DRAX GROUP PLC modern slavery statement summary (2026)

Organisation address
Drax Power Station,
Selby,
North Yorkshire,
YO8 8PH

We asked the organisation a series of questions about its modern slavery statement. Its answers are published on this page as a statement summary.

This statement provides information for all 6 recommended topics

What is a modern slavery statement?
UK law requires certain organisations to publish an annual modern slavery statement on their website, setting out the steps they are taking to address modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains. Read more in the government guidance on publishing modern slavery statements.
Link to full statement
Go to full modern slavery statement on organisation’s website

PDF version of the statement

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About this statement summary

All answers relate to the financial year covered by the statement. The organisation is responsible for all the information it provided. Some of our questions are optional, so organisations may not have answered all of them. The statement summary does not replace the full modern slavery statement – below we provide a link to the full statement on the organisation’s website.

Contents

Organisations covered by the statement

DRAX GROUP PLC modern slavery statement for 2026 is a group statement covering 6 organisations. See the full list of organisations covered by this statement

Statement period and sign-off details

The statement covers the following period:
1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025

The statement was signed off by:
Dwight Gardiner (CEO)

It was approved by the board (or equivalent management body) on:
24 February 2026

Recommended topics covered by the statement

Government guidance encourages organisations to cover a range of topics in their modern slavery statements, setting out the steps they’re taking to address modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains. Read about the recommended topics in the statutory guidance.

We asked the organisation to tell us which topics its statement covers.

Topics recommended by government guidance Organisation’s response
The organisation’s structure, business and supply chains Covered
Policies Covered
Risk assessment Covered
Due diligence (steps to address risk) Covered
Training about modern slavery Covered
Goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of the organisation's actions and progress over time Covered

The organisation’s sectors and turnover

Sectors

The organisation operates in the following sectors:

  • Forestry, timber products, paper and containers and packaging
  • Utilities: gas, water and electricity

Turnover

Its turnover in the financial accounting year of this statement was:

Over £500 million

If the organisation is a public body, this amount is based on the organisation’s budget for the year of the statement.
What does 'turnover' refer to in group statements?
If this is a group statement, this includes the total turnover for all the organisations covered by the statement.

Number of years producing statements

The organisation has been producing modern slavery statements for the following number of years:
More than 5 years
How does this work for group statements?
If the statement is for a group of organisations, this answer applies to the organisation with the longest history of producing statements.

Policies (optional)

We asked the organisation whether its policies include the following provisions in relation to its domestic and international supply chains, as well as its own operations.
Policy provisions we asked about Organisation’s response
Freedom of workers to terminate employment Not included
Freedom of movement Included
Freedom of association Included
Prohibits any threat of violence, harassment and intimidation Included
Prohibits the use of worker-paid recruitment fees Included
Prohibits compulsory overtime Not included
Prohibits child labour Included
Prohibits discrimination Included
Prohibits confiscation of workers' original identification documents Included
Provides access to remedy, compensation and justice for victims of modern slavery Included
Other
Not included

Training (optional)

We asked the organisation whether it provided training on modern slavery, and who it was for.
What counts as training?
We explained that by ‘training’ we meant anything designed to increase knowledge and skills around identifying, addressing or preventing modern slavery risks. This could range from formal training courses to broader awareness-raising activities such as workshops or webinars.
We asked who the training was for Organisation’s response
Your whole organisation No
Your front line staff No
Human resources Yes
Executive-level staff No
Procurement staff Yes
Your suppliers No
The wider community No
Other
Teams considered at higher risk of encountering Modern Slavery. Teams that work closely with suppliers.

Monitoring working conditions (optional)

Engaging with others

We asked the organisation to tell us who it engaged with to help monitor working conditions across its operations and supply chains.
We asked who the organisation engaged with Organisation’s response
Your suppliers Yes
Trade unions or worker representative groups Yes
Civil society organisations No
Professional auditors Yes
Workers within your organisation No
Workers within your supply chain Yes
Central or local government No
Law enforcement, such as police, GLAA and other local labour market inspectorates No
Businesses in your industry or sector Yes

Social audits

We asked the organisation to tell us about any social audits it used to look for signs of modern slavery.
What are social audits?
A social audit is a review of an organisation’s working practices from the point of view of social responsibility, and should include an evaluation of working conditions in the organisation’s operations and supply chains. By their nature, audits of supplier workplaces represent a snapshot in time.
Social audits we asked about Organisation’s response
Audit conducted by your staff No
Third party audit arranged by your organisation Yes
Audit conducted by your supplier’s staff No
Third party audit arranged by your supplier No
Announced audit Yes
Unannounced audit Yes

Grievance mechanisms

We asked the organisation how workers in its operations or supply chains could raise concerns or make complaints.
We asked if workers could raise concerns this way Organisation’s response
Using anonymous whistleblowing services, such as a helpline or mobile phone app Yes
Through trade unions or other worker representative groups Yes

Other ways of monitoring working conditions

We asked the organisation whether it had any other ways of monitoring working conditions across its operations and supply chains:
Quarterly employee surveys. HSE management systems. Biomass certification which mandates that labour, pay and employment conditions are fair, legal and labour rights are safeguarded.

Modern slavery risks (optional)

Warning Identifying modern slavery risks is a vital step towards eradicating it. The government encourages organisations to be as open and transparent as possible, to improve understanding, collaboration and best practice around tackling this worldwide problem.
We asked the organisation to describe up to 3 priority risks it focused on during the period of the statement, including details of the affected workers, the activity involved, and the location.

Priority risks for this organisation (1 of 3)

Third Party workers: Outsourced contractors and temporary labour across the business in industries including construction, Facilities, Logistics, Apparel and EV.
Questions we asked about this risk Organisation’s response
Where it was most likely to occur Organisation’s response: Within your own operations.
Who was it most likely to affect Organisation’s response:
  • All Third Party Workers
In which country Organisation’s response: United Kingdom
Actions or plans to address this risk Organisation’s response: In 2025 we reduced that risk by auditing suppliers in all these focus areas to obtain a greater insight into third-party practices. We also launched our enhanced ethical due diligence questionnaire, to gain greater transparency of suppliers’ commitments to human rights.

Priority risks for this organisation (2 of 3)

Goods Not For Resale (GNRF): Poor visibility of potentially long and complex supply chains increases the risk of human rights and worker abuses taking place.
Questions we asked about this risk Organisation’s response
Where it was most likely to occur Organisation’s response: Within your supply chains.
  • Don't know
Who was it most likely to affect Organisation’s response:
  • All workers within the supply chain
In which country Organisation’s response: China
Actions or plans to address this risk Organisation’s response: In 2025 we reduced that risk with the ongoing Drax program of ethical audits and enhancing our ethical due diligence questionnaire which resulted in greater transparency of suppliers’ commitments to human rights. We plan to build of this progress in 2026.

Priority risks for this organisation (3 of 3)

The materials sourced for biomass are mainly from remote locations, where there’s potential for the use of migrant workers. Poor visibility of such suppliers may increase the risk of worker abuses.
Questions we asked about this risk Organisation’s response
Where it was most likely to occur Organisation’s response: Within your supply chains.
  • Don't know
Who was it most likely to affect Organisation’s response:
  • Migrants
In which country Organisation’s response:
  • Canada
  • Estonia
  • Latvia
  • United States
Actions or plans to address this risk Organisation’s response: At the end of 2025, 100% of the suppliers of woody biomass to Drax Power Station (DPS) are SBP certified; this accounts for 95.45% of total biomass supplied to DPS. SBP encourages the adoption of standards and due diligence processes, including the promotion of human rights.

Indicators of forced labour (optional)

We asked the organisation whether its statement refers to finding any International Labour Organization (ILO) indicators of forced labour.
What are ILO indicators of forced labour?
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has produced a list of the most common signs of forced labour. They’re based on the definition of forced labour as ‘all work or service which is extracted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily.’ More details and guidance are available on the ILO website, and in their publication ILO indicators of forced labour
Organisation’s response
The organisation told us its statement does not refer to finding any International Labour Organization (ILO) indicators of forced labour.

Demonstrating progress (optional)

We asked the organisation how its statement demonstrates progress over time in addressing modern slavery risks. They provided the following answer:
Drax provided proportionate levels of training to colleagues. Drax maintain up to date due diligence information on supply chains that are high risk for modern slavery. In 2025, we updated our Country Risk Matrix identifying eight suppliers in medium risk countries. Our EDD process identified 85 suppliers in high risk sectors. Drax continues engagement with NGOs. The proportion of woody biomass pellets used at Drax Power Station with an SBP compliant claim was 99.9%