Sustainability & ESG | British Solar Renewables

Biodiversity, sustainability, and responsibility are the foundation of how we deliver renewable energy that truly works for everyone. Every decision we make — from how we source materials to how we develop, build and operate — is guided by our commitment to benefit people, nature, and the planet.

We take pride in developing projects that generate clean, affordable power while enhancing the land they’re built on, strengthening local communities, and setting higher standards for environmental care.

Through responsible, sustainable procurement, we’re ensuring that every renewable project contributes to a cleaner, fairer energy system.

Highlights

619,250 MWhr of renewable energy generated annually across the UK and beyond.
60%+ Biodiversity Net Gain, which is six times the UK government’s required minimum.

99% decrease in single-use plastic water bottles on sites in 2 years.
Partnerships with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to restore and enhance essential habitats for pollinators.

Learn more about our work with bees

Voluntary Bat Surveys across multiple sites to better understand and support local bat populations.
Long-term land stewardship and ecosystem enhancement through our Nature Protection Pledge

Read our Nature Protection Pledge

Leaving nature better than we found it

Clean energy and thriving ecosystems should go hand in hand. Across every project, we aim for a minimum 60% biodiversity net gain (often achieving much more), creating habitats for wildlife, planting wildflower meadows, restoring hedgerows, and protecting soil and water health.

Our teams of ecologists and environmental specialists work alongside our designers to ensure that the design, construction, and operation of projects protect natural habitats from the start.

Key initiatives include:

Partnering with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to create habitats for pollinators, including the rare Shrill Carder Bee.

Voluntary Bat Surveys across BSR sites to track population changes and improve habitat design. Learn more

Installing bat boxes, wildflower corridors, and hedgerows to strengthen biodiversity.

Reducing embodied carbon through local supply chains and continuous monitoring of site emissions.

Protecting nature should be at the heart of renewable energy, not an afterthought. Through our Nature Protection Pledge, we can ensure that our work – and the wider renewables industry – enhances the land for future generations.

Read our Nature Protection Pledge

Social responsibility

Caring for communities and future generations

We’re powered by people — the communities we work within, and the people who make up British Solar Renewables. Social responsibility for us means investing in people, creating opportunities to power local communities, and making a tangible difference in the places we operate.

For communities

Community benefit funds — established for every project to fund local initiatives.
Defibrillator programme — installing lifesaving devices in every community we build in, starting with Oath Village, Somerset. Learn more
Educational outreach — free sustainability workshops and school talks that inspire the next generation of renewable energy professionals.
Volunteering — our team supports local causes like Shepton Snowdrops, helping improve green spaces and biodiversity in our local areas. Learn more
Public consultation events — held during development to ensure every community voice is heard.

For our people

Diversity, equity, and inclusion — We’re proud to lead by example in promoting gender balance and diversity across age and background. Women make up 40% of our workforce, compared to an industry average of around 32%, and we’re committed to building on that progress.
Learning and development — We support continuous professional development through tailored internal and external training, ensuring our team continues to grow with the industry.
Connection and community — From our Book Club to our Menopause Support Group, we encourage open conversations and genuine connections that make BSR a supportive and inclusive place to work.
Culture and care — We foster a safe, collaborative, and flexible working culture, where everyone’s contribution is valued and every voice is heard

For our supply chain

Responsible sourcing is a non-negotiable for us. We go beyond supplier assurances to ensure that people and the planet are respected at every stage of the lifecycle.

Our partners are expected to uphold the same principles of transparency, fairness, and sustainability that define us. Every supplier is assessed under our Sustainable Procurement Policy and must commit to our Supplier Code of Conduct.

We use EcoVadis assessments to evaluate performance and are proud members of the Responsible Business Alliance, enabling independent, factory-level audits for equipment sourced from around the world.

Partnerships & Memberships

We know that real progress happens through collaboration. By working closely with our suppliers and partners, we create shared values and raise standards across our supply chain.

Collaboration supports consistency, transparency, and shared learning — helping organisations move forward together on their sustainability journey.

We’re proud to partner with leading organisations that drive positive change.

EcoVadis

We use EcoVadis, a global leader in sustainability ratings, to assess and continually improve environmental, social, and ethical performance across our supply chain. Through regular reviews and open dialogue with our suppliers, we identify ESG risks early and work together to drive measurable improvement.

Solar Energy UK

As active members of Solar Energy UK, the country’s leading trade association for solar and energy storage, we help shape policy and industry best practice. Several of our team sit on specialist steering groups, ensuring our collective experience contributes directly to the UK’s clean energy transition.

Supply Chain Sustainability School

We’re proud partners of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, a collaboration focused on developing sustainability expertise within organisations and their supply networks. The School provides training, resources, and shared learning that help us stay ahead of an evolving sustainability landscape, and ensure we embed best practice across everything we do.

Responsible Business Alliance (RBA)

BSR is a proud member of the Responsible Business Alliance, the world’s largest coalition promoting ethical, sustainable, and socially responsible supply chains. Our membership gives us access to independent, on-site factory audits and global benchmarks, strengthening our commitment to human rights, environmental stewardship, and responsible sourcing.

Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI)

We are members of the Solar Stewardship Initiative, a joint programme by Solar Energy UK and SolarPower Europe designed to build transparency and traceability across the solar value chain. Through SSI’s certification framework, we help advance ethical sourcing and continuous improvement in the solar industry worldwide.

Careful because we care

We lead with conscience and clarity, prioritising safety, quality, and long-term responsibility in everything we do. Our work is grounded in:

Health and Safety

Our mission is simple: Everyone safe, always. We are committed to keeping everyone who works with and for us healthy and safe by fostering a transparent, inclusive safety culture — driven by leadership and frontline engagement.

Transparency, accountability, and integrity

Strong governance ensures our environmental and social commitments are delivered consistently, transparently, and responsibly.

Governance with integrity

We maintain clear policies and processes to ensure transparency and compliance across all areas of our work, including:

Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
ESG Policy
Energy Policy
Supplier Code of Conduct
Privacy and Cookie Policies

Our governance framework aligns with internationally recognised standards and certifications, including:

ISO 9001 – Quality Management
ISO 14001 – Environmental Management (Australia)
ISO 45001 – Occupational Health and Safety
ISO 50001 – Energy Management

Learn more about our accreditations

Clean energy, powered with purpose

At British Solar Renewables, we work to drive the UK’s renewable energy future, empowering communities, boosting the economy, and supporting global climate action.

From biodiversity enhancement to community empowerment and ethical supply chains, our work is guided by doing business the right way, every day.

If you’d like to learn more about our work, we’d love to talk.