Making a Positive Impact: Unite Students Sustainability Report 2024
This report outlines The Unite Group PLC's initiatives and efforts towards sustainability for the year 2024.
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 Making a positive impact
APPROACH 02 Foreword by CEO 03 Our approach to sustainability 04 Our sustainability framework 06 Targets and progress PROGRESS 07 Young people 11 Local communities 14 Our people 17 The environment GOVERNANCE 22 Good governance SOCIAL IMPACT 23 Social impact LOOKING FORWARD 24 Looking forward to 2025 APPENDICES 25 Environmental performance data 29 Sustainability data reporting 37 Summary of sustainability targets 39 Summary of social impact metrics Brighter futures, stronger communities This report provides an insight into our approach to sustainability, and our ambition to make a positive impact for young people, our people, communities and the environment. Annual Report https://www.unitegroup.com/investors/reports-and-presentations Investor site https://www.unitegroup.com/investors OUR REPORTING SUITE Some of the frameworks we adhere to: 01 GOVERNANCE PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES APPROACH
“ This year we have made good progress against our sustainability goals and have continued to achieve positive sustainability outcomes.” FOREWORD BY JOE LISTER, CEO UNITE STUDENTS Focusing on what matters the most That’s why we recognise sustainability as a key enabler to our growth ambitions and a significant focus in our long-term corporate strategy. We’re working to reduce our environmental impact, and investing to create brighter futures and stronger communities. In 2024, we invested c.£10.2 million in energy, carbon and water reduction projects across our portfolio. I’m proud that all teams are now involved in the delivery of local community projects as part of our Positive Impact programme. We also remained on track to achieve our 2030 science-based carbon targets and secured Global Student Living Index’s (GSLI) gold rating for recycling and environment. Our investment in energy, carbon and water saving initiatives, including heat pumps and LED lighting, helped us achieve 91.7% A and B EPC ratings across our portfolio. We continued to work on reducing the carbon intensity of our new properties and achieved our lowest ever embodied carbon level of all new properties to date at Bromley Place in Nottingham, which opened in September 2024. Collaboration with our key stakeholders helped us to progress towards our sustainability targets, including working closely with customers and engaging supply chain partners on environmental and social performance. We remain committed to paying the Real Living Wage to recognise the great work our frontline teams do. The number of women in senior leadership has increased to over 37%, up 9 percentage points on the previous year. Sustainability will remain a priority for us throughout 2025 and beyond. JOE LISTER CEO UNITE STUDENTS THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 Becoming a more sustainable business is vital if we want to achieve our long- term business objectives of creating a great place to live, work and invest. GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES 02 GOVERNANCE PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES APPROACH
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT Our strategic business objectives to create a Great Place to Live, Work and Invest, can only be achieved if we maintain focus on sustainability. Our approach to sustainability This graphic shows why sustainability is central to achieving our three strategic objectives. GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES Great Place to Work Providing our residents with a great place to live takes teams who are engaged, enabled, empowered and rewarded to deliver consistently high standards of performance. This means listening to employee voice, investing in life-long learning, recognising and incentivising performance, and working towards a more diverse and representative workforce at all levels. Great Place to Invest To continue to provide the best possible place to live and work, requires access to investment and finance. This will only be possible if we continue a credible transition to net zero carbon, robustly manage climate-related risks, maintain the highest standards of safety and compliance, and provide transparent reporting and disclosure on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Creating places that our customers can call home while they stay with us, through enhancements to our buildings and access to welfare support. Great Place to Live 03 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE Sustainability considerations GOVERNANCE PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES APPROACH
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT Our sustainability framework To help us achieve these aims, we’ve developed our sustainability framework, shown opposite, that helps us to make a real positive impact. Being a sustainable business is key to us fulfilling our Home for Success purpose. Our sustainability framework sets out how we will achieve this. Our Annual Report and Accounts includes a summary of our progress on sustainability through 2024 and mandatory disclosures such as SECR and TCFD. This report gives a more detailed overview of how we approach sustainability, and it captures some of the highlights. Together, we’re investing in brighter futures, stronger communities and a smaller environmental footprint. Our ambition is to make a positive impact across four key areas, set out in our sustainability framework: Our sustainability framework is aligned with nine of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as indicated using the icons on the graphic - https://sdgs.un.org/goals GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES Making a positive impact: our ambitions Championing inclusion, wellbeing and success for young people in HE. Young people • Supporting care-experienced students. • Leading on inclusion and achievement. for young people in HE. Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where our people can thrive. Our people • Real Living Wage employer. • 40% females in senior leadership. • 65% of senior leadership hired internally. • 10% ethnic minority representation in senior leadership by 2025. Making a real contribution to the communities we operate in. • Investing 1% of adjusted profit in social initiatives. • Impactful local community projects delivered by every property and team. • 20% employee volunteering participation rate. • Making spaces available in our properties for local community use. Tackling climate change and reducing our environmental impacts. • 56% reduction in absolute operational Scope 1 & 2 market-based carbon emissions by 2030, compared to 2019 levels. • 28% cut in operational energy levels by 2030. • 100% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Communities Environment 04 GOVERNANCE PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES APPROACH
MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT Our sustainability framework sets out our approach to sustainability and focuses on the areas which are most important to us and our stakeholders. It is based on the results of our first materiality assessment in 2020, which are revalidated annually through our engagement with students, universities, employees, investors, local and national government and our supply chain. More details of this materiality assessment process are set out on page 3 of our 2023 Sustainability Report https://www.unitegroup. com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Unite- SR23-Web-Ready-PDF_080424.pdf For example, through regular dialogue with investors we know that they still believe sustainability should remain a crucial part of business planning and decision-making, despite prevailing external economic and political uncertainties. Our close collaboration with university partners highlights the need to actively shape thinking, policy and action through research, insight and collaboration on key themes which impact the lives of young people, such as mental health, race, and net zero carbon Our research with our residents shows us that environmental and social topics continue to matter to them. For example, the Student Minds Climate Change and Student Mental Health 2023 report https://www.studentminds.org.uk/ climatechangeresearch.html highlighted levels of concern on issues such as climate change, underlining the need for us to take real and visible action on this. Increasingly, our employees are demonstrating high levels of interest and expectations on key sustainability issues such as diversity and inclusion, environmental performance, and fair employment practices and they are voicing this through our Culture Matters forums. All of this highlights why sustainability remains key to our overall ambition and strategy, and an essential part of how we do business. Focusing on what matters most Focusing on the sustainability themes which are most important to us and our stakeholders. GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 “ This year we’ve made some great progress towards our environmental and social sustainability goals.” JAMES TIERNAN HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY 05 GOVERNANCE PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES APPROACH
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SUSTAINABILITY TARGETS AND PROGRESS IN 2024 THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 A year of positive impact GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES For young people Unite Foundation new scholarships awarded in 2024 95 Student Satisfaction NPS score +50 up from +42 in 2023 Care-experienced students: Committed to signing the Care Leaver Covenant For our people Women in senior leadership increased to 37% 28% in 2023 Employee engagement score of 74 up from 70 in 2023 Learning and development courses completed by employees this year 37,129 For our local communities For the environment On track to hit Scope 1 & 2 carbon target by 2030 Embodied carbon in Bromley Place, lowest embodied carbon new build to date 694kg/m2 Reduction in water consumption 0.7% 91.7% of floor space achieved EPC A or B rating £2 million landmark passed for cumulative value of donations to British Heart Foundation 3,842 hours volunteered by employees 100% of teams ran local community projects earning Silver or Gold Positive Impact awards Retained our four-star GRESB rating Listed on the FTSE4Good index Rated MSCI ESG rating of AA Retained our ISS ESG Prime status Maintained our Silver EPRA sBPR award in 2024 06 GOVERNANCE PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES APPROACH
Young people We’re committed to supporting the Unite Foundation, championing inclusion, wellbeing and success for young people in Higher Education. We want students to consider us as a place they call home, rather than just an accommodation provider. Student satisfaction NPS +50 +42 in 2023 Donations to Unite Foundation in year £1.9 million £1.8m in 2023 THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES 07 07 GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
YOUNG PEOPLE continued GIVING OUR RESIDENTS THE BEST START AT UNIVERSITY Working with our Resident Ambassadors and our interns from the 10k Black Intern programme, we’ve focused on helping our residents settle in. This includes a programme of inclusive and meaningful events, and updates to our Community Living Guide to reflect the values that are important to our residents. We continue to improve and embed our student assistance programme – a 24/7 counsellor-lead helpline and app – which provides self-help tools and access to support. We have seen increasing usage and can identify from the data the main worries our residents have such as sleep, anxiety and their general wellbeing, so we incorporated these into our campaigns. IMPROVING INCLUSION AND ACHIEVEMENT Since founding the Unite Foundation in 2012, we have donated over £16 million to directly support more than 800 care-experienced and estranged young people with up to three years of free accommodation. In 2024, 95 new scholars joined the Unite Foundation community, and the cumulative total of Unite Foundation scholars who have successfully completed their studies and graduated reached 399. The work of the Unite Foundation effectively levels the playing field between Unite Foundation scholars and non-care leaver students. Further details are available here https:// thisisusatuni.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ Unite-Foundation-JiscAnalysis-Report-_Final.pdf. We understand that the transition to university, including living somewhere new, can be daunting and, sometimes, challenging. Our research highlights worries and expectations about fitting in, finances and adjusting to student life. This has sharpened our focus on the individual difficulties faced by some of the young people living with us, helping us provide a supportive environment to enable them to navigate challenges and reduce barriers to settling in. It is important that we continue to explore and remain responsive to nuanced challenges, such as socioeconomic background, race and neurodiversity, so that we strive for an equitable experience for all young people. This year we introduced a pre-arrival disclosure form, inviting residents to tell us about any additional needs or where they might need additional support. This encouraged neurodivergent students to let us know about sensitivities, allowing us to be more proactive in supporting their stay. Our Resident Ambassador programme has been strengthened with earlier recruitment and structured training. It provides a valuable opportunity for residents to earn alongside their studies. We aim to recruit a balanced team that truly represents our resident community. As part of our recruitment campaign, we worked with the Unite Foundation to guarantee interviews for care-experienced and estranged students. We continued to develop our Support to Stay framework, and enhanced the training our teams received, to meet the needs of our residents. Over 90% of our frontline teams have completed learning sessions on student support and CARE, our customer service programme. We continued to work with our university partners to support students facing financial difficulties, maintaining food pantries and issuing Aldi grocery vouchers to our most at-risk students. We commissioned leading think tank, the Social Market Foundation to deliver a report on the barriers facing care-experienced and estranged students. THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES Our key ambitions and targets “ For anyone, but particularly care- experienced and estranged students, not having to worry about money is huge, because care leavers are likely to have little, to no, parental support. That then reduces financial stress and allows you to concentrate on your course.” Ambition 2022 2023 2024 Actual 2024 Target Progress Maintain support to Unite Foundation £1.7 million £1.8 million £1.9 million £1.8m On track 100% of properties to have Resident Ambassadors 50% 85% 91% 100% On track Our key ambition and metrics in this area are set out below (additional metrics and targets are in Appendix 3): UNITE FOUNDATION SCHOLAR 08 GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
YOUNG PEOPLE continued Case study Supporting care leavers This year, we commissioned leading think tank the Social Market Foundation to deliver a report on the barriers facing care-experienced and estranged students with entry and success in Higher Education. Care and Learning in Higher Education features a literature review, interviews and focus groups with representatives from HE, local authorities and the charity sector and includes a set of government and HE policy recommendations. Following the publication of the report, the Social Market Foundation hosted a round table discussion with government ministers and sector representatives. Featured in the report is the recommendation that HE providers become signatories of the Care Leaver Covenant, a Department for Education initiative which provides a framework for organisations to support young care leavers across finance, health, education, employment and independent living. In line with this recommendation, we plan to sign the covenant in 2025. The full report, Care and Learning in Higher Education can be viewed here: https://www. unitegroup.com/articles/care-learning-higher- education-report HIGHER EDUCATION TRUST In 2025 we are launching ResX360, a customer relationship management system which will allows us to better support residents. The system will provide oversight of property maintenance and customer wellbeing. Built into the system is our Support to Stay framework. Through earlier intervention, we expect to see improved outcomes and success for our residents. We will continue to seek more information about our residents before they move in, so we can be responsive to their needs. EARLY CAREERS OPPORTUNITIES Providing early careers opportunities supports our commitment to making a positive difference to young people. These allow young people to gain valuable industry experience and develop their skills in a supportive environment while exploring future careers. Since 2021, we have supported 43 young people through our industrial placement and intern programme. THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES *Recruitment commenced in 2021, for roles starting in Summer 2022. Programme hires since 2021* 2022 2023 2024 Industrial placement 4 6 8 Intern 8 11 6 09 GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
“ From my first to my last day, I thoroughly enjoyed every day of my internship. The excitement and novelty of the first few days only continued to grow as the more I learnt and the larger my responsibility became. Unite Students really makes an effort to ensure that everyone that works here feels a part of the business, whether they’re here for 10 weeks or 10 years.” LEGAL INTERN YOUNG PEOPLE continued Our Early Careers programmes were placed 7th in 2024’s Best 50 Small-Medium Sized Placement Schemes, moving from 23rd in 2023.1 We are aiming to retain our position in the top 10 in 2025. The feedback from the 2023/2024 programmes highlighted that the young people felt supported throughout, and that the experience helped them develop and form a better idea of future career options. In 2024, 16 employees completed their apprenticeships across the business, compared to six in 2023. Apprenticeships combine hands-on work experience coupled with off-the-job training. THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES Our apprentices invest a minimum of 6 hours weekly in webinars, college sessions, and assignments. Going forward we will: • Continue to evaluate and develop our Early Careers programmes, ensuring the programmes continue to provide a meaningful impact for participants and support local university partners • Continue to support young people to unlock their potential, ensuring they feel a sense of belonging and helping them make a positive impact in their role • Continue improving our hiring and onboarding to attract and retain diverse and talented people 1 This is based on the reviews of employers, left by placement students and interns on the RateMyPlacement website. 10 GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
Local communities We’re committed to making a positive contribution to the communities we operate in. All teams across our field operations and central support functions are involved in creating meaningful local impact through community projects. Social Investment in 2024 £2.6 million 1.2% of adjusted earnings Employees volunteering 1 hour or more 31% of employees of employees, 22% in 2023 THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES 11 11 GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
LOCAL COMMUNITIES continued COMMUNITIES AND CHARITIES We support local communities and charities where our students and colleagues live and work. This helps us build relationships locally and gives our teams opportunities to develop new skills. Several of our properties have community spaces which are used by charities serving the community. Our volunteering scheme allows all employees to volunteer for up to one full day per year. In 2024, we evolved our Positive Impact scheme, encouraging all teams to build long- term relationships with either a community organisation or a charity. We now have relationships with 47 local communities and charities across the country, resulting in an increase in the number of gold Positive Impact awards from nine in 2023 to 28 in 2024. New developments provide an opportunity to work with local authorities and partners to incorporate dedicated community spaces in our buildings. Both our Avon Point and Burnet Point developments, due to be completed in 2025, include dedicated spaces designed to meet the needs of the local community, adding to the four existing community spaces across our existing estate. Our charity-match scheme tops up any fundraising by employees by up to £250 per year, and makes a further £100 donation to the Unite Foundation for any funds raised above this level. In 2024, £14,454 was donated as a result of match-giving to 19 different charities, with a further £8,600 donated to the Unite Foundation. This is in addition to the financial support for accommodation scholarships we provided to the charity. Looking forward to 2025, we’re exploring new options to develop our Positive Impact scheme further. We are keen to increase the number of long- standing community partnerships where we make vacant space available to community partners. Case study Reading at local schools Since 2023, our Legal and CoSec team has been supporting Ablaze, a charity addressing inequality for young people in the West of England. The team volunteered at a local school in Bristol, providing 1-to-1 reading support for pupils. Their efforts have helped students improve reading skills, confidence, and self-esteem. https://ablazebristol.org/ “ I love reading with my reading partner. She told me funny stories and helped me lots.” PUPIL PARTICIPANT THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES Our key ambitions and targets Ambition 2022 2023 2024 Actual 2024 Target Progress Invest 1% of adjusted profit in social initiatives each year 1.2% 1.3% 1.2% 1% Exceeded All teams achieve Positive Impact award of bronze or higher 100% bronze 24% Bronze 52%, Silver, 24% Gold 0% Bronze, 40% Silver, 60% Gold 100% Bronze or higher Exceeded 20% employee participation in volunteering 1% 22% 31% 20% Exceeded Our key ambition and metrics in this area are set out below (additional metrics and targets are in Appendix 3): 12 GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
Case study Food boxes from community farm Our Bristol operation team is working with Bedminster Down Community Farm in Bristol which provides food boxes for the local community. They help to run free weekly community lunches for people facing food insecurity. The team volunteered their time to clear ground and put up a new polytunnel, increasing the farm’s food production and allowing them to donate a further five vegetable boxes per week. Plans for the project in 2025 include supporting the farm with the creation of a wildflower meadow and fundraising to improve electricity provision. LOCAL COMMUNITIES continued THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES 13 GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
Our people We’re committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where our people can thrive. THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES One of our three strategic objectives is creating a Great Place to Work, which is centred around our three-part People Promise to create a platform where every employee can: Do their best work Experience a meaningful career journey Achieve extraordinary things together. 1 2 3 14 GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
OUR PEOPLE continued THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 CULTURE AND VALUES The culture audit we carried out in 2024 helped us to assess the health of our culture, gather insights, and identify areas for improvement. Hundreds of colleagues provided feedback which enabled us to refresh our values and behaviours. We’ve implemented a new Behaviours Framework that clarifies expectations and supports our Great Place to Work ambitions by fostering excellence in day-to-day actions. This focus on high-performance ensures that our values guide everything we do, building a culture rooted in growth and collective success. Our key ambition and metrics in this area are set out below (additional metrics and targets are in Appendix 3): Case study General Manager Development programme Hollie Street started the programme less than six months into her new role as a General Manager (GM). During the sessions she grew in confidence and now has clear goals and described herself as a “completely different Hollie”. She found the mentorship element of the programme particularly beneficial, making her feel “positive and with a burst of new motivation”. The mentor programme has bridged the gap between teams in support and operations functions, so our talented leaders can offer advice, and collaborate. GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES Our key ambitions and targets Ambition 2022 2023 2024 Actual 2024 Target Progress 65% of leadership and management population hired internally 60% 73% 81% 65% On track 40% women in senior leadership by end of 2025 30% 28% 37% 40% On track 10% ethnic minority representation in management and senior leadership by end of 2025 5% 8% 7% 10% Behind HELPING EMPLOYEES FULFIL THEIR POTENTIAL To build an environment where colleagues can do their best work, meaningful two-way conversations between individuals and their managers are essential. In 2024, we launched My Impact, our new approach to performance enablement. My Impact consists of quarterly check-ins to reflect on the previous three months and plan for the next. These conversations consider objectives and behaviour, helping us set and adjust goals as needed. The first check-ins took place in October and initial feedback showed that 96% of people felt comfortable and confident with this, and 90% found the new performance measures clear and easy to use. 15 GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
16 OUR PEOPLE continued A DIVERSE, EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE BUSINESS Creating a place of belonging is important for our colleagues. It’s also about being representative of the communities we live and work in - so our students see themselves represented in our teams and our teams see themselves represented in our senior leadership. It demonstrates to our people that there are opportunities for growth and development irrespective of their background or identity. During 2024, we continued to make progress towards our gender and ethnicity targets for senior leadership and management, achieving 37% women vs. our 40% target, and 7% ethnic minority representation marginally down from 8% in 2023 vs. our target of 10%. Other key progress during 2024 included the ongoing evolution of our diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training based on feedback from our employees. This includes a new version of our Instinctive Inclusion training, focusing on the skills of conscious inclusion and relevance to the PBSA sector. As a result, we have seen an increase in confidence in being inclusive and the learning has been recognised as a significant improvement over the previous version. This has helped us to achieve a 2-point increase in the feeling of belonging at Unite Students, and a 2-point increase in our employee’s perception of equity during our 2024 employee engagement survey, as well as an 18% increase in employees submitting diversity data, showing a growing trust in Unite Students acting on DEI. We have introduced new policies supporting menopause, disability, and other areas, reflecting our commitment to a workplace where everyone can feel safe, valued, and respected. REAL LIVING WAGE We honoured our commitment to keep paying the Real Living Wage through 2024, recognising the vital role our colleagues play in creating a Home for Success. Case study Developing our networks to strengthen employee voice This year we have put extra attention into our employee forum, Culture Matters, and our networks. We have refined the roles of our forum representatives and developed guidance to support them in engaging with the communities they represent. We have trained our Executive leadership team in how to be an Exec sponsor, with each of them taking on a network. This supports our senior leaders in listening to different experiences and bringing that forward into decision-making. THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
The environment There is increasing awareness that climate change has the potential to significantly disrupt business, economies and wider society, as well as the natural environment. Scope 1 & 2 emissions (market-based) 56.7% reduction vs. 2019 +1.2% from 2023 Embodied carbon of new developments 694 kg CO2e/m2 -13% vs. 2023 THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES 17 GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
THE ENVIRONMENT continued THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 This awareness is driving increased regulation and reporting requirements and the expectation that businesses must play a more active role on environmental issues. Our ambition is to transition to net zero carbon by 2030 and we have set SBTi-validated targets and have a comprehensive capital investment programme aimed at energy, carbon and water reduction in existing buildings, and ambitious targets for the sustainability of our new builds. We remain committed to transparency on sustainability issues, actively disclosing data and information to third-party schemes including the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) and CDP, formally known as the Carbon Disclosure Project. We are already preparing for further reporting requirements in line with the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) S1 and S2 under the expected disclosure requirements by the UK Government. Tackling climate change, reducing energy, and cutting resource use, such as water, represent key areas where we’ve made real progress in 2024. TRANSITIONING TO NET ZERO CARBON OPERATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT Our operations and new developments inevitably impact the environment. We recognise our duty to minimise this and have committed to transitioning to net zero carbon by 2030. We’re working closely with our operations supply chain, students, local communities and other stakeholders, to reduce our collective environmental impacts. OPERATIONAL ENERGY AND CARBON Our all-inclusive billing model means energy consumed by our residents contributes to our Scope 1 & 2 emissions and is a direct operating cost, making building energy use and carbon emissions our most significant environmental impact. Reducing energy consumption is the first step in the net zero carbon hierarchy, and we have set an ambitious target to reduce energy intensity by 28% by 2030 vs. 2019, in line with the CRREM (Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor). In 2024, we invested £10.2 million on energy and water efficiency and decarbonisation, including air-source heat pumps, smart-networked heating controls, solar PV panels, plant room and BMS optimisation, and the latest generation of LED lighting. As a result, 2024 total energy intensity was 111.5 kWh/m2, putting us broadly on track to hit our 2030 target of 80.9 kWh/m2 although it is slightly behind our planned trajectory due to several factors. These include the addition of our 180 Stratford BTR property (which has disproportionately high gas consumption as the plantroom also serves two adjacent buildings not under our direct control); increased heating demand in year, and ongoing behavioural change with students spending more time in their bedrooms than in previous years. We continued to work with our supply chain during 2024 to build capacity and capability to ensure we can successfully deploy capital to hit our 2030 targets, including completing detailed surveys and designs for future planned works. We’ve also engaged our largest suppliers to help improve the Scope 3 emissions from products and services we procure, aiming to replace spend- based carbon calculations with supplier specific data. This will improve the accuracy of our Scope 3 reporting, and also help identify the most significant opportunities for emissions reductions. SCOPE 1 AND 2 GHG EMISSIONS Total absolute Scope 1 & 2 market-based greenhouse gas emissions this year were 1.2% higher than 2023, driven primarily by the addition of 180 Stratford to our portfolio which has a disproportionately high impact as the plantroom also serves two adjacent buildings not under our ownership or control. All gas use and associated Scope 1 emissions for the three buildings are attributed to this property, tripling its energy and carbon intensity. Discounting the impact of this property and any other portfolio change, like-for-like gas consumption and corresponding Scope 1 emissions increased by just 0.1% vs. 2023 due to a higher number of days requiring heating in 2024 vs. 2023. These changes to gas and electricity use meant absolute energy consumption decreased 1.9% from 2023, although changes in total floor area and bed numbers mean total energy intensity remained relatively unchanged. When the impact of portfolio change is removed, like-for-like energy consumption decreased by 3.5% on an absolute basis, while like-for-like energy intensity decreased by 0.2% on a per-bed and by 3.5% on a per m2 basis. GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES Our key ambitions and targets Ambition 2022 2023 2024 Actual 2024 Target Progress SBTi target of 56% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 (market-based) emissions (tonnes CO2e), by 2030 vs. 2019 base year 56.1% 57.2% 56.7% 25.5% On track 28% reduction in average operational energy intensity (kWh/m2), by 2030, vs. 2019 base year 115.6 111.9 111 .5 110.5 Broadly on track Achieve 625 kgCO2e/m2 of embodied carbon for new developments by 2030, in line with RIBA 2030 climate challenge 858 801 694
NEW DEVELOPMENTS Our largest source of Scope 3 emissions is the embodied carbon in new developments, making it the focus of our 2021 SBTi-validated Scope 3 carbon target. Throughout 2024, we’ve made good progress towards our RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) 2030 Climate Challenge embodied carbon target, using our Sustainable Construction Framework to focus on: 1. Material selection: the use of low-carbon materials such as recycled steel, biobased materials such as timber, or low-carbon concrete mixes. Opting for materials with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to verify their carbon footprint. 2. Circular economy principles: incorporating reclaimed or recycled materials where feasible, reducing the need for virgin material extraction and associated emissions. 3. Efficient design: designing buildings with material efficiency in mind, minimising waste through careful planning and prefabrication. Prioritising modular and adaptable designs that extend the building’s lifecycle. 4. Local sourcing: to reduce transportation of materials, emissions and to support regional economies. 5. Construction practices: implementing construction methods that reduce waste and energy use, such as off-site manufacturing. 6. Lifecycle thinking: planning for deconstruction and reuse at the end of the building’s life, designing for disassembly to maximise material recovery. THE ENVIRONMENT continued THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 We’ve been using the One Click LCA Life Cycle Analysis tool with our supply chain to optimise design and material selection. This has resulted in the utilisation of reclaimed steel piling, repurposed from the oil industry, and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) as a low- carbon cement replacement. We’re also piloting an AI based tool, QFlow, which accurately records all materials and deliveries to a site and improves the accuracy of the as-built life cycle assessment (LCA) of embodied carbon, and are using TM54 energy modelling to more accurate modelling, and so reduce, in-use energy consumption. These initiatives demonstrate our commitment to sustainable innovation and bring us closer to meeting the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge and broader net zero targets. PROGRESS VS. OUR SBTI CARBON TARGETS Overall, absolute emissions have marginally increased due to the changes in the portfolio but we remain on track to meet our SBTi-validated carbon target of a 56% reduction in combined Scope 1 & 2 emissions (market-based) by 2030. Throughout 2024 we continued to purchase c.30% of our electricity via a corporate power purchase agreement, with the remainder being backed by renewable energy generation certificates linked to a source of renewable generation, ensuring that electricity consumption is 99.9% renewable. This has helped deliver significant reductions in market-based Scope 2 emissions and puts us on track to meet our RE100 commitment to use 100% renewable electricity by 2030. GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES kWh/bed/yr Scope 1 & 2 (market-based) absolute GHG emissions SBTi validated target trajectory Actual performance to date 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 25,000 30,000 35,000 15,000 5,000 20,000 10,000 0 CO2e/yr TRANSITION TO NET ZERO CARBON Our SBTi-validated carbon targets underpin our Net Zero Carbon Pathway, supported by CRREM-linked energy efficiency targets, an RE100 aligned energy decarbonisation target, and RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge targets for embodied carbon and operational performance of new builds. Since we set our ambition in 2021, there have been significant developments in net zero carbon target setting and it’s important that we evolve our ambition to continue to play our part tackling climate change. During 2025, we will be reviewing our targets against the latest standards including the new SBTi’s Buildings Sector guidance and the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard. We’ve also been collaborating with CRREM and other PBSA providers to scope out a new Student Housing pathway. 19 GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
THE ENVIRONMENT continued THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 CLIMATE SCENARIO ANALYSIS The Companies (Strategic Report) (Climate- related Financial Disclosure) Regulations 2022 (CFD) require us to make climate-related financial disclosures annually, and to undertake climate scenario analysis at least every three years. We carried out our first climate scenario analysis in 2021 in line with voluntary TCFD requirements, and so have updated this analysis in 2024 in line with the CFD three-year requirement. This analysis was undertaken by our sustainably team. Three different potential climate scenarios were modelled with impacts assessed at asset level, with results directly informing the ongoing development of our Net Zero Carbon Pathway, business strategy and key decision-making. More details are set out in the Strategic Risks section in our 2024 Annual Report and Accounts. REDUCING ENERGY AND WATER CONSUMPTION We are committed to reducing our impact on the environment by cutting energy and resource use. By investing in energy-efficient technologies, such as LED lighting and smart heating controls, we not only support sustainability but also achieve significant financial savings. These measures help us mitigate the effects of fluctuating global energy costs, making efficient energy use both a critical environmental priority and a sound financial strategy. Continued capital investment in energy efficiency and energy savings In 2024, we made a c.£10.2 million investment in energy and water efficiency improvements across the estate. These upgrades are projected to achieve a 7,712MWh reduction in energy use compared to our 2019 baseline. This corresponds to a reduction of around 1,756 tonnes CO2e/yr, which is the equivalent of removing over 1,200 combustion engine cars from the roads. This progress supports our 2030 Net Zero Carbon Pathway target of a 28% reduction in operational energy intensity from 2019 levels. 2024 like-for-like energy consumption decreased 3.5% vs. 2023. Capital investment is strategically phased over the next six years to meet our 2030 energy reduction target. In 2025, we plan to continue investments at a similar scale to those delivered in 2024 focusing on opportunities to reduce electricity and move away from gas use, where possible. GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES Gas 27% Electricity 68% District heat 5% * Many of our properties are already all-electric, with gas or district heating suppliers accounting for only c.32% of our total energy use. Operations engagement In addition to our capital investment in physical improvements to our buildings, 2024 saw us focusing on employee and resident engagement targeting reductions in water wastage. This included launching a new dashboard and guidance for our operations teams that have helped us achieve a 5.6% reduction in like-for-like water consumption. During 2025, we plan to continue improving water and energy management. Heating remains the single largest contributor to energy consumption in our buildings but it’s critical that we provide comfortable homes for our residents. During 2024 we continued rolling out networked smart heating controls, and also updated our heating policy and launched new guidance for employees and students on how to maintain comfort while minimising energy waste. 2024 Energy consumption mix* Student engagement To promote sustainable living, our Resident Ambassadors held kitchen talks introducing students to their new homes and showing them how heating and recycling works and with tips on how to save energy and water. We also launched a new Sustainability Week including events and communications promoting sustainable living habits. Resource use 2024 saw us continue focusing on reducing waste, working with our waste management partners to improve recycling facilities, data collection and information and guidance for residents and with supply chain partners to explore options for more circular supply chains. 20 GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
Case study £2 million donated to British Heart Foundation (BHF) We’ve continued our work with the British Heart Foundation’s Pack For Good campaign with donation points made available in all our properties. This year, we reached the milestone of £2 million-worth of items donated by our residents and colleagues and students. Our donations prevent items from being sent to landfill and help the BHF fund life-saving research into heart and circulatory diseases. We’ve also piloted BHF pop-up shops in some properties to encourage residents to donate and purchase secondhand clothes. THE ENVIRONMENT continued THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES We are committed to meeting the minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) for Energy Performance Certificates (EPC). While a MEES target of C by 2030 has been set for the private rental sector, our properties are required to meet the non-domestic EPC MEES target of a B by 2030. However, the Government has announced intention to consult on an overhaul of the EPC system in 2025. In 2024, our overall EPC rating was 91.7% A-B rated. We will continue to target A ratings for all new build properties (which we achieved at our new property in Nottingham in 2024), and work to improve ratings at existing properties through capital investment with the aim of achieving our 2030 target of 100% A-B rated. GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES 2024 EPC rating by floor area EPC rating Number of assets % by floor areas A 6 4.18% B 136 87.5% C 15 7.98% D 4 0.34% WATCH THE CASE STUDY https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=krs-8tkIbAY 21 GOVERNANCE APPROACH SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES PROGRESS
“ We are pushing the boundaries of sustainable development and embedding circular economy principles across our portfolio.” DAME SHIRLEY PEARCE CHAIR OF SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE GOOD GOVERNANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY Good governance is crucial for the long-term sustainability of our Company, which is why we have a clear and robust governance framework. Our processes ensure that responsible and sustainable practices are mandatory, and we always operate with integrity and transparency. The Board is responsible for promoting the long-term sustainable success of Unite Students. See the Sustainability Governance section in our Annual Report for more details. GOVERNANCE IN REVIEW The stakeholder engagement section in our Annual Report details how the Board engaged with key stakeholders and measured their views, along with the outcomes of this engagement. As a FTSE 100 company listed on the London Stock Exchange, we are subject to the requirements of the UK Corporate Governance Code 2018 (the Code). You can read further details on how we have complied with the Code in our Annual Report. We are firmly opposed to slavery and are dedicated to understanding its risks and ensuring it does not occur within our business or supply chain. To reinforce this commitment, we updated our Sustainable Procurement Policy last year to mandate that suppliers have policies regarding the minimum legal age of employment and compliance with local laws on working hours and overtime. It also aligns with our Real Living Wage policy, requiring suppliers to pay at least the minimum wage and encouraging them to adopt and adhere to Living Wage principles. You can view our Modern Slavery Statement and other policies on our website at hyperlink to modern slavery - https:// www.unitegroup.com/wp-content/ uploads/2024/05/Unite-Group-plc-Modern- Slavery-Statement-FY-ending-2023.pdf RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES Sustainability related risks and opportunities are managed via our our Group’s risk management process and recorded on the Principal Risk Register. More details can be found in the Risk Management section of our 2024 Annual Report. Good governance is crucial for the long- term sustainability of our Company THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES 22 APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES GOVERNANCE
“ I’m proud that all teams are now involved in the delivery of local community projects as part of our Positive Impact programme.” SOCIAL IMPACT SOCIAL IMPACT One of the key outcomes that our sustainability framework aims to achieve is the creation of real positive social impact. Most obvious are the outcomes we aim to deliver for communities, and for students, although there is also a wider benefit from our focus on our developing and supporting our employees and creating an inclusive and representative workforce. Ultimately, we aim to be able to report measurable social impacts that generate real value to wider society, and while we work to build data and develop processes that allow us to do this, our reporting is predominantly focused on the activity and inputs. B4SI During 2024, we worked to improve our impact reporting, and continued our work with B4SI’s framework. Appendix 4 includes more details on three key impact areas across 2023 and 2024, as well as a full list of social impact metrics tracked. We will continue to develop our reporting during 2025 and aim to provide a more detailed view of social impact in our 2025 Sustainability Report. Creating positive social impact THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES 23 JOE LISTER CEO GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES SOCIAL IMPACT
Current capital plans include c.£12m for energy efficiency investment in 2025, which are expected to deliver a further 2.6% annualised reduction vs. 2019 base year. We are working to update our Net Zero Carbon Pathway in 2025 to align with the latest guidance from SBTi, CRREM, and the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard. This will ensure we maintain a credible and robust plan transitioning to net zero carbon aligned with the requirements and expectations of stakeholders and regulations and minimise the risk of asset stranding or value write-downs. It will also inform our overall portfolio management strategy and future capital investment plans. LOOKING FORWARD TO 2025 In 2025, we will build on our Sustainable Construction Framework by actively supporting the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard pilot, contributing detailed data from all developments at both design and construction stages. We will continue leveraging insights from TM54 energy modelling and operational data from our existing buildings to optimise energy performance in future projects. Collaborating with our supply chain remains a priority as we explore the commercial feasibility and constructability of innovative materials, including electric arc furnace (EAF) steel, high- recycled-content aluminium, and advanced sustainable concrete alternatives beyond GGBS. Additionally, we are conducting comprehensive reuse audits of demolition sites, aiming to establish a pioneering approach to material reuse in construction. These initiatives reflect our commitment to pushing the boundaries of sustainable development and embedding circular economy principles across our portfolio. Building on our successes Throughout 2025 we plan to build on progress made so far on both environmental and social sustainability. THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 “ 2025 will be another exciting year for our transition to net zero carbon, and our ambition to make a real positive impact for our local communities and residents.” JAMES TIERNAN HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES 24 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT APPENDICES LOOKING FORWARD
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES Appendices THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDICES 26 Environmental performance data 29 Sustainability data reporting 37 Summary of sustainability targets 39 Summary of social impact metrics GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD 25 APPENDICES
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 1 Environmental performance data Expanding on our mandatory SECR disclosure in our Annual Report, the tables set out detailed energy, water and carbon data for our baseline year and most recent three years’ data. ESTATE DATA 2019 base year 2022 2023 2024 Change vs. 2019 base year Change vs. prior year Change vs. 2019 base year Change vs. prior year Change vs. 2019 base year Change vs. prior year Year-end bed numbers 73,990 69,290 -6.4% -9.0% 70,747 -4.4% 2.1% 68,068 -8.0% -3.8% Pro rata bed numbers 73,240 72,387 -1.2% -2.6% 70,277 -4.1% -2.9% 69,292 -5.4% -1.4% Pro rata floor area (m2) 1,931,148 1,915,339 -0.8% -1.6% 1,947,292 0.8% 1.7% 1,918,164 -0.7% -1.5% ENERGY AND WATER USE 2019 base year 2022 2023 2024 Change vs. 2019 base year Change vs. prior year Change vs. 2019 base year Change vs. prior year Change vs. 2019 base year Change vs. prior year Natural gas Absolute (kWh) 57,414,070 58,816,746 2.4% -0.6% 56,121,430 -2.3% -4.6% 58,836,198 2.5% 4.8% Relative to bed numbers (kWh/bed) 783.9 812.5 3.6% 2.0% 798.6 1.9% -1.7% 849.1 8.3% 6.3% Relative to floor area (kWh/m2) 29.7 30.7 3.3% 1.0% 28.8 -3.1% -6.1% 30.7 3.2% 6.4% Electricity Absolute (kWh) 167,593,224 150,944,907 -9.9% 1.2% 149,704,305 -10.7% -0.8% 144,685,326 -13.7% -3.4% Relative to bed numbers (kWh/bed) 2,288.3 2,085.5 -8.9% 3.8% 2,130.2 -6.9% 2.1% 2,088 -8.8% -2.0% Relative to floor area (kWh/m2) 86.8 78.8 -9.2% 2.8% 76.9 -11.4% -2.4% 75.4 -13.1% -1.9% Renewable electricity As % of overall electricity purchased 61.1% 99.9% 38.8% 0.0% 99.9% 38.9% 0.1% 99.9 38.9% 0.1% Heat Absolute (kWh) 11,775,682 11,672,055 -0.9% -5.2% 12,090,049 2.7% 3.6% 10,261,075 -12.9% -15.1% Relative to bed numbers (kWh/bed) 160.8 161.2 0.3% -2.7% 172.0 7.0% 6.7% 148.1 -7.9% -13.9% Relative to floor area (kWh/m2) 6.1 6.1 -0.1% 3.7% 6.2 1.8% 1.8% 5.3 -12.3% -13.8% TOTAL ENERGY (gas, electricity and heat) Absolute (kWh) 236,782,977 221,433,708 -6.5% 0.3% 217,915,784 -8.0% -1.6% 213,782,599 -9.7% -1.9% Relative to bed numbers (kWh/bed) 3,233.0 3,059.0 -5.4% 3.0% 3,100.8 -4.1% 1.4% 3,085.2 -4.6% -0.5% Relative to floor area (kWh/m2) 122.6 115.6 -5.7% 1.9% 111.9 -8.7% -3.2% 111.5 -9.1% -0.4% Water Absolute (m3) 3,037,827 3,291,267 8.3% 10.4% 2,746,922 -9.6% -16.5% 2,727,824 -10.2% -0.7% Relative to bed numbers (m3/bed) 41.5 45.5 9.6% 13.4% 39.1 -5.8% -14.1% 39.4 -5.1% 0.7% Relative to floor area (m3/m2) 1.6 1.7 9.2% 12.2% 1.4 -10.3% -17.0% 1.4 -9.6% 0.8% Data Consumption Consumption Consumption Consumption Data Data Data 26 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 1 continued GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS 2019 base year 2022 2023 2024 Change vs. 2019 base year Change vs. prior year Change vs. 2019 base year Change vs. prior year Change vs. 2019 base year Change vs. prior year Total Scope 1 emissions Absolute (tonnes CO2e) 10,669 10,905 2.2% -0.9% 10,410 -2.4% -4.5% 10,914 2.3% 4.8% Relative to bed numbers (tonnes CO2e/bed) 0.146 0.151 3.4% 1.7% 0.148 1.7% -1.7% 0.158 8.1% 6.3% Relative to floor area (kg CO2e/m2) 5.5 5.7 3.1% 0.6% 5.3 -3.2% -6.1% 5.7 3.0% 6.4% Total Scope 2 emissions (location-based) Absolute (tonnes CO2e) 44,910 31,204 -30.5% -7.6% 33,172 -26.1% 6.3% 31,800 -29.2% -4.1% Relative to bed numbers (tonnes CO2e/bed) 0.613 0.431 -29.7% -5.2% 0.472 -23.0% 9.5% 0.459 -25.2% -2.8% Relative to floor area (kg CO2e/m2) 23.3 16.3 -29.9% -6.2% 17.0 -26.7% 4.6% 16.6 -28.7% -2.7% Total Scope 2 emissions (market-based) Absolute (tonnes CO2e) 18,833 2,052 -89.1% -5.4% 2,218 -88.2% 8.1% 1,867 -90.1% -15.8% Relative to bed numbers (tonnes CO2e/bed) 0.257 0.028 -89.0% -2.9% 0.032 -87.7% 11.3% 0.027 -89.5% -14.6% Relative to floor area (kg CO2e/m2) 9.8 1.1 -89.0% -3.9% 1.1 -88.3% 6.3% 1.0 -90.0% -14.6% Total Scope 1 & 2 emissions (location-based) Absolute (tonnes CO2e) 55,579 42,110 -24.2% -6.0% 43,582 -21.6% 3.5% 42,715 -23.1% -2.0% Relative to bed numbers (tonnes CO2e/bed) 0.759 0.582 -23.3% -3.5% 0.620 -18.3% 6.6% 0.616 -18.8% -0.6% Relative to floor area (kg CO2e/m2) 28.8 22.0 -23.6% -4.5% 22.4 -22.2% 1.8% 22.3 -22.6% -0.5% Total Scope 1 & 2 emissions (market-based) Absolute (tonnes CO2e) 29,502 12,958 -56.1% -1.7% 12,628 -57.2% -2.5% 12,781 -56.7% 1.2% Relative to bed numbers (tonnes CO2e/bed) 0.4028 0.1790 -55.6% 0.9% 0.1797 -55.4% 0.4% 0.1844 -54.2% 2.6% Relative to floor area (kg CO2e/m2) 15.3 6.77 -55.7% -0.1% 6.48 -57.6% -4.1% 6.66 -56.4% 2.7% Emissions Emissions Emissions Emissions 27 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 1 continued GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS 2019 base year 2022 2023 2024 Change vs. 2019 base year Change vs. prior year Change vs. 2019 base year Change vs. prior year Change vs. 2019 base year Change vs. prior year Total verifiable Scope 3 emissions Absolute (tonnes CO2e) 15,134 13,913 -8.1% -9.2% 13,350 -11.8% -4.0% 13,196 -12.8% -1.2% Relative to bed numbers (tonnes CO2e/bed) 0.207 0.192 -7.0% -6.8% 0.190 -8.1% -1.2% 0.190 -7.8% 0.2% Relative to floor area (kg CO2e/m2) 7.8 7.3 -7.3% -7.8% 6.9 -12.5% -5.6% 6.9 -12.2% 0.3% Total non-verifiable Scope 3 emissions Absolute (tonnes CO2e) 133,145 84,562 -36.5% 67.6% 71,525 -46.3% -15.4% 60,970 -54.2% -14.8% Relative to bed numbers (tonnes CO2e/bed) 1.8 1.2 -35.7% 72.1% 1.0 -44.0% -12.9% 0.9 -51.6% -13.5% Relative to floor area (kg CO2e/m2) 68.9 44.1 -36.0% 70.3% 36.7 -46.7% -16.8% 31.8 -53.9% -13.5% Total of verifiable and non-verifiable Scope 3 emissions Absolute (tonnes CO2e) 148,279 98,475 -33.6% 49.7% 84,876 -42.8% -13.8% 74,166 -50.0% -12.6% Relative to bed numbers (tonnes CO2e/bed) 2.0 1.4 -32.8% 53.7% 1.2 -40.3% -11.2% 1.1 -47.1% -11.4% Relative to floor area (kg CO2e/m2) 76.8 51.4 -33.0% 52.1% 43.6 -43.2% -15.2% 38.7 -49.6% -11.3% Breakdown of total Scope 3 emissions by category 1 - Purchased goods and services (tonnes CO2e/bed) 11,530.23 6,817.60 -40.9% 109.0% 6,241.58 -45.9% -8.4% 6,127.56 -46.9% -2% 2 - Capital goods (tonnes CO2e/bed) 99,678.71 52,389.14 -47.4% 450.9% 38,973.00 -60.9% -25.6% 24,282.00 -75.6% -37.7% 3 - Fuel and energy-related activities (not included in Scopes 1 or 2) (tonnes CO2e/bed) 11,519.84 12,168.20 5.6% -11.1% 11,880.04 3.1% -2.4% 11,680.53 1.4% -2% 5 - Waste generated in operations (tonnes CO2e/bed) 3,634.81 5,153.02 41.8% -37.0% 5,851.71 61.0% 13.6% 5,851.71 61.0% 0% 6 - Business travel (tonnes CO2e/bed) 418.32 500.00 19.5% 26.6% 432.08 3.3% -13.6% 590.88 41.3% 37% 7 - Employee commuting (tonnes CO2e/bed) 2,975.00 2,975.00 0% 0.0% 2,975.00 0% 0% 3,102.67 4.3% 4.3% 11 - Use of sold product (tonnes CO2e/bed) 4,004.38 0% 0% 13 - Downstream leased assets (tonnes CO2e/bed) 18,522.31 18,522.31 0% – -33.3% – 18,522.31 0% – 0% – 18,526.48 0% 0% Emissions Emissions Emissions Emissions continued 28 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 2 EPRA sBPR performance measure Data Commentary Sustainability data reporting line with EPRA sBPR The table below sets out further details on our sustainability performance aligned with the European Public Real Estate Association’s Sustainability Best Practice Reporting guidelines (EPRA sBPR). Elec-Abs : Total electricity consumption Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 144,144.7 MWh/yr 100% renewable electricity used with all grid supplied electricity either GOO backed (zero carbon under GHG Protocol Corporate Reporting rules for market-based Scope 2 emissions) or derived from a windfarm in Scotland supplying, via a corporate Power Purchase Agreement (cPPA), c.30%. Includes all energy consumed across the portfolio including all tenant energy use. Whilst we have solar photovoltaics at present, this is not metered separately so not additional figures can be supplied. Zero nuclear supplied electricity in the energy mix. Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 427.8 MWh/yr Head Offices 2024: 112.9 MWh/yr Elec-LfL : Like-for-like total electricity consumption Operational properties (PBSA) 2023: 142,755.3 MWh/yr As above, but only data from sites in scope for the whole of 2023 and 2024. Decrease from 2023 is due to increased energy efficiency measures installed on site both in 2024 and those installed throughout 2023. 2024: 139,049.3 MWh/yr Operational properties (BTR) 2023: 454.4 MWh/yr 2024: 427.8 MWh/yr Head Offices 2023: 112.9 MWh/yr 2024: 112.9 MWh/yr DH&C-Abs : Total district heating & cooling consumption Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 10,261.1 MWh/yr Includes all district heat supplied energy consumed across the portfolio including all tenant energy use. 100% is from non- renewable sources (e.g. gas CHP) which are outside of our operational control. No district cooling. We have no details as to if nuclear power is used by the district head provider. Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 0 MWh/yr Head Offices 2024: 0 MWh/yr DH&C-LfL : Like-for-like total district heating & cooling consumption Operational properties (PBSA) 2023: 12,090.0 MWh/yr As above, but only data from sites that were in scope for the whole of 2023 and 2024. Significant decrease in heating demand due to marginally warmer weather in the traditionally colder months. 2024: 10,238.6 MWh/yr Operational properties (BTR) 2023: 0 MWh/yr 2024: 0 MWh/yr Head Offices 2023: 0 MWh/yr 2024: 0 MWh/yr Fuels-Abs : Total fuel consumption Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 57,000.6 MWh/yr 100% of this fuel use is non-renewable and is grid supplied natural gas. Includes all energy consumed across the portfolio including all tenant energy use. Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 1,822.5 MWh/yr Head Offices 2024: 13.1 MWh/yr EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures – Environment 29 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 2 continued Fuels-LfL : Like-for-like total fuel consumption Operational properties (PBSA) 2023: 56,108.4 MWh/yr As above, but including only data from sites that were in scope for the whole of 2023 and 2024. Marginal increase due to increased consumption at a number of sites and due to a heat pump failure. BTR the gas data was not in scope in the previous years, so only 2024 included. Head office is an estimate with no significant change in our premises and represents significantly less than 1% of our total consumption. 2024: 56,864.0 MWh/yr Operational properties (BTR) 2023: 0 MWh/yr 2024: 1,822.5 MWh/yr Head Offices 2023: 13.1 MWh/yr 2024: 13.1 MWh/yr Energy-Int : Building energy intensity Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 3,085.2 kWh/bed/yr Sum total of Electricity + District Heat + Natural gas consumption per bed per year (pro rata treatment of acquisitions/ openings/ disposals). BTR is much higher in terms of energy usage due to energy being in sole control of the residents. Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 6,881.7 kWh/unit/yr Energy-Int : Building energy intensity Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 111.5 kWh/m2/yr Sum total of Electricity + District Heat + Natural gas consumption per bed per year (pro rata treatment of acquisitions/ openings/ disposals). BTR is much higher in terms of energy usage due to energy being in sole control of the residents. Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 201.4 kWh/m2/yr Head Offices 2024: 11.1 kWh/m2/yr GHG-Dir-Abs : Total direct green house gas (GHG) emissions (Scope 1) Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 10,578.3 metric tonnes CO2e/yr Scope 1 emissions, calculated in accordance with the GHG protocol and using natural gas consumption data and UK DEFRA/DESNZ emissions factors. Includes all emissions across the whole Unite Students portfolio including tenant energy use, heating for BTR and office heating. Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 333.3 metric tonnes CO2e/yr Head Offices 2024: 2.4 metric tonnes CO2e/yr GHG-Indir-Abs : Total indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (location-based Scope 2) Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 31,688.6 metric tonnes CO2e/yr Scope 2 location-based emissions, calculated in accordance with the GHG protocol using grid electricity consumption data and district heating consumption data and relevant UK DEFRA/DESNZ emissions factor. Includes all emissions across the whole Unite Students portfolio including tenant energy use but not tenant electricity in BTR as this is separately metered and outside our operational control. Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 88.6 metric tonnes CO2e/yr Head Offices 2024: 23.4 metric tonnes CO2e/yr GHG-Indir-Abs : Total indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (market-based Scope 2) Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 1,866.8 metric tonnes CO2e/yr Scope 2 market-based emissions, calculated in accordance with the GHG protocol using supplier’s contractual emissions factor, consumption data and district heating consumption data and relevant UK DEFRA/ DESNZ emissions factor. Electricity across the portfolio has zero emission factor as 100% renewable energy certificate backed. Includes all emissions across the whole Unite Students portfolio including tenant energy use but not tenant electricity in BTR as this is separately metered and outside our operational control therefore Scope 3 category 13. Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 0 metric tonnes CO2e/yr Head Offices 2024: 0 metric tonnes CO2e/yr GHG-Int : Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity (Scope 1 + location-based Scope 2) Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 0.6 metric tonnes CO2e/bed/yr Scope 1 + location-based Scope 2 emissions, as described above divided by total number of beds in the portfolio both PBSA and BTR. Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 1.3 metric tonnes CO2e/bed/yr GHG-Int : Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity (Scope 1 + market-based Scope 2) Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 0.2 metric tonnes CO2e/bed/yr Scope 1 + market-based Scope 2 emissions, as described above, divided by total number of beds in the portfolio both PBSA and BTR. BTR remains high as it has a large proportion of energy use as Scope 1 natural gas consumption. Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 1.0 metric tonnes CO2e/bed/yr EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures – Environment continued EPRA sBPR performance measure Data Commentary 30 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 2 continued EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures – Environment continued GHG-Int : Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity (Scope 1 + location-based Scope 2) Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 22.3 kg CO2e/m2/yr Scope 1 + location-based Scope 2 emissions, as described above, divided by total floor area (pro rata treatment of acquisitions/openings/ disposals). Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 37.8 kg CO2e/m2/yr Head Offices 2024: 2.3 kg CO2e/m2/yr GHG-Int : Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity (Scope 1 + market-based Scope 2) Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 6.7 kg CO2e/m2/yr Scope 1 + market-based Scope 2 emissions, as described above, divided by total floor area (pro rata treatment of acquisitions/openings/disposals). Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 29.8 kg CO2e/m2/yr Head Offices 2024: 0.2 kg CO2e/m2/yr Water-Abs : Total water consumption Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 2,727,824.5 m3/yr All water consumed is metered municipal mains water supply for domestic use (sanitary and cooking use). Includes all water consumed across the portfolio including all tenant water use. Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 0 m3/yr Head Offices 2024: 2,905.8 m3/yr Water-LfL : Like-for-like total water consumption Operational properties (PBSA) 2023: 2,737,776.6 m3/yr As above, but including only data from sites that were in scope for the whole of 2023 and 2024. 2024: 2,511,183.2 m3/yr Operational properties (BTR) 2023: 0 m3/yr 2024: 0 m3/yr Head Offices 2023: 2,905.8 m3/yr 2024: 2,905.8 m3/yr Water-Int : Building water intensity Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 39.4 m3/bed/yr Consumption divided by total number of beds in the portfolio. NA for BTR as this is directly billed to tenants. Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 0 m3/bed/yr Water-Int : Building water intensity Operational properties (PBSA) 2024: 1.4 m3/bed/yr Consumption divided by total m2 of floor area per year (pro rata treatment of acquisitions/openings/disposals). NA for BTR as this is directly billed to tenants. Operational properties (BTR) 2024: 0 m3/bed/yr Waste-Abs : Total weight of waste by disposal route Operational properties (PBSA) Recycling: 13.4 tonnes/yr 4% We continue to improve our waste data as started in 2023 and this is driving further changes through 2024 and into 2025 to meet the requirements of the upcoming “Simpler Recycling” legislation. Commercial waste does not include student waste. Energy from Waste: 293.2 tonnes/yr 87% Landfill 29.9 tonnes/yr 9% Other 0 tonnes/yr 0% Operational properties (BTR) Recycling: 0.1 tonnes/yr 4% Energy from Waste: 1.4 tonnes/yr 87% Landfill 0.1 tonnes/yr 9% Other 0 tonnes/yr 0% Head Offices Recycling: 0.1 tonnes/yr 7.7% Energy from Waste: 0.1 tonnes/yr 0% Landfill 0 tonnes/yr 0% Other 0 tonnes/yr 0% EPRA sBPR performance measure Data Commentary 31 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 2 continued Waste-LfL : Like-for-like total weight of waste by disposal route Operational properties (PBSA) Recycling 2023: 17.5 tonnes/yr 6% We continue to improve our waste data as started in 2023 and this is driving further changes through 2024 and into 2025. The UK waste sector is heavily subsidised for sending waste for the creation of energy; we are still seeking to improve our recycling rates and want to minimise our landfill content. Even with improved data accuracy, we have seen a slight increase in total waste from 296.15 in 2023 to 336.89 in 2024. This is still a decrease from 2022. Recycling 2024: 13.4 tonnes/yr 4% Energy from Waste 2023: 246.1 tonnes/yr 83% Energy from Waste 2024: 293.2 tonnes/yr 87% Landfill 2023: 32.5 tonnes/yr 11% Landfill 2024: 29.9 tonnes/yr 9% Other 2023: 0 tonnes/yr 0% Other 2024: 0 tonnes/yr 0% Operational properties (BTR) Recycling 2023: 0.1 tonnes/yr 4% Recycling 2024: 0.1 tonnes/yr 4% Energy from Waste 2023: 1.4 tonnes/yr 87% Energy from Waste 2024: 1.4 tonnes/yr 87% Landfill 2023: 0.1 tonnes/yr 9% Landfill 2024: 0.1 tonnes/yr 9% Other 2023: 0 tonnes/yr 0% Other 2024: 0 tonnes/yr 0% Head Offices Recycling 2023: 7.7 tonnes/yr 100% Recycling 2024: 7.7 tonnes/yr 100% Energy from Waste 2023: 0 tonnes/yr 0% Energy from Waste 2024: 0 tonnes/yr 0% Landfill 2023: 0 tonnes/yr 0% Landfill 2024: 0 tonnes/yr 0% Other 2023: 0 tonnes/yr 0% Other 2024: 0 tonnes/yr 0% EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures – Environment continued EPRA sBPR performance measure Data Commentary 32 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 2 continued Cert-Tot : Type and number of sustainably certified assets Operational properties (PBSA) BREEAM New Construction: 16 Excellent Actual number of assets. 7 Very Good 1 Good Whole building commercial Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings: 4.2% A As % of total floor areas. 87.5% B 8.9% C 0.3% D 0.00% E-G Operational properties (BTR) BREEAM New Construction: 0 Excellent As a % of total floor area. No BTR constuiction carried out in 2024 and Unite Students has only aquired 1 BTR. 0 Very Good 0 Good Whole buidling commercial Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings: 0 A As % of total floor area – only 1 BTR property in the portfolio. 0 B 100% C 0 D 0 E-G Head Offices BREEAM New Construction: 0 As % of total floor area (offices are leased not owned). EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures – Environment continued EPRA sBPR performance measure Data Commentary 33 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 2 continued EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures – Social EPRA sBPR performance measure Data Commentary Diversity-Emp : Employee gender diversity Board: 60 : 40 % Male:Female Details of gender breakdown at different levels in the business can be found in our Annual Report. Management: 62.71 : 37.29 % Male:Female All other employees: 46.39 : 53.25 % Male:Female Diversity-Pay : Gender pay ratio Management: 33.1% Mean pay gap Data is for year ending 5 April 2024, in line with UK mandatory Gender Pay Gap reporting. Our full gender pay gap report can ber found at https://gender-pay-gap.service.gov.uk/Employer/KDcxuKgH although this statutory reporting operates across a different time period (Apr-Mar) than our annual reporting cycle (Jan-Dec) so is not directly comparable. 22.6% Median pay gap All other employees: 5.7% Mean pay gap 5.5% Median pay gap Emp-Training : Training and development Per FTE: 16.2 Average hours A total of 32,799 hours of training were delivered in 2024, with over 36,322 instances of e-learning training courses being delivered. Emp-Dev : Employee performance appraisals 100% Percentage of employees All employees set annual objectives with their line manager based on our Company strategy and their team’s annual priorities. These are then reviewed together during quarterly My Impact conversations, alongside individual performance feedback and regular discussions on personal development and career goals. H&S-Emp : Employee health and safety Accident Frequency Rate: 0.2 Per 100,000 hours worked Accident Frequency Rate is based on six RIDDOR reportable accidents in year. Minor Injury Frequency Rate is based on 146 minor injuries in year. No fatalities. Minor Injury Frequency Rate: 3.7 Per 100,000 hours worked Fatalities: 0 Incidents 34 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 2 continued EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures – Social continued H&S-Asset : Asset health and safety assessments 100% Percentage of assets Fire: An independent third-party undertake annual fire safety risk assessments of all propertis in line with regulations and fire standards. Any gaps are collated and managed through to completion based on risk rating. Avon Fire and Rescue service have been appointed as our primary authority to consult on all fire safety matters. Asbestos: Properties are assessed for any asbestos containing materials (ACM) to manage in line with the UK Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012. If present, a programme of mitigation is introduced by a third- party independent contractor who is responsible for safe and compliant remediation or removal and disposal in compliance with all appropriate legislation. Building Mechanical Assets: Building services are maintained in line with current regulation. e.g. passenger and goods lifts are covered under UK Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER). Equipment is subject to periodic thorough examination and inspection by competent third-party contractors. All remedial action identified within the report are managed through to completion. Building Electrical Assets: Our safety procedures align with relevant legislation i.e. The Electricity at Work Regulations and The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, to ensures we cover all UK statutory requirements to manage danger arising from working on/near, testing, or operating electrical equipment and systems. Gas safety: We have responsibilities under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) regulations to undertake safety inspections on all gas appliances and associated equipment, to ensure gas fittings and flues are maintained in a safe condition. Gas appliances are serviced at least annually and maintain the record of the gas safety checks. H&S-Comp : Asset health and safety compliance 0 Incidents No incidence of H&S non-compliance against regulations or voluntary codes. Comty-Eng : Community engagement, impact assessments and development programmes 100% Percentage of assets 57% of assets achieved a Gold award as part of our Positive Impact local community engagement programme. This requires the building management teams to conduct a long-term community project in their local area which include strategic objectives and an approach to measuring impact. 43% of assets achieved a Positive Impact Silver award by providing ad hoc support to charities and community stakeholders through fundraising, volunteering and in-kind donations. It should be noted that Positive Impact is linked to the teams managing the assets, not the assets themselves. EPRA sBPR performance measure Data Commentary 35 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 2 continued EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures – Governance EPRA sBPR performance measure Data Commentary Gov-Board : Composition of the highest governance body Number of Executive Board members: 2 See our AR, and the Governance Section in AR onwards in our 2024 Annual Report and Accounts for more details on composition of the Board. Tenure and membership data reported here is as reported in our 2024 Annual Report and Accounts, with Board composition as of 1 January 2025. The number of Non-Executive Board members is seven, but this figure does not inlcude the Chair. Number of Non-Executive Board members: 7 Number of Non-Executive Board members who are independent: 7 Average tenure of governing body: 6 years. Number of independent/ Non-Executive Board members with competencies relating to environmental and social topics: 4 Three Non-Executive Directors sit on the Sustainability Committee and have competencies relating to environmental and social topics. In addition, our Non-Executive Director for Workforce Engbagement also sits on our Employee Forum and has competencies on social topics. Gov-Select : Nominating and selecting the highest governance body See commentary Board appointments, succession plans and diversity are set out in our 2024 Annual Report and Accounts. The Nomination Committee's report is included in our 2024 Annual Report and Accounts. Gov-CoI : Process for managing conflicts of interest See commentary Details are set out in our Annual Report. 36 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 3 Impact area Sustaiability priorities Ambition Performance Priority Target Metric 2022 2023 2024 Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual The environment Transitioning to net zero carbon operations and development Reduce Scope 1 & 2 emissions in line with SBTi-validated carbon target; 56% reduction by 2030 vs. 2019 Scope 1 & 2 (market-based) emissions (tonnes CO2e), vs. 2019 base year -15.27% -55.70% -20.36% -55.40% -25.45% -56.81% Source 100% renewable electricity by 2030, in line with our RE100 commitment % of electricity from certified renewable sources 71.56% 99.90% 75.12% 99.90% 78.67% 99.90% 28% reduction in operational energy intensity by 2030 vs. the 2019 base year in line with CRREM Estate wide average operational energy intensity (kWh/m2), vs. 2019 base year 127.07 115.60 118.50 111.90 110.51 111.45 Engaging our suppliers to reduce supply chain impacts Achieve 35kWh/m2 of operational energy intensity for new developments by 2030 in line with RIBA 2030 climate challenge As designed operational energy consumption, kWh/m2
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 3 continued Impact area Sustaiability priorities Ambition Performance Priority Target Metric 2022 2023 2024 Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Students & young people Improving inclusion & achievement for young people in HE Number of new Unite Foundation scholars starting in year Number of scholars starting in reporting period 0 99 106 80 Maintain current donations Unite Foundation £ donated to Unite Foundation £1.7 million (£1,748,338) £1.8 million (£1,847,320) £1.8m £1.9 million (£1,886,966) Providing early careers opportunities Providing early careers opportunities Number of 3-month paid internships during reporting period 4 6 8 Placements Number of 12-month paid undergraduate industrial placements starting during reporting period 8 11 6 Helping our customers succeed in HE 100% of properties to have Resident Ambassadors Proportion of properties with Resident Ambassadors 100% 50% 100% 85% 100% 91% High standards of health, safety, security and wellbeing Reduce accident frequency rate Operational RIDDOR frequency rate Reduce 0.5 Reduce 0.3 Reduce 0.2 Reduce accident frequency rate Development RIDDOR frequency rate Reduce 4.6 Reduce 4.5 Reduce 3.7% Our employees Investing in our people to help them fulfil their potential 65% of leadership and management population hired internally Total proportion of current Grade A and B roles recruited internally 65% 60% 65% 75% 65% 81% A diverse, equitable and inclusive business where people can belong 40% female representation at leadership and management Total proportion of grade A and B roles 40% 30% 40% 28% 40% 37% Employee engagement score of 75+ As reported in employee engagement questionnaire >75 65 >75 70 >75 74 10% ethnic minority representation in management and senior leadership by 2025 Total proportion of current Grade A and B roles, based on voluntary self identification and including those who do not disclose 10 5% 10 8% 10% 7 Reward and benefits that encourage and recognise great work Maintain Real Living Wage accreditation Real Living Wage foundation accreditation Accredited Accredited Accredited Accredited Accredited Accredited Providing opportunities to develop throughout peoples’ careers E-learning courses completed As tracked by our Learning Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 36,322 Total hours of training delivered in year As tracked by our Learning Academy n/a 19,600 n/a 22,782 n/a 32,799 Average hours training per employee As tracked by our Learning Academy n/a 11.0 n/a 11.5 n/a 16.2 Creating a high performing culture based on our values Reduce employee sickness absence rate to 2.5% 2.5% 2.7% 2.5% 2.1% 2.5% 2.6 Reduce employee turnover to 35% in Ops 57% n/a 35% 32% 35% 28% Reduce employee turnover to 15% in Support by end of 2024 n/a n/a 15% 15% 15% 9% 38 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES
THE UNITE GROUP PLC Sustainability Report 2024 APPENDIX 4 Summary of social impact metrics The table below sets out further details on our sustainability performance with regards to our social impact KPIs. KPIs 2022 performance 2023 performance 2024 performance Value of British Heart Foundation Donations £213,162 £400,812 £388,269 Charity match £3,444 Plus, £2,000 to the Unite Foundation £14,991 Plus, £9,028 to the Unite Foundation £14,454 Plus, £8,600 to the Unite Foundation Unite Foundation 106 new Unite Foundation scholarships awarded in 2023 95 new Unite Foundation scholarships awarded in 2024 BS4I data n/a Improved existing or provide new services/products: 9 Increased their profile: 6 Were able to spend more time with clients: 0 Could employ more staff/volunteers: 0 Improved management systems: 4 Improved existing or provide new services/products: 20 Increased their profile: 4 Were able to spend more time with clients: 8 Could employ more staff/volunteers: 11 Improved management systems: 4 n/a Improved their job-related skills through volunteering: 20 Improved their personal wellbeing: 46 Positive change in behaviour/attitude: 17 Improved their job-related skills through volunteering: 76 Improved their personal wellbeing: 180 Positive change in behaviour/attitude: 128 39 GOVERNANCE APPROACH PROGRESS SOCIAL IMPACT LOOKING FORWARD APPENDICES
The Unite Group PLC South Quay House Temple Back Bristol BS1 6FL +44 (0) 117 302 7000 www.unitegroup.com www.unitestudents.com