We work hard to ensure that our projects become home-grown assets that local communities can be proud of. We consult regularly as part of the development process and seek mutual benefits where this is possible. On many sites animal farming can sit side-by-side with a solar generating plant. The area enclosed by our sites also create havens for wildlife to live undisturbed, including endangered flowers and insects. Some sites are so suitable for bees that we even make our own Lightsource BP honey!
Safe and ethical behavior is an essential part of our corporate identity – our Core Values and Code of Conduct reflect our priorities and commitments towards maintaining safe, responsible and effective business practices. Our Core Values are as follows:
Download our Code of Conduct to read more about how we are applying our Core Values to everything we do.
Our third-party counterparties play an important part in our strategy, which integrates our ambition to be the world’s leading global solar brand with our aspiration to be a good corporate citizen. We will develop and strengthen relationships with counterparties who are committed to and act in accordance with this code of conduct, with emphasis on:
We pride ourselves on our diverse workforce, and are dedicated to providing equal opportunities to all Lightsource BP employees, regardless of race, gender, orientation or religion.
Lightsource BP takes its role as an industry leader very seriously. We wholly believe that sustainability and social responsibility is crucial for long-term business success. Over the last six years, we have crafted a set of guiding principles by which we conduct our developments and foster our long-term relationships with local communities and all our partners.
We’re dedicated to creating renewable assets that add value not just to the energy mix but to the local community. With that in mind, careful consideration is given to the way in which our solar projects are constructed. Environmental impact assessments play a key part in ensuring our projects integrate harmoniously into their surroundings; we thoroughly investigate each potential site for protected wildlife, archeological significance, local impact and more, and have a strong track-record of adapting our initial proposals to mitigate any adverse effect on any of the above. We consult with the local community and governments, as well as with industry experts, to make sure that out projects do not have any adverse environmental impacts, and at the end of each site’s lifespan it is removed, and the land returned to its original state, with only minor remedial works required.
Quality is at the core of everything Lightsource BP does, and as such we take great care to follow the criteria set out by the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO. The ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 162 national standards bodies. The International Standards set out by the ISO give world-class specifications for products, services and systems, to ensure quality, safety and efficiency, and are instrumental in facilitating international trade.
Lightsource BP holds certification for, and adheres to the ISO 14001: 2015 standards, which specifies the requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS), providing a framework for our organization to follow. Lightsource BP adheres to the ISO 9001 standard while preparing to obtain certification, which sets out the criteria for a quality management system and is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement. Furthermore, we hold ISO 18001:2007, which is the standard for occupational health and safety management systems, and are preparing for the new ISO 45001.
Since 2014, we have supported the community of Koh Krolor in Cambodia. Alongside local volunteers, we focus on long-term projects, designed to develop and transform the community, addressing the biggest challenges they face. Our main areas of focus are education, health & nutrition and child protection, and via payroll giving and fundraising we have raised £350,000 so far. In addition to the money raised, we also installed rooftop solar panels on two of the community schools. These generate electricity that powers fans and computers to help pupils study, and irrigation systems to boost agriculture.