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Environmental, Social and Governance Policy Overview

UniLink is a specialist leasing advisor and broker to the public sector providing leasing solutions on a wide range of equipment from ICT to Synthetic Sports pitches.

UniLink consider its key ESG issues relate to the following:

  • Wellbeing and development of our employees;
  • Trust of our clients and security of their information;
  • Managing and influencing ESG issues with our partner funders; and
  • Environmental impact of our services, especially with regards to energy consumption, printing and paper use.
  • Social and Environmental impact of the assets we finance

Wellbeing and development of our employees

The recruitment, retention and development of talented individuals is key to the ongoing success and growth of our business. Induction training provides new employees with health and safety awareness and familiarisation with our business.

UniLink also sponsors professional qualifications and provides tailored skills training to support employees with fulfilling their roles and their personal development. UniLink has implemented a range of supporting policies to ensure that our people are provided with a safe, secure and attractive working environment. These policies include:

  • Health and Safety Policy
  • Grievance Policy
  • Equal Opportunities Policy
  • Harassment Policy
  • Equal Pay Policy
  • Dignity at Work Policy
  • Maternity, paternity and adoption leave policies

All staff are provided with access to these polices and are encouraged to read them as part of their induction process including receiving a copy of the company staff handbook.

Trust of our clients and security of their information

Our business fundamentally depends on building and maintaining the trust that our clients have in us, both in the integrity of our work and in the security of client information which we handle. In order to support this, UniLink has implemented the following policies:

  • Anti-Bribery
  • Anti Money Laundering
  • Complaints procedure
  • Cyber Security
  • Data Protection
  • Information Security (Policy and Management)

All underpinned by a treating customers fairly policy.

Environmental impact of our operations

We encourage our customers to reduce their impact on the environment

We actively promote the approach of “printing more efficiently by printing less”. We regularly support our clients to avoid printing excess via the use of E Documents.

We seek to comply with current UK environmental legislation and work to minimise the impact of our activities on the environment by:

  • Reducing waste going to landfill by providing in-office recycling facilities for office waste;
  • Using FSC-certified paper where possible;
  • Encouraging our employees to reduce energy consumption within the office environment by remaining as paperless as possible, including re use of paper for draft and the use of E-Signture systems such as Docusign;
  • Encourage the use of virtual meetings and working from home where possible to reduce travel costs and environmental impact;
  • Give staff access to cycle to work schemes

Social and Environmental impact of the assets we finance

By operating in the public sector we know that equipment we finance is being used to support the welfare of students and staff of bodies such as schools and colleges and to benefit the wider community via our funding into Local Authorities and NHS Trusts.

For example we finance 3g Synthetic Sports pitches for schools. This brings health and wellbeing benefits to the school allowing access to physical activity all year round and the wider community through community hire of these facilities outside of school hours.

We also fund Gym Equipment to Local Authorities, Trusts, Colleges Universities and schools both for curriculum use and use by the wider community. A school, or college that then opens this gym to the wider community at weekends and evening allows access to classes and equipment that may otherwise be unavailable with a community.

Our community

UniLink supports local charities through financial support and contribution of staff time.

Examples of the support we have provided include:

  • Donations to charities and schools
  • Pro-actively reducing the cost on equipment coming off lease to local schools and national.
  • Staff time off for school governance roles and other voluntary work within the community.

Implementation of the ESG Policy

In order to address and monitor our key ESG issues UniLink has implemented, in conjunction with this ESG policy, a number of ESG initiatives which will be reported to the Board on a regular basis. Active participation and engagement at all levels of the business is of great importance to ensure ownership of ESG by all staff. As a minimum, UniLink endeavours to maintain compliance with legislative requirements.

This policy should be read and complied with in conjunction with other relevant UniLink polices. UniLink will ensure that this policy is reviewed and updated regularly.