Decarbonising Tech Skills: Inside the Readynez 2024 Sustainability Report

The information technology sector is a cornerstone of the modern economy, but its rapid growth carries a significant environmental cost. Within this landscape, the IT training industry has traditionally been a major contributor to carbon emissions through extensive travel for in-person courses and reliance on physical resources. Balancing the critical need for upskilling with corporate environmental responsibility is now a primary challenge for providers and their clients.

In response to this challenge, Readynez is proud to share our 2024 Sustainability Report. This document outlines our strategic initiatives designed to slash our carbon footprint while continuing to deliver world-class training to IT professionals and organisations across the UK and beyond.

Our journey towards greater sustainability is built upon a formal framework. The adoption of the ISO-14001 Environmental Management System in 2022 marked a pivotal moment, embedding eco-friendly principles into the core of our operational DNA. This commitment ensures our environmental efforts are systematic, measurable, and continuously improving, moving beyond ad-hoc initiatives to a fully integrated strategy.

A Virtual-First Approach to Drastically Cut Emissions

The global shift towards remote interaction, catalysed by the pandemic, served as an opportunity to fundamentally rethink our delivery model. By embracing a virtual-first training methodology, we have successfully tackled the largest source of emissions in our industry: travel. This strategic change has led to a 99% reduction in scheduled onsite courses, virtually eliminating the carbon footprint associated with flights and car journeys for delegates and instructors alike.

This digital transformation extends to our learning materials. We have completely transitioned from printed courseware to digital formats. This move eradicates the emissions tied to the production, printing, and international shipping of thousands of physical books and manuals each year.

Optimising In-Person Training for a Lower Impact

While virtual delivery is our default, we recognise the value of physical classroom settings for certain enterprise projects. To address this, Readynez has implemented an innovative model focused on utilising our local training centres. By bringing the training to where our clients are concentrated, this approach drastically minimises travel distances for delegates. We enhance this strategy by partnering with centralised and sustainable event venues, which not only lowers transportation emissions but also reduces the need for overnight hotel stays.

Broader Organisational Changes for Holistic Sustainability

Our commitment extends beyond training delivery to encompass our entire operational footprint. We have instituted a programme of rigorous supplier assessments to ensure our partners share our environmental values. Internally, we champion digital best practices, remote working policies, and virtual meetings to reduce the impact of our day-to-day business activities. We are also dedicated to refining our CO2 emission calculation methods for a more precise understanding of our environmental impact across all operations.

The results of these concentrated efforts are already clear. Our shift to virtual events has delivered a profound reduction in our CO2 footprint. We have achieved a 90% decrease in instructor flight emissions and a 93% reduction in hotel nights required for our delegates and staff, demonstrating the tangible success of our sustainability programme.

Looking ahead, Readynez is dedicated to building on this foundation. Our future focus includes further optimisation of our digital infrastructure, including hosting locations and supplier choices, alongside enhancing our CO2 measurement capabilities, especially for delegate and instructor travel. Continuous improvement remains our guiding principle.

Explore the Full Report

Discover the full scope of the measures Readynez is taking to be an environmentally responsible organisation and pioneer a more sustainable future for the IT training industry.

Click here to download the Readynez 2024 Sustainability Report.

The report offers a comprehensive look at our initiatives, key performance indicators, and the transformative path we are on. For any additional questions, please contact Rickard Hagenstam at rh@readynez.com.