Our Corporate Social Responsibility is closely linked to the work we do every day. As a business that helps organisations close the gap between policy and practice, we believe it's equally important that we hold ourselves to the same standards.
Our CSR Policy sets out our approach across four key areas: supporting our people, protecting our communities, reducing our environmental impact and operating responsibly as we continue to grow. While those commitments remain unchanged, our work to deliver them continues to evolve.
Over the past 12 months, we've continued to invest in initiatives that reduce our environmental impact while supporting a growing business. One of the most significant developments has been a fourfold increase in our investment in carbon offsetting. As a result, 75% of our auditor travel emissions are now offset through tree planting, compared with 16% when our last CSR report was published. Alongside this, we continue to encourage greener travel choices, improve audit planning to reduce unnecessary mileage and look for practical ways to make our operations more efficient.
Supporting people remains equally important. Every year, thousands of young people gain valuable work experience through Serve Legal, with many progressing into long-term careers. In fact, more than three quarters of our core team began their journey as auditors. We continue to invest in employee wellbeing, maintain an inclusive workplace and provide opportunities for development across every stage of a career.
The work we do also contributes to safer communities. By helping businesses improve compliance in areas such as age verification, allergen management, wider mystery shopping and responsible retailing, we support our clients in delivering better outcomes for their customers. Maintaining high standards of accuracy, consistency and service is central to that responsibility.
As Serve Legal continues to expand internationally, these principles remain at the heart of our business. Growth presents an opportunity to embed the same approach across new markets, ensuring our environmental commitments, ethical standards and people-first culture are reflected wherever we operate. Whether working with clients in the UK, Europe or North America, our objective is the same: to deliver high-quality services in a responsible and sustainable way.
Corporate Social Responsibility isn't a standalone project or a box to tick. It's an ongoing part of how we run our business, make decisions and support our clients. We'll continue to review our progress, invest where we can make the greatest impact and ensure that responsible growth remains a core part of Serve Legal's future.
Read our full CSR report here.