An update on the progress made so far and the vision ahead
Unique Group’s commitment to supporting our communities and protecting the environment has continued to become stronger with every passing year. At the start of our sustainability journey, our guiding thought was the words of Arthur Ashe: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Since 2020, in the effort to take small steps, we adopted the Triple Bottom Line approach and developed a roadmap to help us achieve our sustainability goals. Key action points from our framework included leveraging new technology, adopting eco-friendly solutions and improving operational systems and processes to enhance the efficiency of the methods, all aligned with the adopted four UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) to help guide our efforts in areas that matter most on a global scale.
- SDG No 3: Good Health and Well-Being
- SDG No 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG No 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG No 13: Climate Action
OUR PROGRESS
Under each of the UNSDG goals, we rolled out several initiatives which helped us strengthen our commitment towards sustainable practices.
SDG #12: Responsible Production and Consumption
Recycling initiatives implemented to positively reduce the amount of waste going to landfills while also contributing to reducing air and water pollution.
Furthermore, we implemented energy conservation changes by installing motion-sensitive energy-efficient lighting and removing plastic consumables from our workplaces to ensure more responsible consumption as an organization.
SDG #3: Good Health and Well-being
Unique Group has been involved in various health-related activities during 2021, including providing interactive sessions for mental health and organising medical screenings at the offices.
The pandemic brought along with it challenges for everyone. We recognised these challenges and trained a pool of 31 Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) across our global offices, who are qualified to provide counselling and mental health guidance to our employees. Over the last year, employees have reached out to these skilled MHFAs and external therapists for support and have hugely benefited from these interactions.
As part of our social outreach program, Unique Group donated USD 11,000 to Ekal Vidyalaya in India to support the purchase of masks, medicines and diagnostic equipment to combat the spread of COVID-19 in rural villages. Our teams also raised GBP 1,042.50 for Cancer Research UK by walking over 10,000 steps every day as a part of their Walk All Over Cancer campaign.
SDG #10: Reducing Inequalities
We understand that inequality is a concern, be it socially, economically or politically, and to combat this, we have taken steps to promote gender equality and also supported economically challenged communities.
At Unique Group, while we have maintained a male-female ratio of 80:20, we constantly strive to achieve a better balance by looking for female talent in technical roles. Additionally, we have rolled out a program to recruit women from previously disadvantaged groups in an effort to not only empower them but also break biases within our industry.
SDG #13: Climate Action
Through our Autonomous Survey Vessel (ASV) fleet, we have been able to provide carbon-conscious solutions for our customers. The surveys conducted by ASVs are not only efficient but also lead to safer and greener practices due to a lack of emissions and noise, protecting our marine environment (relevant case study available here).
Additionally, to reduce the carbon footprint of our operational logistics we have added electric vehicles to our fleet. This addition will reduce the carbon emissions from our operations.
OUR VISION AHEAD
In the words of Andy Andrews: “You have been created with the ability to change the world. Every single choice you make…every single action you take…matters. But remember, the converse is also true. Every choice you do not make…every action you do not take…matters just as much.”
The positive difference made by our choices and actions in the past year, continue to inspire and motivate us on our sustainability journey. With our direction in place, we look forward to reaching our goals for 2022 and measuring the impact Unique Group creates through our efforts.
Let us all work together to safeguard our planet and make conscious decisions. We believe that every step we take can make a difference.
