William Hill introduces clean energy and female leadership CSR initiatives

27 / 01 / 2021

By iGB - -

William Hill has announced two new corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, including moving its entire UK electricity supply to renewable energy, and the launch of an IT training programme aimed at developing female leaders in the field of technology.

The operator has switched its UK electricity supply to energy supplier Total Gas & Power, moving from a reliance on grid electricity to 100% renewable green energy from sources including wind, solar and hydroelectric.

By moving to Total Gas & Power’s Pure Green supply, the operator said it expects to save around 61,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide over its three-year contract, equivalent to the usage of 38,000 cars in the UK.

The operator said the initiative is one of many that enables it to become greener and less carbon-intensive. Further initiatives include a full rollout of smart meters across its retail network which it says will drive increased CO2 reductions in the future.

“We have prioritised the environment as being extremely important to William Hill, and have committed to becoming a Carbon Neutral Business,” David Medori, the operator’s chief procurement officer, said.

“We have established aggressive targets over five years in C02 reduction on energy, waste, transportation and water. All metrics are on target.

“We have an Environmental Management Forum for driving through key initiatives and ensuring these are on both operating and PLC Board agendas.”

The operator’s charitable arm, the William Hill Foundation, has also launched a new programme in Poland, focusing on developing future female leaders in the field of technology.

The Lead IT Lady programme, based in the operator’s Krakow office, aims to address the leadership gender gap in the industry by offering participants an opportunity to hone skills through a series of expert-led training modules.

The programme includes a module which allows participants to lead on individual digital projects to support non-profit organisations in the local community, including the development of mobile applications.

There are currently 14 participants on the programme, including three internal representatives from the William Hill Krakow teams.

Results published this week revealed that the operator’s net revenue was down 16% year-on-year for 2020, despite reporting a 9% rise for the fourth quarter

Revenue for the year was down to £1.32bn (€1.49bn/$1.81bn), in what the operator described as an “extraordinary” year of disruption caused by novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.