Better Health for All

FirstGroup's core transportation services deliver substantial health benefits by improving access to essential services, including healthcare, and saving £1.3 billion in congestion costs.

However, 94% of its bus fleet is non-zero-emission, contributing to air pollution and negative health outcomes. The company has invested £43 million in electric buses, increasing its zero-emission fleet to 6%, which enhances air quality and respiratory health. FirstGroup also runs comprehensive mental health programs, including a partnership that raised over £3.5 million for mental health support, training, and activities for vulnerable children, and increased mental health support for employees during COVID-19.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

FirstGroup plc is a transport operator and does not offer lending, insurance, or other financial products and services to consumers. Therefore, most Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to financial services, such as APRs, loan books, financial literacy programs for customers, customer debt ratios, and banking desert coverage, are not applicable to the company's core business model. While the company offers discounted fares for low-income residents

and invests in accessible transport , and connects previously underserved places , no specific percentage of underserved customers is provided. Similarly, financial training is offered to employees, not customers. The company's own financial leverage policy is mentioned , but not customer debt burden.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

FirstGroup PLC has achieved a median gender pay gap of -0.1% and a mean gender pay gap of 7.0%, demonstrating efforts toward pay equity.

The company has also been recognized with 'Disability Confident Committed' status and signed the 'Change the Race Ratio' program, committing to increasing racial and ethnic diversity. Furthermore, FirstGroup invested approximately £15 million into safety training programs, resulting in a 10% reduction in reportable incidents across its operations.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

FirstGroup reported zero breaches of its Supplier Code of Conduct for the fiscal year 2024.

This code outlines expectations for suppliers to adhere to ethical standards, including compliance with modern slavery regulations. The company has enhanced its supply chain risk processes by registering high-risk suppliers onto a supplementary risk toolkit, providing deeper assessment and assurance into supply chain risks. FirstGroup also collaborates with partners to enhance risk management capabilities, measuring supplier risk across factors including human rights and business ethics.

Honest & Fair Business

FirstGroup incurred $27,054,168 in ethics-related regulatory fines over the past three years, including penalties for employment-related, consumer protection-related, and competition-related offenses.

The company operates a confidential whistleblowing hotline, with the Board reviewing reported matters, investigation findings, and actions taken at least twice a year. However, a recognized priority risk is the lack of employee training and limited awareness among employees of anti-slavery policies and reporting mechanisms.

Kind to Animals

FirstGroup PLC is a transport operator, and the provided article focuses on its environmental initiatives, specifically carbon emission reductions. It mentions a 24% reduction in total carbon emissions since 2019

and a goal for a 100% zero-emission bus fleet by 2035 , with 37% of its fleet already low or zero-carbon as of March 2023 . The company is also installing 6,000 solar panels and introduced bi-mode trains . While these measures are stated to support wildlife conservation by reducing environmental impact, the article does not provide specific, measurable data points for any of the 'Kind to Animals' KPIs, such as cruelty-free certifications, animal testing, humane certifications for animal operations, specific wildlife conservation impact metrics (e.g., species recovery, habitat restoration metrics, or percentage of revenue dedicated to conservation), ethical input substitution, supplier audits for welfare, cage-free sourcing, or animal welfare policy engagement. Therefore, no KPIs can be scored based on the provided evidence.

No War, No Weapons

FirstGroup PLC operates solely in the public transportation sector, providing bus and rail services in the UK.

The company has no involvement in arms manufacturing or military contracts, demonstrating a commitment to civilian transportation and upholding a 'No War, No Weapons' value. This focus means it has no exposure to any weapons, including controversial ones. The company also divested from North American operations to concentrate on its core UK transit business.

Planet-Friendly Business

FirstGroup's total Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions (location-based) were 922,721 tCO2e in FY2025, representing a 32.2% decline from FY2024.

The company has three near-term science-based targets validated by the SBTi, including a 63% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by FY2035 and a 20% reduction in absolute Scope 3 fuel and energy-related emissions by FY2028. In FY2025, 6% of total energy consumption was sourced from renewables. Water consumption was 6,579 m³ per £1M revenue in FY2025. FirstGroup achieved 100% waste diversion from landfill in FY2025. By FY2025, 50% of suppliers by emissions had science-based targets, supported by established collaboration programs. The company reported zero environmental compliance violations, fines, or penalties in FY2025. FirstGroup was the first UK public transport operator to officially support the TCFD framework and has been reporting against it for five years. It worked with a specialist consultancy to model potential physical and transition risks across five different climate scenarios. Disclosure on climate-related stranded asset risks is minimal, noting potential impairment of carbon-intensive vehicles as a transition risk. First Bus supports a just transition by training 75 apprentices in an engineering academy for zero-emission vehicles.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

FirstGroup provides a whistleblowing policy that covers all its companies and is accessible to external agencies, including customers, suppliers, and other third parties.

The company has established five formal partnerships, including Lumo's four new community partnerships with groups such as People’s Kitchen, Northern Pride, Edinburgh Science Festival, and Beamish Museum , and a partnership with Reaseheath College for a bus and coach engineering academy.

Safe & Smart Tech

FirstGroup PLC has implemented IT infrastructure controls across the company to protect customer data and comply with data privacy regulations, including GDPR and CCPA.

Dedicated compliance officers are in place in each division, and a training program has been administered to all employees, emphasizing their role in protecting sensitive data. The company's privacy policy outlines that individuals have rights to access, correct, and object to automated decisions.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

In FY 2025, FirstGroup achieved a 100% waste diversion rate, with 77% recycled, 21% recovered for energy, and 2% composted/reused, resulting in 0% landfilled.

The company reported zero environmental violations in FY 2025. FirstGroup has implemented multiple waste reduction initiatives, including smart temperature monitoring for food waste, collaboration with Alexander Dennis to reduce packaging on replacement parts by approximately 25%, and the introduction of waste segregation officers who prevented nearly 500 tonnes of recyclables from going to waste. These efforts contributed to a 2.5% reduction in overall waste generated in FY 2024 compared to FY 2023. Specific waste reduction targets include GWR's goal for 75% of waste to be recycled by 2026 and Avanti's aim to reduce, reuse, or recycle 60% of waste at its managed stations by March 2025. In terms of circular design, FirstGroup has a joint venture with Hitachi for up to 1,000 electric bus batteries, retaining 75% of their residual value for second-life use and ultimate recycling.