Sulmara

Headquartered in Scotland, Sulmara is a business that operates around the globe, carrying out underwater surveying for the offshore energy and communications sectors. Their work has supported the preparation, installation and maintenance of windfarms in a number of locations.

Sulmara employ innovative technologies to reduce the impact of their work, using autonomous and remote survey techniques. These methods shorten the time taken to carry out survey work and reduce the associated carbon emissions: a survey carried out in 2020 using an uncrewed surface vehicle was completed in 45 days, with a reduction of over 100 days on traditional survey methods and producing a thousand times fewer emissions from fuel consumption.

The potential for autonomous and remote technologies to reduce the environmental impacts of underwater surveying is significant, and Sulmara are working with the industry, their suppliers and academia to expand the adoption of these technologies.

Sulmara monitor their environmental performance, with their carbon footprint being calculated using the standards set by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol organisation. This includes scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Calculations are done for the business as a whole, and for individual projects. This helps to identify where emissions arise and where efforts can be made to reduce them.

Remaining emissions are offset, and staff are consulted on the offsetting projects that should be used. Last year, four projects in Asia and Africa were chosen, targeting a number of Sustainable Development Goals through forest conservation and improving community health and socio-economic wellbeing. In addition, Sulmara have celebrated their 50^th and 75^th employee by planting 50 and 750 trees. All meetings organised through their website are also offset by planting 50 trees.

This year, Sulmara have become the first offshore survey signatory to the Climate Pledge, officially committing to achieving net zero by 2040. With a newly appointed environmental advisor, they are continuing to improve their own performance and beginning to engage with third sector organisations to create partnership working to benefit nature and communities.

Sulmara is an international organisation with employees from 13 nationalities working in 11 countries. All staff are trained and supported to reskill to meet the demands of working with new technologies in line with the Just Transition framework. Diversification of the workforce is a target, with an increase in female employees being one area where progress is being made, and HR function plans are being used to promote further diversity.