AYOA and OpenGenius Ltd
OpenGenius Ltd, creator of AYOA, is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2040, 10 years ahead of the UK government’s 2050 target. We aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 through verified offsets, and full Net Zero status by 2040 through deep decarbonisation and residual neutralisation.
We believe we can do this in line with The Climate Pledge – a major driver of the net-zero movement in the tech sector, and we are committed to decarbonisation initiatives as outlined by the SBTi
Our partners are key players in this initiative, and we’re following their lead in taking this unique opportunity to minimise our environmental impact while helping our users work more sustainably through digital transformation.
As a Software as a Service (SaaS) provider with less than 20 employees, our environmental footprint differs significantly from traditional businesses. Our digital operations enable remote collaboration, reducing the need for travel and physical resources. We operate from our Cardiff office while supporting a distributed workforce across the UK and Ireland.
Our direct environmental impacts:
- Cloud infrastructure energy consumption
- Office energy use and facilities
- Employee commuting and business travel
- Electronic equipment lifecycle
- Digital services and data storage
Key actions for SaaS companies to reach net-zero by 2040
To achieve net-zero, we need to go beyond our direct operations to tackle our entire value chain, which includes the energy consumption of our suppliers, the imprint of our cloud infrastructure and the use of AYOA by our community. As a SaaS provider, we commit to the following actions to support our achievement of Net Zero in the next 15 years:
Measure and report emissions: OpenGenius Ltd will measure greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis (see some of our stats below)
Decarbonise operations: OpenGenius will implement strategies to reduce emissions, such as improving energy efficiency and procuring renewable energy.
To date one of our biggest green initiatives has been the installation of 150 solar panels at the OpenGenius office, resulting in us averaging 70% electricity utilisation from these as a source of energy. Grid energy providers who supplement this are all green. Our facilities now run on 100% renewable energy at all times.
Reduce supply chain emissions: This is a crucial step for AYOA. As a significant portion of our emissions comes from our supply chain, particularly cloud providers and hardware manufacturing. Partnering with vendors registered with The Climate Pledge reinforces our deliverables in this area.
All suppliers are expected to maintain published sustainability commitments, and new contracts include obligations to support Net Zero objectives.
Neutralise residual emissions: Any remaining emissions after reduction must be neutralised with credible carbon offsets if we are to achieve net-zero status by 2040.
Current Carbon Footprint
As a growing startup, we are in the process of establishing our baseline carbon emissions. We will complete a full baseline assessment in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol by 2026, covering Scope 1, 2 and relevant Scope 3 emissions.
Our estimated annual carbon footprint is approximately:
Direct Emissions: Minimal
- We have no company-owned vehicles at OpenGenius
- And no onsite fuel combustion
- We collaborate digitally where possible
- We use public transportation for most commuting (80% of our workforce travels by train or foot)
- We operate on 100% renewable energy in AYOA HQ.
Indirect – Energy: ~15 tonnes of CO₂ (tCO₂e)
- Office and data centre electricity consumption
Indirect – Other: ~40 tCO2e
- Cloud hosting services
- Business travel – e.g. events: minimised to essential business use only
- Purchased goods and services
- Electronic equipment purchasing and energy consumption
Total Estimated Annual Emissions: ~55 tCO2e
Our sustainability strategy at OpenGenius
Digital first
- Paperless premises: 95% reduction in paper use as a result of digital workflows
- Cloud Infrastructure: We partner with carbon-neutral cloud providers including Google Cloud Platform and Amazon Web Services – both leaders in The Climate Pledge
- Remote work: Our hybrid working approach reduces our commuting emissions by 60%
- Virtual meetings: We default to video conferencing as much as possible, further reducing the need for business travel
Energy and resources
- We’ve transitioned to 100% renewable energy in our Cardiff Headquarters – this includes the energy used by businesses in our shared premises, an extra bonus!
- We use LED lighting, smart heating controls, and energy-efficient equipment and are dedicated to reducing energy usage as much as we can
- We recycle our hardware where it has the lifespan to do so, and implement recycling solutions across waste, partnering with responsible vendors for professional disposal where needed
Sustainable software development
- We optimise algorithms to reduce computational requirements
- We build Securely by Design, creating features that minimise data transfer and processing
- We plan to develop tools to help users track their digital carbon footprint through the use of our services
- We reduce unnecessary API calls and data transfers where possible
Our carbon reduction plan
Short-term (2025-2026)
- Complete our comprehensive carbon footprint assessment by 2026, covering GHG Protocol Scopes 1-3
- Implement carbon offsetting for unavoidable emissions by contributing to local, national and international conservation and renewal initiatives
- Introduce sustainability metrics in our supplier selection
Medium-term (2027-2030)
- Reduce our indirect energy emissions by 30%
- Migrate to carbon-negative cloud infrastructure
- Implement ISO14001 Environmental Management System standards
- Launch customer carbon dashboard feature in AYOA
- Achieve carbon neutral status through verified offsets
Long-term (2031-2040)
- Achieve net zero emissions across all scopes
- Develop evolving carbon-negative business practices
- Support customers in their sustainability journeys
- Contribute to industry-wide sustainability standards
Measuring our impact
We commit to:
- Annual sustainability report publication
- Quarterly internal reviews
- Transparent communication with stakeholders via website updates and newsletters
Our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
- Carbon emissions per employee (tCO2e)
- Energy consumption per user (kWh)
- Percentage of renewable energy use
- Server efficiency metrics (PUE – Power Usage Effectiveness)
- Percentage of suppliers with sustainability commitments
- Employee engagement in green initiatives
Supporting AYOA customer sustainability
AYOA actively contributes to our customers’ sustainability goals by:
- Eliminating paper needs through digital mind mapping and project management
- Enabling remote collaboration through AYOA’s in built communication systems
- Improving technological efficiency by streamlining workflows to reduce resource consumption
- Utilising cloud storage, eliminating the need for on-premise servers
- Optimised for mobile, enabling AYOA users to work from anywhere
Our supply chain
We are committed to working with suppliers who share our environmental values. From our cloud providers to hardware supplies, we prioritise working with suppliers with published sustainability commitments, environmental certifications and measurable energy efficiency programmes.
We actively collaborate on sustainability through:
- Participating in SaaS sustainability forums
- Open-sourcing our sustainability practices and sharing knowledge
- Working with users on green innovations through stakeholder feedback
- Supporting local environmental projects in Cardiff and beyond
Continuous improvement
We commit to an annual review and enhancement of our sustainability strategy through:
- Regular benchmarking against industry best practices
- Incorporating new technologies and methodologies
- Responding to stakeholder feedback
- Adapting to evolving climate science and regulations
This statement has been approved by the board of directors of OpenGenius Ltd in the Summer of 2025 and is reviewed internally on a quarterly basis.
Signed:
Chris Griffiths
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
OpenGenius Limited
Summer 2025
This statement is published in accordance with best practice guidelines and in support of the UK Government’s Net Zero Strategy. It will be updated annually to reflect our progress and evolving commitments.
For questions about this statement or any of our policies, please contact: support@ayoa.com
Document Control
- Effective: Fiscal Year 2025-26
- Policy Owner: OpenGenius Ltd Chief Information Security and Operations Officer
- Next Review: Fiscal Year 2026-27
