Our approach

When we talk about sustainability, we’re talking about the ethical, environmental, social and cultural impacts of our business on the world.

We encourage everyone to adopt a sustainable mindset; to evaluate decisions carefully and seek to minimise any negative impacts and optimise positive impacts. We are strongly positioned to help solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges, particularly when it comes to innovating clean power and transitioning to a low-carbon global economy. But our commitment isn’t just to big breakthroughs that will reshape the future; we encourage and support our people to do the right things every day.

Our sights are set on sustainability

We’ve created clear goals for a more responsible future

As a global technology business, we’re accountable for our impacts. And it’s up to us to decide the ways in which we reduce our effect. So we’ve created several targets to help us measure our sustainability and to give us momentum in the future. Here’s the latest on four of our targets:

Increase recycling & recovery to 68% by 2025

Every year we recycle over 20,000 tonnes of metals and alloys (that’s about two Eiffel Towers). We’ve hit 60% of our target, but we’re working closely with waste experts to find new ways to recycle.

Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030

We're investing in renewable energy sources at our global sites, including tri-generation power systems and solar panels. Where it isn't possible to install onsite renewable solutions we're making sure all the energy we purchase is clean energy.

Reducing energy use by 50% by 2030

We want our facilities and operations to use as little energy as possible. That’s why we invest around £10 million in low carbon and energy efficient technologies every year.
And we have already achieved our target!

Inspire future STEM experts

Educating and supporting the next generation of scientists and engineers is critical to staying at the forefront of technology and innovation. And since 2014 we’ve reached 10.31 million people with our educational programmes.

Governance and employee engagement

Everyone plays a role in co-creating a sustainable future

Across our organisation, we’ve established empowered committees and networks to ensure we act responsibly. From executives to graduates, everyone’s contribution counts and our central sustainability team guide, advise and educate: helping us all to have a sustainable mindset.

How you could get involved

We make sure our employees’ voices and opinions are heard via focus groups and social media forums, which offer a platform to discuss the topics they care about. We also have internal teams focused on labour practises, human rights and ethics, environment, central technology and environmental technology, diversity and inclusion, community investment and STEM.

We have strong governance in place to help oversee and guide our approach:

  • Environment & Sustainability Committee: executive-level.
  • External Environmental Advisory Committee: respected professors and thought leaders.
  • Science & Technology Committee: board-level.
  • Safety, Ethics and Sustainability Committee: board-level.

Proactive daily choices

Every action counts, so we don’t just work towards the big technological breakthroughs that will reshape the future; we encourage and support every individual to make responsible choices daily.

Some of our daily-impact initiatives include:

  • Smoke-free and tobacco-free campuses globally.
  • Onsite renewable energy – solar, thermal solar, ground source heat supported our own microgrid technologies.
  • Help-to-buy bicycle scheme.
  • Removal of single-use plastic from all food and drink.
  • Site-based employee health and wellbeing accredition programmes.
  • Global inclusion network, connecting people with similar interests and experiences.
  • Employee volunteering - including STEM education outreach and community projects.

Say hello to Project Sunshine

We’re using the sun to help us make aero engines.

Our aerospace campus in Seletar, Singapore is special. Not only is it one of the most advanced facilities in the world, it was also built with sustainability in mind. It has incredibly efficient cooling systems and the latest water pump equipment, but the most incredible green technology is outside.

On the facility’s roof, and across the site, you’ll find 16,700 photovoltaic panels. They harness the power of the region’s abundant sunshine and will help us save 39,000 tonnes of CO2e during their lifetime.

It’s an incredible place to work and one that we’re using as a benchmark across all Rolls-Royce operations.

Find your career

1,600

STEM ambassadors globally

91,000

hours of employee time volunteered each year

£27.1m

invested in employee learning and development

£7m

invested in community projects