How Thales is Delivering Social Value to the UK
In its latest report Thales has demonstrated its long term commitment to the UK, outlining its approach to social value with a collection of programmes designed to deliver a positive contribution to its communities, the environment and society at large.
Download the report
The defence industry carries a colossal responsibility to help keep nations safe and secure.
Our responsibility to the UK
This is the cornerstone of society and without it there can be no sustainability, but achieving sustainable growth means creating value beyond the bottom line.
Thales has created a framework that’s centred around four pillars of living net zero; making a contribution across the UK; supporting cohesion and inclusivity in our local communities; and promoting digital citizenship.
This approach builds on a comprehensive study carried out by Thales in partnership with the Social Value Portal to understand social needs in its local communities as well as identifying the areas around which Thales is best positioned to make the biggest material difference.
Living Net Zero
As world leaders came together at COP 26 to address the greatest challenge facing humankind, Thales took the UK’s climate change targets a step further and committed to achieve net zero in its UK operations by 2030. This report outlines the way in which Thales will deliver on its ambitious targets by incorporating eco-design principles into all new products by 2023 and identifying new ways to apply its technologies for broader environmental and societal benefit.
Making a contribution across the UK
With its unique geographic footprint, Thales is well positioned to add economic value across all four nations of the United Kingdom. Building on the recommendations from its study with the Social Value Portal, Thales has designed a series of initiatives to address the needs in its local communities today while leaving a positive legacy for future generations. This extends to working with supply chain partners to help them on their journey of continuous improvement and growth.
Supporting cohesion and inclusivity in our local communities
This pillar outlines Thales’ employee-led activity and is underpinned by its volunteering policy, with access to over 160,000 hours of employee-delivered volunteering each year. Thales will work with partners, including the Prince’s Trust, to establish programmes that support people from disadvantaged backgrounds and targets 13% of all hires each year to be from under-represented groups.
Promoting digital citizenship
Digital citizenship is essential in today’s society. Put simply, it’s the ability to access digital technology safely and responsibly. Thales has outlined the work it is doing to increase awareness and to support vulnerable groups in society, with a particular focus on STEM activity to encourage people into careers in Cyber Security and Space. It is also equipping our customers with technology that will help increase digital resilience for society in an increasingly interconnected world.