Aerial view of a residential suburban area with houses, roads, and greenery, under a sunset sky. A railway track cuts across the neighbourhood.

    Shaping a better 
    tomorrow, today.

    Safety & Sustainability Report

    2020 - 2021

    Aerial view of a residential suburban area with houses, roads, and greenery, under a sunset sky. A railway track cuts across the neighbourhood.

    Welcome to our 2021
    Safety & Sustainability Report

    We’re committed to always putting our customers and the environment at the heart of everything we do to make a positive and lasting difference to the communities in which we work.

    We want to make things easier, fairer and greener whilst continuing to deliver an essential public service. As we work towards fulfilling this purpose, we strive to be known for exceptional performance in terms of safety, customer experience, employee engagement, diversity, equity, inclusion, environmental and social responsibility, and financial results.

    This past year has exposed just how vulnerable we are to unexpected natural events and made the threat of climate change even more apparent. The good news is that this realisation is spurring change: Sustainability has become a global priority across public and private sectors, and with policymakers and individuals alike. At Cadent, we’re working with all our stakeholders to ensure sustainability is at the core of our business strategy, and every day we work alongside customers and partners to ensure their decarbonisation journeys are just as ambitious as ours.

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    We’re passionate about fuelling a thriving world, providing easier warmth, fairer opportunities and a greener society."

    Dr Tony Ballance

    Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer

    Dr Tony Ballance, the Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer at Cadent

    Looking to the future

    Our priorities for 2021/22

    Firstly, I would like to thank my colleagues at Cadent for their outstanding commitment and dedication during the past year. Everyone truly stepped up to the challenge of continuing to safely deliver energy to our customers during unprecedented times through hard work and determination. I am very proud of what has been achieved over the last 12 months and excited by what the future will bring.

    At Cadent, we are constantly striving to demonstrate to our customers and broader stakeholders that we are a force for good; an organisation committed to easier warmth, fairer opportunities and a greener society. Underpinning this commitment is a relentless focus on customer service and safety, of our employees and the public.

    As a monopoly license holder we have responsibility and opportunity to continue to deliver sustainable services for the long term public good. We'll continue to operate efficiently and drive innovation to benefit society and our customers.

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    As a Board we want customers and stakeholders to see us as a force for good and our safety performance and sustainability agenda are key to achieving this.

    Perry Noble

    Chair of Sustainability Committee

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    Our sustainability framework

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    Delivering our safety commitment

    Delivering our safety commitment

    Safety is the foundation of our business. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our people, our customers and the general public.

    Supporting the Goals

    Icon representing Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. It features a white upward arrow over a chart with bars on a maroon background. The number 8 and the goals name are displayed in white text.
    Illustrative icon of a hand holding a wrench

    Providing a resilient network to keep the energy flowing

    Providing a resilient network to keep the energy flowing

    Renewing our network for the future, and delivering a reliable and resilient network to keep the energy flowing safely and reliably to all of our customers.

    Supporting the Goals

    Orange square with three white cubes, each with a black outline. The cubes are stacked in a pyramid shape. Text reads 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure at the top, reflecting the UN Sustainable Development Goal 9. The image depicts a green square with a white eye symbol. Inside the eye is a globe. In the top left corner, the number 13 and the text Climate Action are displayed, representing Sustainable Development Goal 13.
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    Tackling climate change and improving the environment

    Tackling climate change and improving the environment

    We are committed to our role in tackling climate change and as a responsible company for the communities we serve.

    Supporting the Goals

    Yellow square with a white icon of a sun in the center. Above the sun, the text reads 7 AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY in white capital letters. Orange square icon with the text 12 Responsible Consumption and Production above an infinity loop symbol. Part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The image depicts a green square with a white eye symbol. Inside the eye is a globe. In the top left corner, the number 13 and the text Climate Action are displayed, representing Sustainable Development Goal 13. Icon for Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals. It features a white geometric symbol resembling interconnected rings on a dark blue background, with the text 17 Partnerships for the Goals above it.
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    Delivering a quality experience for all our stakeholders

    Delivering a quality experience for all our stakeholders

    We are committed to creating a culture where people feel valued, included, and have the equal opportunities to succeed to support the creation of an environment where we can deliver outstanding customer experiences time after time.

    Supporting the Goals

    Icon representing Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality. It features a white symbol of gender equality and the number 5 on a red background, with the text Gender Equality written above the symbol. Icon representing Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. It features a white upward arrow over a chart with bars on a maroon background. The number 8 and the goals name are displayed in white text. A pink square icon with the number 10 in white, followed by the words REDUCE INEQUALITIES in bold. Below is a symbol with an equal sign and four arrows pointing outward in a cross shape Icon representing Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. It features three stylized white buildings of varying heights on an orange background, with the number 11 and text above.
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    Trusted to act for our communities

    Trusted to act for our communities

    Our Board and leadership at all levels are committed to operating as a responsible and ethical business, from our regulatory commitments and practices to our social actions.

    Supporting the Goals

    Orange square icon with the text 12 Responsible Consumption and Production above an infinity loop symbol. Part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
    Illustrative icon of a hi-vis jacket and hard hat

    Delivering our safety commitment

    A worker in an orange safety jacket and helmet inspects machinery closely. He wears safety glasses and gloves, concentrating on his task in an industrial setting. A worker in an orange safety jacket and helmet inspects machinery closely. He wears safety glasses and gloves, concentrating on his task in an industrial setting.
    Illustrative icon of a hi-vis jacket and hard hat

    Delivering our safety commitment

    Continuing to keep our people and partners safe.

    Safety remains the key value at the heart of our business and foremost in the minds of our employees; it is who we are and the foundation on which the business is built. We are trusted to keep the nation’s households safe and warm every day of the year and we take that trust very seriously indeed. We aim to ensure that every aspect of our work is as safe as it can be, whether that’s as part of our gas operations or in our non-operational activities. We also understand that only by being transparent about our performance can we continue to deserve that trust.

    Case studies

    Springers into action: The pawsome sniffer dogs assisting North West gas engineers

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    Providing a resilient network

    Two people in a kitchen enjoy cooking together. One person holds a wooden spoon, offering a taste to the other, who smiles. Sunlight filters through a window. Two people in a kitchen enjoy cooking together. One person holds a wooden spoon, offering a taste to the other, who smiles. Sunlight filters through a window.
    Illustrative icon of a hand holding a wrench

    Providing a resilient network

    Transforming our operations.

    We have continued with our operational transformation to a customer- focused organisation. Our operational teams have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to deliver the critical services needed to support our communities and colleagues during a challenging period of uncertainty and significant change.

    Case studies

    Never leaving a customer vulnerable without gas

    Putting customer preference at the forefront of the energy transition debate

    Angels in orange spread their wings at Utility Week Awards

    Utilities unite as we roll out robots to deliver vital work faster in historic Whitechapel

    Light green silhouette of pine trees with a sun icon.

    Tackling climate change and improving the environment

    A woman wearing a denim jacket stands in a golden wheat field, joyfully raising her hand toward a colourful sunset sky.A woman wearing a denim jacket stands in a golden wheat field, joyfully raising her hand toward a colourful sunset sky.
    Light green silhouette of pine trees with a sun icon.

    Tackling climate change and improving the environment

    Connecting the UK to a greener future.

    “As a responsible company, we are fully committed to our role in tackling climate change.”

    Dr Tony Ballance

    Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer

    Case studies

    Say Hy to the home of the future

    Our first hydrogen-powered construction site

    Transport Pathways

    Hynet

    Hydeploy

    Developing decarbonisation pathway of Greater Manchester

    Zero-emissions vehicles that will get our engineers to emergencies pollution free

    MyHeat

    Future Billing Methodology

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    Delivering a quality experience for all

    A woman with short black hair sits contemplatively in a cozy chair, dressed in a floral-patterned blouse, with warm sunlight illuminating her surroundings.A woman with short black hair sits contemplatively in a cozy chair, dressed in a floral-patterned blouse, with warm sunlight illuminating her surroundings.
    A simple purple icon of a house with a heart inside

    Delivering a quality experience for all

    Creating an environment where we can deliver outstanding customer experiences time after time.

    Although our customers do not pay us directly, a proportion of their energy bill goes towards supporting the services we provide and they are directly impacted by the work we do in the communities we serve.

    Case studies

    Celebrating International Women in Engineering Day

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    Trusted to act for our communities

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    Icon representing teamwork or collaboration, featuring three stylised figures standing together in a triangle formation.

    Trusted to act for our communities

    Our social purpose.

    We are now at a pivotal point to reflect on the critical role we play in our communities; from transforming our operations and culture to maintaining safety and service levels, investing in our people, processes and systems.

    Case studies

    Our employee communities

    Our commitment to racial equality

    Major community outreach launched in Central Lancashire with support of the region’s utility networks

    Gas safety campaigns

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