Better Health for All
20
Go-Ahead's principal public transport services contribute substantially to public health. The company invested £500 million to decarbonize its bus fleet
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, an initiative expected to eliminate approximately 60 tonnes of carbon emissions per bus annually
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, thereby improving air quality. Furthermore, Go-Ahead encourages active travel, with research indicating that public transport users could accumulate 20-28 minutes of physical activity daily
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, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and strokes. The company also introduced the 'Chatty Bus' scheme, engaging over 150 customers
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to combat social isolation and promote mental health conversations
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, and raises mental health awareness
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.
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity
0
Go-Ahead Group PLC, a public transport operator, does not offer lending or deposit services to consumers or operate in financial services. Consequently, KPIs related to financial products and services are not applicable. However, the company contributes to economic opportunity through its procurement practices and community investments. Go-Ahead engages over 3,200 SMEs, representing 75% of its supply base
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, and committed to spending at least £250 million annually with SMEs
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. In 2020, it spent approximately £247 million with SMEs
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, with plans to increase this by £15 million by the end of 2023
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. Support for SMEs includes establishing an SME Champion Group
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, publishing a guide for doing business
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, identifying SME-only spending categories
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, creating simplified contracts
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, and introducing an SME of the Year award
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. Govia Thameslink Railway, part of Go-Ahead, invested £1.2 million in 52 community projects focusing on mental health, education, employability, and diversity, aligning with economic and social inclusion
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. The company's Sustainable Procurement Charter promotes sustainability, diversity, and workforce fairness in its supply chain, including eliminating zero-hour contracts
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. Additionally, Go-Ahead partnered with Women in Bus and Coach (WiBC) to support equality, diversity, and inclusivity in the workplace
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.
Fair Pay & Worker Respect
-20
Employee reviews on Glassdoor indicate a worker engagement score of 2.7 out of 5 stars, reflecting concerns about management practices, compensation, career progression, long hours, and managerial support.
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The company has been recognized as a leading transport employer for apprenticeships for the third year running, recruiting nearly 1,000 apprentices in the past year.
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Go-Ahead plans to recruit 1,500 women bus drivers by 2035, investing £8 million to create inclusive environments and training, with women comprising 11.5% of bus drivers at the time of the announcement.
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The company has faced industrial action, including a five-week strike by Go North East bus workers in 2023, which concluded with a pay deal including a 10.5% backdated rise.
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Go-Ahead London bus workers also secured a 10.5% pay rise in 2022 after negotiations with the Unite union.
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In 2021, the Go North West division experienced a nearly two-and-a-half-month strike related to 'fire and rehire' practices, ending with an agreement on wage increases and sick pay.
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The company has outlined commitments to tackling modern slavery, including employee training, but noted a lack of engagement with worker representative groups and social audits.
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Safety enhancements include a 'Go-Report-it' app for bus and rail safety incidents.
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Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing
0
No specific, quantifiable evidence was provided in the articles to assess the company against the defined Key Performance Indicators for Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing. While the company has received sustainability accolades from Sustainalytics and MSCI
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, operates under ISO 20400:2017 for sustainable procurement
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, and introduced a Sustainable Procurement Charter mandating supplier standards in sustainability, diversity, and fair labor
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, these are general commitments or external ratings rather than concrete metrics. Information regarding SME engagement, such as 75% of suppliers being SME-based
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or a commitment to spend at least £250 million annually with SMEs
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, refers to the percentage of suppliers or a monetary commitment, not the current percentage of the total procurement budget directed to diverse suppliers.
Honest & Fair Business
0
Go-Ahead Group faced significant ethical violations, leading to the termination of its Southeastern rail franchise in September 2021.
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Investigations revealed the company retained over £25 million in taxpayer funds between 2014 and 2020.
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This misconduct resulted in a £23.5 million fine from the UK Department for Transport in March 2022,
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alongside an order to reimburse £64 million to taxpayers,
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bringing the total financial impact to £87.5 million.
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The Serious Fraud Office was referred,
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and the Financial Reporting Council initiated an investigation into Deloitte LLP's audits of Go-Ahead's financial statements from 2016 to 2021
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due to concerns over financial misstatements and governance issues.
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In response, Go-Ahead is working to strengthen its governance and ethical policies through the 'Go-Ahead Way' initiative.
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The company also launched a Sustainable Procurement Charter in 2019,
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mandating suppliers to adhere to sustainability and diversity standards, including disclosures on workforce diversity and gender pay gaps.
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Kind to Animals
0
As a public transport operator, Go-Ahead Group PLC's core business model means that many KPIs related to animal products, testing, or agriculture are not applicable, resulting in a score of 0 for these categories. While the company's environmental initiatives, such as operating 1,100 zero-emission buses
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, introducing air-filtering buses
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, and implementing a Sustainable Procurement Charter (launched March 2019)
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, are noted to indirectly support wildlife protection and biodiversity conservation
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, the provided articles do not offer specific, measurable data on biodiversity impact, species recovery, or habitat restoration metrics. Similarly, the general sustainable procurement initiatives do not specify audits for animal welfare compliance or collaboration on animal-free standards. Therefore, KPIs requiring such specific, measurable evidence are omitted due to a lack of concrete data.
No War, No Weapons
-20
Go-Ahead Group PLC's core business is civilian transportation, with no direct involvement in military operations or arms production. While the company has no direct arms revenue, it donated three former Luton Airport shuttle buses for use as transport and rest areas for Ukrainian soldiers in the war effort, constituting minor defense-adjacent services.
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For peacebuilding investment, the company's rail division raised £106,000 for food parcels for Ukrainian rail workers and their families.
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which is approximately 0.0026% of its 2021 revenue.
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The company also donated a single-decker bus for Ukrainian children.
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Go-Ahead operates in accordance with the ISO 20400:2017 guidance standard for sustainable procurement, with no evidence of military suppliers.
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As a public transport operator, the company has no exposure to controversial or banned weapons. Additionally, a Go-Ahead Group rail company, GTR, has signed the Armed Forces Covenant and employs ex-Forces personnel.
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, and Thameslink supported the 'Routes of Remembrance' campaign.
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Planet-Friendly Business
-60
Go-Ahead Group has a validated Science Based Target to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 75% by 2035
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. The company aims for net-zero carbon emissions by 2045
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, with interim goals to decarbonize its bus fleet and eliminate diesel trains by 2035
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. Go-Ahead is a signatory to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
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. The company has invested £500 million to produce 1,200 zero-emission buses
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. It achieved a 22% emissions reduction between 2016 and 2021
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, and a 30% reduction over three years
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, contributing to a nearly 70% reduction over the past decade
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. Go-Ahead holds ISO 50001 certification for energy management across all UK operations
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and ISO 14001 for environmental management
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. Its procurement process aligns with ISO 20400:2017 for sustainable procurement
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. The company received an 'A-' rating from the CDP
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and was recognized as a 'European Climate Leader'
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.
Respect for Cultures & Communities
-20
Go-Ahead Group has established 5 formal partnerships with community groups, including Guide Dogs, Mind, Age UK, Autism Bedfordshire, and Missing People.
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The company has invested £1.2 million in its 'Your Station, Your Community' fund over three years, supporting 52 community-led projects.
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Its subsidiary, Go-Ahead Ireland, makes €3,000 available per quarter for community initiatives.
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The company also facilitates 'Chatty Bus' programs to reduce social isolation
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and adapts bus designs to be dementia-friendly, providing double wheelchair bays and improved audio-visual systems for accessibility.
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An Access Advisory Panel influences staff accessibility training.
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Safe & Smart Tech
0
No specific, quantifiable evidence was found in the provided articles to assess Go-Ahead Group PLC against the defined KPIs for Safe & Smart Tech. While a cyber security incident involving unauthorized activity on its network was reported in September 2022, the articles do not specify the number of users affected, which is a critical data point for scoring data breach severity.
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The articles also state there is no publicly available information regarding AI ethics governance.
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Furthermore, there is no evidence provided for cybersecurity investment, privacy certifications, security training, encryption implementation, AI audit practices, algorithmic transparency, unauthorized data use incidents, user data control, authentication security, vulnerability management, bug bounty programs, privacy by design, security testing coverage, data minimization, regulatory compliance beyond a precautionary notification, algorithmic harm remediation, or digital rights advocacy.
Zero Waste & Sustainable Products
-20
Go-Ahead Group has a company-wide target to achieve a 60% recycling rate by 2025.
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As of November 2022, 'Project Go Eco' increased recycling at Go-Ahead London from 5.5% to 33% within a year, processing up to 60 tonnes of recyclable waste monthly.
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The company also developed the 'Pure Range' of 100% plant-based cleaning agents for vehicles and depots, which earned a Green Apple Award for environmental best practices.
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Furthermore, Go-Ahead introduced a Sustainable Procurement Charter in March 2019, operating in accordance with ISO20400:2017.
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,
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This charter mandates suppliers to demonstrate recycled content, product recyclability, eliminate or reduce packaging, ensure packaging has recycled content, provide take-back schemes for packaging reuse, and offer products that can be reused, refurbished, or upgraded.
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Suppliers are also expected to help reduce waste and support circular economy solutions, including eliminating or reducing waste to landfill.
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Go-Ahead also holds an annual Sustainable Supplier Award.
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