Group Sustainability

Ratio is part of the FW Thorpe Group of companies which is committed to minimising the environmental impact of its activities across all operations.

Through this commitment we are proud to say we have been officially recognised as being carbon neutral, with systems of reduction, measurement and certified offsetting in place since 2012.

In 2009 FW Thorpe designed an ambitious carbon-offsetting scheme, and to date 179,412 trees have been planted on 215 acres in Wales sequestering over 44,385 tonnes of CO₂e over a period of 100 years

We have also installed solar PV units on the roofs of most of our manufacturing facilities, reducing consumption from traditional electricity sources, enabling us to generate 40–50% of our own electricity with the remainder derived from renewable sources.

Chairman’s Comment

FW Thorpe Plc has a longstanding commitment to tackling global environmental challenges, principally through its core business of manufacturing energy efficient lighting equipment. The company has a genuine desire to become a more sustainable business.

Over the last two decades, at FW Thorpe we have sought to address our carbon impact by working towards carbon neutrality for our manufacturing and distribution operations. It gives me huge pleasure that our hard work and ambitions have paid off in achieving our carbon neutral status both now and historically.

But our work doesn’t stop here. By assessing our carbon impact right across our manufacturing and value chain then setting science-based targets in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, our goal is ultimately to reach zero carbon status well before the UK’s target for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Watch this space.

Mike Allcock
FW Thorpe Group Chairman

What does ‘Carbon Neutral’ mean?

Being carbon neutral means that FW Thorpe Plc offsets the carbon dioxide emissions it generates (scopes 1 and 2 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol) by its business activities.

Scope 1 – All direct emissions from the activities of an organisation, including fuel combustion on site, such as in gas boilers and air-conditioning, and in its fleet of delivery and other company-owned vehicles.

Scope 2 – Indirect emissions from electricity purchased and used by the organisation. These emissions are caused during the production of the electricity that is ultimately used by the organisation

FW Thorpe Plc is a carbon neutral company through a combination of measures. Company-wide initiatives such as energy use minimisation, self-generation of renewable energy through solar photovoltaic (PV) units, and procurement of renewable energy have reduced the Group’s carbon footprint, whilst trees in the Group’s award-winning carbon offsetting afforestation project absorb the remaining carbon dioxide produced.

Malcolm Stapleton Image

Ratio ticked all these boxes and more

At Garage Play we turn tired and run-down garages into a genuine new space for the home, this could be a gym, an office, or simply a neater, nicer garage space. As part of our offering we wanted to supply EV charging equipment, but we need it to be smart enough to cope with differing power availability and solar interoperability, reliable and robust enough to cope with everyday living, plus good looking to fit in with our total proposition. Ratio ticked all these boxes and more! 


Malcolm Stapleton
Garage Play
Ben Smyth Image

Ratio provide us with the back-up and support to give us the confidence to install these solutions

We have been working with Ratio for a couple of months now promoting and installing their domestic chargers to our customer base. Customer satisfaction is vital to our business as word-of-mouth and repeat business is an important part of our overall marketing plan. Ratio provide us with the back-up and support to give us the confidence to install these solutions. I would happily recommend Ratio to any business looking for a reliable partner.


Ben Smyth
Director EV PowerPoint
Ross Shore Image

The guys at Ratio give us the tools and support we need

We are looking to grow the EV side of our business for both domestic and commercial installations. The guys at Ratio give us the tools and support we need from one manufacturer to provide a leading solution for our customers in both these markets. 


Ross Shore
RSS Electrical