Amplifying Focusrite Group’s sustainability ambitions

The Focusrite Group brand has established a global reputation for delivering high‑quality audio equipment used everywhere from home and studio production to global stages. As the business has grown internationally, so too has its awareness of the environmental impact of manufacturing audio technology at scale. Today, sustainability plays a key role in Focusrite Group’s strategy.

“We recognise that as a global manufacturer, we have a responsibility to understand and reduce our environmental impact,” says Andy Land, Head of Sustainability, Focusrite Group. “It’s about embedding that thinking into everything we do – from product design through to supply chain and operations.”

The creation of a dedicated Environmental Sustainability Programme marked a turning point for the business. Led by Land, the program has strengthened Focusrite Group’s sustainability commitment and helped its goals gain momentum, underpinned by highly detailed, hands-on work.

“I probably spent a year in my office just taking products apart, weighing every component and building up the data,” Land explains. “I didn’t really know exactly where it would lead at first. I just knew we needed a granular level of detail to understand our impact.”

That foundation has gradually evolved from early Excel models into more developed in‑house tools and lifecycle assessments; supported by its use of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) framework, where Focusrite Group has already improved its score year on year. This has given the business a clearer, more consistent way to track progress against its long‑term targets.

For a business producing complex audio equipment, Focusrite Group faces a significant sustainability challenge. Each product can contain hundreds of components, from plastics and metals to specialist acoustic materials – all of which contribute to its overall environmental footprint. Understanding that impact requires detailed analysis across the entire lifecycle.

“As a business, a significant proportion of our emissions footprint is in the raw materials that go into the product, and the other half is in how those products use power once they’re out in the world,” explains Land.

“Reducing emissions isn’t a single action, it’s a continuous process,” says Land. “We’re looking at everything from the materials we use to how products are manufactured, transported and ultimately disposed of.”

For Focusrite Group, a Sustainability-Linked Loan from HSBC UK is a natural extension of its sustainability ambitions, linking the cost of financing to performance against agreed targets. It provides a clear framework to embed environmental goals into business decision-making while providing performance-based margin adjustments.

Lifecycle assessments, carbon intensity metrics and sustainable material sourcing have become central to this approach, giving the business a clearer view of where it can make the biggest difference.

Working in close collaboration with Focusrite Group over several months, HSBC UK structured a Sustainability-Linked Loan as part of the refinancing of its existing credit facility, aligning funding with the company’s sustainability ambitions. The loan supports broader business operations, while linking the cost of borrowing to performance against agreed sustainability targets, creating a clear financial incentive to stay on track.

This included detailed discussions to define the right targets, how they would be measured, and how progress would be tracked and verified. Alongside structuring the facility, HSBC UK remain engaged with the business to discuss ongoing market developments and best practice.

“We spent a lot of time with the team, understanding what’s material to their business,” says Vaughan Tyrell, Director, Sustainable Finance & Transition, HSBC UK. “It’s about setting targets that are robust, meaningful and aligned to what they are actually trying to achieve.”

For Focusrite Group, the value of the relationship extends beyond the loan itself.

“HSBC UK has supported us throughout the process; not just in providing funding, but in shaping how we link our sustainability goals to our financing,” Land explains.

For a mid‑sized, listed audio technology business operating globally, Focusrite Group stood out for its level of detail and commitment to its sustainability goals.

“They were very well prepared for a business of that size” says Tyrell. “They understood the importance of sustainability, knew what needed to be done, and recognised the size of the challenge facing them.”

HSBC UK support Focusrite Group’s sustainability journey by providing ongoing guidance and dialogue around target-setting, reporting and best practice. This support helps Focusrite Group translate its ambitions into realistic, measurable actions and build a robust sustainability framework over time.

Beyond financing, HSBC UK has continued to support Focusrite Group through ongoing collaboration: sharing insights, maintaining regular dialogue and helping the business stay connected to wider developments in the sustainability space.

“We continue to engage with clients even after these facilities are in place,” says Tyrell. “That could be answering questions on how the targets work in practice, or sharing updates and insights we think will be relevant. We view this as an ongoing relationship where we are tasked with bringing the best of the bank to our customers.”

This extends to connecting Focusrite Group with others where it adds value, whether through industry events or introducing them to peers and specialists across HSBC’s network.

“A big part of our role is bringing the right people together,” Tyrell explains. “If there’s an opportunity to connect clients or share experience from elsewhere, we’ll make that happen.”

This relationship-led approach reflects HSBC’s wider strategy of supporting clients through the transition to a lower-carbon economy; helping them navigate complexity while unlocking new opportunities.

Today we finance a number of industries that significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. We have a strategy to help our customers to reduce their emissions and to reduce our own. For more information visit www.hsbc.com/sustainability

Beyond reducing its own environmental impact, Focusrite Group hopes to play a more active role in shaping sustainability across the wider music technology industry.

“If we reach net zero in isolation, that doesn’t really change anything globally,” says Land. “The bigger opportunity is trying to influence the wider industry and get others to move in the same direction,” he explains.

That means continuing to build on the foundations already in place: refining data, improving product design and working more closely with partners across the value chain; while also playing a more visible role in industry conversations.

“We’ve got the data now to understand where we need to focus,” says Land. “It’s about continuing to build on that and using it to drive the next phase of change.”

HSBC UK will continue to support that progress as Focusrite Group advances its sustainability ambitions.

The relationship with Focusrite Group has been in place for more than a decade, and for the past five years has been led by Matthew O’Brien, Relationship Director at HSBC UK.

“Having supported the banking needs of Focusrite Group for over 10 years, we’re delighted to have strengthened our partnership through the Sustainability Linked Loan, and we look forward to continuing to support the Group as it progresses its sustainability ambitions and long-term growth plans.”

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