Team17 Case Study

Team17 Group PLC (‘Team17’) was initially formed in 1990, followed by the successful launch of its Games Label in 2014.

Since then, Team17 has gone from strength to strength as a global provider of games entertainment to a broad audience.

The Group now includes a leading:

• Games entertainment label and creative partner for indie developers

• Developer of educational apps, targeting children under the age of eight

• Working simulation games developer and publisher.

Team17 currently operates across 5 UK regional hubs, with a team of nearly 400 (skyrocketing from 265 in 2021).

The company supports almost all genres, platforms, and demographics imaginable – with sustainability at the heart of everything it does.

Keep reading to learn about Team17’s journey towards PAS 2060 verification in January 2023.

Green17: making a positive difference

In 2021, 12 members of Team17 decided to launch ‘Green17’: an employee-led sustainability group striving to make a positive difference.

The members have reached a long list of sustainability milestones over the years, including:

• Offsetting all 2021 emissions by supporting a UN-approved hydropower project

• Working with Supercritical to remove enough carbon to cover all 2022 Scope 1 emissions

  • Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse (GHG) emissions from sources controlled or owned by an organisation.

• Introducing car share, electric car leasing scheme, and electric car charge points 

• Recycling more waste including plastic, batteries, and electronics through the use of separate bins

• Rationalising server rooms by ensuring equipment is correctly sized for our current and future needs.

• Reviewing air conditioning usage

• Moving towards the automatic switch-off of computers overnight

• Organising 3 beach clean-ups with over 50 members of staff

• Sharing and promoting eco-friendly practices with external partners

• Appointing an ESG Manager in September 2022

• Gaining the support of a designated board member from March 2023

Green17 also plans to extend its model throughout the Group and to its supply chain.

Going for gold with PAS 2060

In response to Green17’s environmental commitment – and to reflect the wider company’s ESG efforts – Team17 decision-makers looked into achieving formal credibility.

They chose PAS 2060, referred to as the ‘gold standard in carbon neutrality verification’ by Nick Tennant (Team17’s ESG and Commercial Reporting Manager).



Here’s what Nick told NQA:

“We had prepared our greenhouse gas (GHG) calculations well but wanted independent verification we had done things correctly so that we could plan where to focus next.”

Team17's goal was to have its GHG calculations reviewed and queried – and ultimately become more credible.
 

Choosing NQA as a trusted partner

Once Team17 announced the plans to achieve PAS 2060, it moved to the next stage: finding an environmental consultant.

The company selected Intu Veritas, a renowned consultancy providing recommendations for methodology and other key considerations.

Intu Veritas then recommended NQA as the verifying body, which Team17 accepted for the following reasons:

• BUDGET: PAS 2060 costings aligned with Team17’s budget

• TRUST: Intu Veritas and NQA have an ongoing relationship

• VISIBILITY: Team17 was impressed by NQA’s online content

With NQA chosen as Team17’s verification body, it was time for the next step: audit preparation.

Streamlining PAS 2060 preparation

As Team17 knew its business model and the relevant legislation inside and out, it didn’t take much to prepare for PAS 2060.

Team17 and Intu Veritas started the journey together, hosting meetings to:

• Understand Team17’s business structure

• Pinpoint the sources of GHG emissions

• Calculate the scale of emissions

• Review areas for potential reductions

Identifying the verification boundaries was particularly tricky, as the use of sold product – games and apps – is substantial but near-impossible to account for.

This is referred to as ‘Scope 3’: emission sources not owned or controlled by Team17 but which the company indirectly affects.



To overcome the obstacles posed by Scope 3 emissions, Team17 and Intu Veritas formulated data based on:

• External suppliers and contractors

• Team members commuting and working from home

The high level of organisation and professional guidance meant that Team17 was ready by the audit day.

Consultant spotlight: Intu Veritas

“Team17 is an excellent organisation to work with. The strong environmental ethos made this project a pleasure, and it was great to see the final success of being verified as carbon neutral. Working with Team17 on PAS 2060 was and continues to be our absolute pleasure.”

A simple (and beneficial) verification process

NQA sent over Richard Walsh, a lead verifier known for his pragmatic and fair attitude. Team17 praised Richard for explaining:

• Scope boundaries

• Current vs. future legislation

• The importance of carbon reduction projects

• How to invest in carbon offsets on the UN website

• Team17’s environmental management journey

Richard delved into the company’s energy usage, waste, working from home, travel, and supply chain during the audit.

The verification highlighted that over 99% of Team17's emissions came from 4 areas. From there, the company took an informed and focused approach to its emission reduction plans.

The audit was vital in helping Team17 consider carbon removal options for now and the future.

Turning findings into action

Upon receiving the PAS 2060 audit report, Team17 worked hard to minimise its carbon footprint – including:

• Creating a methodology for carbon reduction plans

• Developing better data capture processes

• Increasing process automation

Not only that, but the audit has since been used as a template for future audits – both for Team17 and its newly acquired subsidiaries (StoryToys and astragon).

Team17’s approach is a fantastic example of not settling for carbon neutrality but striving for net zero.

Final thoughts from NQA

NQA would like to congratulate Team17 on its PAS 2060 verification.

The company continues to make a massive difference in the field of sustainability, from beach clean-ups to stakeholder engagement. We can’t wait to see what Team17 does next!

Looking to become credible in the carbon-neutral space? Learn all about PAS 2060 verification today.