TCR aims to ensure that the equipment rented to its customers at airports is available and in good working condition to fulfil its mission: securing swift, on-time, safe and efficient ground handling operations whilst reducing costs for its customers and its environmental impact.

TCR identified GHG emissions and health and safety as the two most relevant ESG issues in a materiality assessment carried out in 2019. The outcome of this survey shaped TCR’s sustainability strategy which was developed in 2021 and is now fully embedded within the organisation.

Progress on material topics

GHG emissions reduction

TCR determined that nearly two thirds of its carbon footprint in 2021 was linked to the utilisation of GSE by its customers, or the fuel combustion of GSE it rents out. TCR focused its efforts on supporting its customers in reducing GHG emissions from the utilisation of its fleet by:

• optimising the use of GSE, eg reduction of idle running and use of telematics;
• optimising the fleet size, eg ‘pooling’ projects to share equipment between customers; and
• encouraging the procurement of green GSE and converting existing diesel GSE to alternative energy sources.

To encourage its customers to adopt green GSE, TCR proposes and procures alternative low-carbon equipment wherever possible, particularly on GSE categories identified as high emitting (such as buses, ground power units and pushback tractors).

It is helping customers in implementing electric GSE replacement plans where airport charging infrastructure allows, and working on a diesel-to-electric GSE conversion strategy where replacement is not feasible. TCR’s objective is for 60% of new GSE capex investments to be green by 2030 (vs 22% today).

Health and safety

TCR monitors health and safety performance on a monthly basis and has seen a decreasing incident trend since 3i Infrastructure plc’s initial investment in 2016. In the early years of its ownership, 3i ensured TCR’s management made safety a priority for the business, requesting increased resources, improved reporting and safety to be discussed first at each board meeting. Safety gradually became part of the company’s culture and embedded into the organisation. The health and safety management at TCR became more proactive, with the introduction of additional training, inspections and monitoring of leading indicators at regional and country level.

Safety remains an important topic of attention. In 2021 the business launched quarterly group safety newsletters, participated in international safety campaigns, ran a group-wide campaign with regards to tyre handling, organised internal awareness initiatives and implemented a new occupational health and safety management platform with additional functionality to further reduce incidents in the workplace.

This was supplemented in 2022 with the launch of the ‘TCR Academy’, an online tool which includes resources on safety standards, as well as with a campaign to promote increased safety awareness among employees.

TCR has also established a set of standards and processes to ensure the safety of its customers’ employees, from GSE procurement, where the highest specification standards are chosen, through to operations, where training programmes are provided to end users, and maintenance, where assets are being maintained properly, in time and to the highest standards. TCR is also ensuring its customers have the tools to report any defect or safety issue in the most efficient way possible.