to look at the issue in its Decarbonisation Action Plan in March, then following significantly media coverage from the Sunday Times, BBC One and The Independent the government’s Energy White Paper stated an intent to address it too. Alongside this, we became the first energy company to be accredited by the Good Housekeeping Institute as a 100% renewable electricity provider.
Our first ever TV advert
November saw the launch of Good Energy’s first ever TV advert. Set in a school, the ad which has been viewed over 1.6 million times on YouTube sets out our promise to be the energy company that cares about the future. You can learn more about it here.
An ‘outstanding’ place to work
We set ourselves high standards for our workplace and want our people to have a job they believe in. This was recognized in 2020 as we were recognized with an ‘outstanding’ rating by Best Companies.
The Good Future Board
In November, we launched the search for a new Good Future Board. An advisory board to mirror our existing ‘grown up’ board, made up of secondary school aged young people. The board were appointed this month, and you can learn more about them here.
