UK - GLS Lighting, the Southampton based lighting hire company, has been awarded the ESG Mark, an industry benchmark for companies committed to a sustainable future.
GLS Lighting was founded in 1995, to provide lighting equipment to the concert and theatre industry, working on concert tours and events in the UK and worldwide. Over the past 20 years they have progressively introduced initiatives synonymous with the ESG Mark principles. Through the rigorous assessment process, GLS Lighting demonstrated a high level of performance against environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles and an ongoing commitment to positive change.
Additionally, GLS Lighting has joined over 14,000 businesses in the UK by becoming an accredited Real Living Wage employer. The company aims to guarantee that staff are paid a wage rate that meets the cost of living. The Real Living Wage is the only independently defined wage rate calculated to the cost of living in the UK.
GLS’s founder and managing director, Ian Turner said: “These are fantastic achievements for the whole GLS Lighting team. Building a sustainable business has been at the heart of our company since we started almost 30 years ago. I am always looking into ways we can reduce our impact on the planet, support our staff in real terms and still provide world class lighting solutions to our clients, with the added benefit of lowering the carbon footprint of their tour or event.”
In a sector where travel and energy usage are higher than many others, GLS Lighting has been an early adopter of energy saving initiatives. At their warehouse, situated on the banks of the river Itchen in Southampton, they have installed heat pumps for heating and cooling and introduced LED lighting throughout the warehouse, workshop and offices. They have fitted electric vehicle charging points for staff, 50% of whom have switched to EV’s.
To reduce the high carbon footprint of their work, GLS Lighting offers carbon neutral deliveries by committing to carbon offset company Ecologi. The GLS team voted for 54% of their offset to support worldwide nature projects and 46% to support community-based projects. GLS calculated their carbon footprint to include any subcontractor deliveries. In addition, where possible stage lighting has been switched to LED reducing energy consumption by up to 80%
Alongside the Real Living Wage, GLS Lighting has introduced enhanced employee benefits, work placements, training schemes and mental health first aid training. GLS Lighting’s environmental committee, comprised of a team of staff, has created a rewilding area on the riverside of the warehouse to re-establish indigenous plants, provide pollen for bees and a relaxing space for the team to unwind during breaks.
Ian added: “Creating sustainable change is an iterative process which the whole team at GLS Lighting is engaged in. We continue support our team and to seek out initiatives that create a fairer more responsible future for GLS Lighting.”
