The Leaf – Issue 18 – Latest Sustainability Recognitions, Why Buy Made in Britain, and The Team Gets Dirty Planting Trees

We’ve had a fantastic quarter of fresh sustainability accreditations and recognitions, and we’re excited to be forging ahead with a revitalised roadmap that will see our Plymouth and offices site fully decarbonised by the end of 2027.

It’s impossible not to notice the signs of climate change almost everywhere, in the news of wildfires searing across California, unusually mild weather here in the UK, and right under your feet; plants that should just now be making an appearance were already growing as early as November, and as such were at risk of damage by winter frosts, negatively affecting biodiversity.

H2: Meet Our New Sustainability Project Lead

In November last year, we were thrilled to welcome Darren Cooke to our team in Plymouth as Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability Manager and, suitably pleased with having the longest title of any other staff member in Plymouth, Darren’s already thrown himself into project managing the complete transformation of our Plymouth site to become a flagship of carbon zero manufacturing in the UK.

Schneider Electric Named World’s Most Sustainable Corporation… Again!

As part of Schneider Electric, we’re proud to be a part of a corporation that’s just been named, for a second time, World’s Most Sustainable Corporation for 2025 by Corporate Knights. Sustainability is at the heart of everything Schneider Electric and Drayton do, and our holistic approach to sustainability which tackles more than just carbon emissions is the path to truly sustainable business. 

Our sustainability roadmap places focus on each of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including eliminating reliance on fossil fuels, reducing poverty in local communities, supporting gender equality and inclusivity, and more.

"Schneider Electric's position at the top of the Global 100 index is remarkable. No other company has accomplished this twice. This success stems from Schneider's broad impact that goes beyond its own sustainability efforts. Schneider provides the technology to enhance energy efficiency, support decarbonization and help other companies in their sustainable transitions."

• Toby Heaps, Corporate Knights, CEO

Read more about this recognition on Schneider Electric's website.

Drayton Achieves Made in Britain Accreditation

More great news for us right here in Plymouth, we’re proud to announce that Drayton is now Made in Britain accredited, joining a community of British manufacturing businesses, members of which display the Made in Britain Registered Trademark to show their commitment to supporting UK manufacturing amid rising demand for British-made products.

Why is Drayton Made in Britain accredited?

Achieving this accreditation was really important to us, not only to demonstrate our commitment to high quality and safety standards, supporting the British economy, but as part of our holistic approach to sustainability.

Being a British-registered business with more than 75 years of British engineering experience, we exceeded the necessary accreditation criteria because 90% of our products are designed, manufactured, and produced right here in Devon.

What are the Benefits of Buying Products Made in Britain?

Made in Britain accreditation recognises the increasing demand for British-made products, and there are plenty of great reasons for Britain to buy Made in Britain products:

• Higher quality & safety standards
• Faster shipping with fewer miles travelled by products
• Supports the UK economy
• Supports better workplace practices
• More sustainable manufacturing thanks to better access to renewable energy
• Less manufacturing waste (Drayton’s Plymouth site is a Zero to Landfill facility)
• Better & faster customer service
• Lower carbon footprint

Read the full article here

Can You Be-leaf It? 500 New Trees Planted in Just 5 Hours!

On 8^th February 2025, members of our Plymouth team and their families gave up their Saturday to take part in a volunteering initiative by the National Trust in the Community Woodland of Wembury Barton Farm, just 10 miles from our factory and offices.

This new woodland forms part of the wider Defra-funded Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest, a partnership between the National Trust, the Woodland Trust, Plymouth City Council and South Hams District Council.

A 35-strong team of Drayton volunteers and family members worked tirelessly in chilly conditions to plant 500 trees of various species, carefully curated by National Trust experts to ensure a healthy new area of vital woodland develops on this picturesque spot overlooking the River Yealm.

These newest trees alone will absorb 12.5 tonnes of CO₂ every year and will support local biodiversity for richer ecosystems, offering more benefits to the local area including improved soil quality and carbon cycling.

As the UK sits in a temperate zone – regions between the tropics and poles and characterised by moderate climate – afforestation (introduction of new woodland) is highly effective here, where vegetation can make the most of higher temperatures and higher CO2 levels resulting from climate change. Research published by Dr. Yulong Zhang in Remote Sensing of Environment theorised that focusing efforts on these areas could maximize environmental impact.

Nurturing more global vegetation in the most effective zones will help to rebalance global atmospheric conditions and reduce the risk of extreme weather events we now see in tropic regions, causing natural disasters like wildfires, drought, and flooding. 

Our approach to sustainability

We believe that a holistic approach to climate action, in line with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals is the only path to truly sustainable business and thank you to our wonderful teams for their continued commitment to creating positive environmental impact!

Planting trees is only a small part of our roadmap to a net-zero Drayton; we’re embarking on a revitalised 3-year plan to fully decarbonise our Plymouth site by the end of 2027, and you can continue to follow our progress right here in The Leaf for updates on our:

• Energy reduction projects
• Waste management improvements
• Renewable energy generation
• Site biodiversity nurturing
• Employee welfare enhancements
• Community outreach efforts
• Sustainable partnerships

Read more about Drayton sustainability in The Leaf, Drayton's sustainability blog.