Environment

Commitment to net zero and reducing our environmental impact

Entain has set the ambitious target to be net zero for carbon emissions throughout our operations by no later than 2035.

Our progress

2022 was an important year for Entain as we set in motion our Net Zero by 2035 plan. After achieving our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target in 2021, we are now focused on achieving our new ‘near term’ science-based targets. We have committed to a reduction of 29.4% in our scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2027. This has been submitted to the Science-based Targets initiative to ensure our journey to decarbonisation is in line with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, as per the Paris Agreement.
Our Net Zero Action Group plays a central role in accelerating our decarbonisation strategy. The Action Group convenes senior colleagues across departments to identify practical measures which can be implemented throughout our global operations. In 2022, the Committee oversaw a series of workshops held with senior leaders across the business to identify climate-related risks as well as opportunities for Entain to support the transition to a lower-carbon economy. The outcomes are now helping us to shape our Net Zero action plan.

Our operational footprint

In the UK almost all of our electricity supply contracts for our offices, shops and greyhound stadia are from 100% renewable energy. This amounts to nearly 67% of the Group’s total electricity consumption being actively sourced from renewables, and a reduction of over 3,800 tons of our market-based emissions compared to 2021. We took another important step in 2022 by securing a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement with SSE until 2027, covering our retail shops and four stadia in the UK. This agreement cements our commitment to renewable energy, giving us access to reliable, certified green energy sourced from the Keadby wind farm for the next five years. This year, we will continue engaging with office landlords in our different markets to increase the percentage of renewable energy across Entain’s global operations.

Our path to net zero

Our top priority is to achieve deep reductions in our value chain emissions, including our own operations. However, we understand that there are likely to be residual emissions that are unable to be abated from our value chain. For these emissions, we are investing in high quality carbon removals that sequester carbon from the atmosphere. To make an immediate impact for people and the planet, we’re ramping up our investment in climate mitigation including through our partnership with Brynk, an independent platform supporting global tree planting and reforestation projects. We’re already growing our ‘Entain Forest’ of 1 million trees with Brynk and will extend that by a further 300,000 trees this year. The purpose of our forest is to sequester carbon (21,000 tonnes of CO2 forecast by 2032) and provide employment and training for local people as well as localised environmental and social benefits, such as increasing natural biodiversity within the regions.  The carbon captured by the ‘Entain Forest’ will be additional to the official carbon credits needed by Entain to meet its Net Zero target in 2035.

Our position on Deforestation

Entain recognises the integral role that biodiversity plays in ensuring a sustainable future through maintaining the planet’s equilibrium.

Entain operates increasingly digitally. Both in terms of its growth of online services, but also within our physical stores. In our physical stores, we continue to digitise our products, but are aware that we still use some forestry-based products in the form of paper for marketing materials and betting slips. Whilst we do not produce or sell commodities that are linked with deforestation (such as soy, beef or palm oil) we recognise that we may have an indirect impact that its operations can have through the products and services that we procure.

Whilst our latest ESG materiality assessment has suggested that biodiversity is not a high-priority issue when compared to other ESG issues, we are still committed to doing our part to understand our potential impacts, understand best practices, and engaging with our suppliers. We commit to play our role in eliminating deforestation – and to aligning this commitment with our broader Net Zero approach, and through our Environmental Policy. The Net Zero Action Group, overseen by the ESG Steering Group, has responsibility of developing a holistic approach to addressing our environmental impacts – including both emissions reductions and impacts on biodiversity – based on where our most significant impacts and influence lie.

Whilst we still have more to learn, we have started to address these issues through more efficiently using physical betting coupons in our shops – reducing wastage and therefore paper – as well as digitising our processes where possible. Beyond our own value chain, we are committed to supporting carbon removal and biodiversity through our partnership with Brynk, where we are funding reforestation projects around the world.

Our position on the Paris Agreement

As per our Net Zero by 2035 commitment, Entain supports the Paris Agreement and public policies to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C by 2050.

As a large global betting and gaming company, we conduct regulatory and policy engagement in the jurisdictions where we operate or are considering obtaining a license. These engagements are generally related to regulation and customer protection. Across all jurisdictions where we operate, we do not specifically lobby on climate-related issues, nor are we members of any trade associations that focus on this topic.

As such, we do not lobby against the implementation of any climate-related policies. Should any lobbying activities related to climate policy be conducted in any jurisdiction where we operate, either directly or through trade associations we work with, we will take steps to ensure these align with our own Net Zero objectives and the Paris Agreement. If there are misalignments, we will report this to Entain’s board-level Sustainability and Compliance Committee to address this.