Explore the intersection of data and human impact through the lens of Rachel Marsden, reflecting on last year where our ESG strategy became a lived reality for our teams across the UK:
Personal Note
I started at Carlisle in the summer of 2025, stepping into the newly created role of Head of Sustainability and Social Value. What quickly became clear in the months that followed was the genuine commitment, both from our people and embedded within our ethos, to creating a positive and lasting impact.
Travelling across the UK and spending time with teams on the ground, I encountered countless stories that brought this commitment to life. From local community initiatives to operational improvements, there was a consistent sense of pride and purpose in the work being delivered every day. It has been a privilege to capture these stories and reflect them in the latest ESG report.
The focus at Carlisle Support Services has been to turn ESG ambition into measurable delivery. Over the course of the year, I have seen ESG move beyond strategy and become embedded in how we operate, shaping decision-making, influencing behaviours, and driving performance across carbon reduction, social value, and industry partnership.
Carbon and Environmental Progress
We made strong progress in 2025, achieving a 23% reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions against our 2022 baseline, including a 28% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions. This has been driven by tangible operational changes, from fleet electrification, where 81% of company cars are now electric or hybrid, to targeted energy efficiency improvements and increased use of renewable energy. We also maintained 100% diversion of operational waste from landfill, reinforcing our commitment to a more circular approach.
At the same time, our Scope 3 emissions increased by 11%. This reflects improved data quality and expanded reporting but also highlights the scale of the challenge ahead. Addressing emissions across our value chain will be critical as we work towards our target of a 50% reduction by 2030 and Net Zero by 2045.
Social Value in Action
With a workforce of over 7,500 colleagues, our approach to social value remains firmly people-focused. In 2025, 92% of employees said they would recommend Carlisle as a place to work, supported by continued investment in training, development, and wellbeing. We also delivered 38 active apprenticeships and achieved 98.2% client alignment with the Real Living Wage, demonstrating our commitment to creating equitable opportunities and long-term social impact.
We have continued to strengthen inclusion through initiatives such as Women in Security (WIS) and social value hiring partnerships, helping to build a more diverse, representative, and supportive industry. Internally, this progress is reflected in 50% female representation at senior management level and 12.5% social value hiring rate. However, we recognise there is more to do to improve diversity across the wider workforce, and this remains a key area of focus.
Looking ahead, our priorities are clear. We will continue to strengthen ESG data and reporting, enhance education and engagement across the business, and develop deeper partnerships with our clients to co-design solutions. The next phase is about going further, tackling more complex challenges, and ensuring that ESG continues to deliver meaningful, measurable impact across everything we do.
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Providing flexible, on-demand support to help organisations build resilience, mitigate risks, and adapt to the ever-changing political, socio-economic, and environmental landscape to deliver seamless event experiences.
Managing trees and vegetation for the UK’s public infrastructure and commercial spaces.
Delivering aesthetically pleasing environments whilst eliminating potential hazards and operational disruptions caused by vegetation.
Provide fully vetted, accredited officers equipped with the latest technologies to secure and protect your people, premises, assets and the wider public.
Providing bespoke services that identify site specific vulnerabilities and address complex challenges to mitigate risks.
Maintaining high facility standards and minimising service disruptions across the UK rail network.
Delivering exceptionally clean environments at optimal cost and positive environmental footprint with unrivalled quality control across nationwide operations.
Delivering seamless passenger experiences whilst protecting revenue and achieving operational excellence.
Providing flexible, on-demand support to help organisations build resilience, mitigate risks, and adapt to the ever-changing political, socio-economic, and environmental landscape.
Deploying balanced crowd management strategies for optimal safety and seamless visitor experiences.
Delivering seamless visitor experiences across the UK’s biggest venues, stadiums and exhibition centres.
Transforming customer journeys with innovative car parking solutions that maximise operational control and revenue.
Enhancing and maintaining site aesthetics for optimal nature, commercial infrastructure, and community harmony. We aim to deliver beautiful scenery whilst eliminating potential hazards and operational disruptions caused by vegetation.
We streamline cleaning and facilities services that help organisations maintain exceptional standards across single and multi-site operations.
We offer a total turnkey solution from initial design and product selection through to installation and commissioning. Our customers benefit from benefit from around-the-clock protection for optimal peace of mind that comes from working with a trusted alarm monitoring service.
Our range of fire life safety solutions are designed to prevent, detect and contain fire and where necessary enable a safe and timely escape.
From the initial Fire Risk Assessment through to the design and installation of fire detection and fire suppression systems and ongoing maintenance and monitoring contracts, we provide you with a one stop fire protection solution.
From security-cleared operations with MOD-affiliated organisations to supporting the UK’s rail infrastructure and securing the Highest Court of the British Isles alongside countless major venues across the UK, we provide fully vetted, accredited officers equipped with the latest technologies to secure and protect your people, premises, assets and the wider public.
Fulfilling the most complex single and multi-site cleaning requirements at an award-winning standard for over 30 years.
Providing an extensive range of Soft and Hard FM services to help you streamline management and eliminate operational disruptions.
Undertaking routine cleaning to maintain the highest standards in cleanliness and hygiene for exceptional environments.
