Engagement & materiality
Stakeholder engagement
Understanding value chain impacts and stakeholder expectations is critical to our long-term success.
We regularly engage with our stakeholders across a variety of formats, including face to face meetings, surveys and multimedia channels. Through this dialogue we can better inform our strategy, enhance our customer service and deliver sustainable growth.
Customer-centric culture
Customers and consumers are central to our business, whether sole traders, large multi-national fleet owners and their drivers, or policyholders of our insurance partners. We strive to provide the highest levels of customer service and a flexible range of mobility solutions to keep them mobile and focused on what is important to them.
We aim to build long-lasting customer relationships and collect feedback directly from partners and through surveys such as TrustPilot, which we review at both branch and business levels.
Mutually beneficial supply chain relationships
We seek to build mutually beneficial relationships with all our key supply chain partners, enabling us to focus on every step in the full supply chain and to operate efficiently.
We have responsible business and supplier policies and commit to working transparently and consistently. We engage often, including regular meetings to review performance and improvement plans, and collaborate where there are issues to improve delivery and customer service. Key partners and suppliers have designated account managers; dialogue increasingly includes reviews of sustainable alternatives for products and adherence to our policies.
Helping to shape mobility landscape
We look to engage with governments and regulators to maintain a constructive dialogue and ensure we understand an ever-changing landscape for mobility.
Policies relating to the EV transition is a key focus, together with operational safety compliance aspects and personal data handling. On policy matters we engage principally through our active participation with industry bodies including BVRLA in the UK and AEDIVE in Spain.
- BVRLA: Through our membership we have actively contributed to discussions on commercial vehicle regulation. This has influenced the government’s approach to infrastructure and support for the energy transition, incorporating input from our customers and the industry. Our Fleet Director has been instrumental in developing the original Van Plan as a member and now chair of BVRLA’s Commercial Vehicle Committee. This led to significant changes in government spending, including the extension and ring-fencing of the Plug-In Van Grant, resulting in substantial savings for our customers. Leveraging our business and customer experience, we actively engage with government departments and public sector agencies to shape government policy.
- AEDIVE: As a leader in the vehicle leasing sector in Spain, Northgate is playing a crucial role in accelerating the electrification of transportation in the country. As elected members of the board of AEDIVE (Spanish Association for the Development and Promotion of Electric Vehicles), we have proactively worked to advance the adoption of electric vehicles at a national level.
Building investor confidence
We are committed to promoting investor confidence and understanding, to enable both equity investors and lenders make informed decisions. We seek regular dialogue with market participants to communicate our strategy and business objectives and maintain regular dialogue with lending institutions.
The CFO maintains regular dialogue with key lenders of the Group. Engagement is supported by the award-winning corporate website. In FY2025, the Company held investor meetings and internal roadshows in key business locations to discuss the Group’s refreshed strategic framework, purpose, new corporate brand, and corporate name.
Engaging with our people to improve employment experience
With over 7,800 people across three countries and at over 180 locations, our colleagues are central to our business performance and our ability to provide customer service. We are focused on attracting and retaining talent in competitive markets and ensuring colleagues fulfil their potential.
We promote a transparent, two-way communication approach with our colleagues through town halls, internal communications, and in-person events such as the recent leadership conference and other site visits. We also communicate formally through the Voice Network (an employee forum), and the Have Your Say survey. We are continually looking to support our colleagues with appropriate development opportunities.
Positive community impact
We engage with the local communities in each major location we have a presence, including local schools, business groups and community organisations. We aim to positively impact our communities by encouraging our employees to volunteer locally, both individually and as part of team activities.
We seek out and engage directly with community group leaders and enterprises to determine how we can best support social and environmental projects. Activities includes the loan of vehicles, volunteering and fundraising activities.
We participate in the Darlington Employers Environment Partnership (DEEP), which champions the Darlington business community in achieving a just transition to net zero and reducing environmental impact. In collaboration with DEEP and Darlington Council, we hosted an EV open day at our Darlington head office, which included a visit from the Mayor of Darlington. Our Head of ESG chairs the DEEP Steering Group.
Double materiality assessment
We are currently conducting a double materiality assessment. The outputs of the assessment will inform our ESG approach and provide clarity on the expected disclosures required under the CSRD reporting framework.
A double materiality assessment considers materiality from two perspectives: first, the impact on ZIGUP’s financial value, and second, the environmental and social impact on a broad range of stakeholders. Applying the lens of double materiality enhances the value of this assessment for both corporate reporting and strategy development.
Understanding the link between inward and outward impacts of an issue will help us to develop a more effective ESG framework as well reporting on the issues in a more meaningful way to stakeholders.
Progress
A crucial part of the first phase of our assessment involved identifying significant strategic ESG aspects, the most relevant of which are detailed below. The importance of each aspect in relation to our value stream is illustrated.
In FY2026, we will identify and quantify the impacts, risks, and opportunities associated with these strategic aspects. A crucial part of this process will be engaging with our stakeholders throughout the entire value stream. This approach will foster a range of perspectives, allowing us to gain a more comprehensive understanding of our impacts, risks, and opportunities.
| Upstream | Operations & infrastructure | Downstream | |||||||
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| Aspects | Suppliers | OEMs | Claim processing | Vehicle hire and servicing | Vehicle recovery and repairs | EV charging installation | Customers | Consumers and end users | CSRD topic |
| ZIGUP operates a fleet of over 130,000 vehicles and manages around 1 million vehicles in total. To meet regulatory requirements and customer needs, we are addressing the industry-wide challenges of transitioning to low-carbon mobility in the UK and Europe to reduce environmental impact. |
environment E1 Climate change mitigationE2 Pollution |
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| The maintenance and repair of complex vehicles require significant energy and resources. Therefore, the automotive repair industry must seize opportunities to support the circular economy, promoting sustainability and minimising the impact of waste. |
environment E1 EnergyE5 Circular economy |
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| Managing safety risks and upholding people’s rights to adequate physical health and mental wellbeing is of paramount importance to ZIGUP, our suppliers and customers. |
social S1 Own workforceS2 Workers in the value chain S4 Consumers and end users |
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| The automotive industry faces a shortage of skilled labour. To address this risk, ZIGUP and other industry stakeholders in the value chain must recruit diverse talent, invest in training and reskilling, and attract more young people to the field. |
social S1 Own workforceS2 Workers in the value chain |
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| Retaining people is crucial for an organisation’s success and sustainability. Effective colleague engagement, appropriate rewards and recognition and increased flexibility can have a positive impact and lower the likelihood of colleagues leaving the Group. |
social S1 Own workforce |
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| ZIGUP, directly and on behalf of insurance companies, collects and stores personal information; establishing effective risk management processes that prioritise data protection is essential for maintaining privacy, security, and trust in today’s digital landscape. |
social S1 Own workforceS4 Consumers and end users |
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| Providing clear, accurate, and easily understood information to consumers and end users, including vulnerable groups, positively impacts their ability to make informed and confident decisions. |
social S4 Consumers and end users |
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| Building mutually beneficial supply chain relationships and fostering trust requires alignment on expectations, adherence to timely payment practices, and compliance with ethical standards. |
governance G1 Business Conduct |
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Level of relevance to our value stream: High
Medium
Low
N/A
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