Fleet Mortgages outlines ESG policy

The policy is split into three sections, and each section has what the lender terms ‘measurable actions’.

On the environmental side, the lender has committed to cut its carbon emissions by allowing staff to work from home, reduce electricity usage, printing, postage, stationery and waste disposal costs, recycling more and offering green mortgage products.

Social actions in its policy include aiding staff achieve professional qualifications, support voluntary work undertaken by staff, filling vacancies through apprenticeship schemes or staff-introduced candidates as much as possible, integrating employee wellbeing into health and safety and ensuring gender diversity in management groups.

Its governance goals include having a diverse mix of non-executive and executive directors on the board, as well as effectively utilising governance meetings.

Jannie Vermeulen, co-founder and chief risk officer at Fleet Mortgages, said: “One of our core values at Fleet is that ‘we run a business we can be proud to work for’. This has been a core value since inception and ESG offers us the opportunity to embrace this value in different ways. An opportunity to be mindful of the impact our business has on the environment.

“As one of the largest employers in Fleet it also means we want to make a positive contribution in our community, and we set the very highest standards in the way we conduct ourselves.

He added that the policy outlined what it wanted to achieve, as well as how it intended to achieve and measure its progress.

Vermuelen said: “This is not rocket science, everyone can make a contribution and lead from any chair. What we have done here is simply plotting a path to make meaningful contributions across the ESG piece.”