Environmental Sustainability

The management of our environmental performance and energy usage underpins the subsequent key areas of the ESAP. To ensure our environmental sustainability work is conducted to the highest standard, we will ensure that performance is planned, implemented, monitored, and continuously improved.

We created an Environmental and Project Lead role to sit within the Estates and Facilities Department in 2021. Since then, we have improved legal compliance and begun establishing a robust Environmental Management System (EMS).

We bought our office, Warwick House, Essex, in 2023. Legal compliance and the EMS were reviewed to take the larger scope into consideration.

This area is linked to UN SDG goal numbers: nine, 12 and 13.

To work to achieve our long-term goal of becoming carbon neutral, we record, analyse, and report on our carbon emissions. We use this information to inform carbon reduction initiatives.

In 2020 we began carbon emission reporting through our Annual Reports and Accounts. Since then, we have proactively worked to improve the accuracy of this reporting, bringing the process in-house and raising awareness of its importance throughout the organisation.

This area is linked to UN SDG goal numbers: seven, nine and 13.

We have one office based in Warwick House, Essex and a storage unit leased near this office. In our last reporting period (April 2022 to April 2023) building energy use made up 51% of our total carbon emissions.

We have implemented improvements such as installing LED Lighting and PIR sensors, taking ownership of our Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, upgrading the Air Handling Unit (AHU) to a more efficient model, working with the managing agents to implement time perimeters around heating and cooling.

We now have the opportunity to review all of the buildings energy systems.

This area is linked to UN SDG goal numbers: seven, nine and 13.

We have a fleet of eleven vehicles based across the country.

There are nine Motability Driving Assessor (MDA) vehicles, which provide an essential service to our beneficiaries and make our grant making possible. The remaining two vehicles are pool cars.

In our last reporting period (April 2022 to April 2023) the fleet of vehicles made up 49% of our total carbon emissions, producing the most carbon emission of all the categories. In response, we have identified travel as a significant area in which we will work to reduce our carbon emissions and lessen our environmental impact.

In 2023 we upgraded the previous pool car to a hybrid vehicle and purchased a second electric vehicle (EV). A hybrid vehicle was sourced for long journeys with tight time constraints, and an EV was purchased for all other journeys.

We installed electric charging points within the Warwick House car park in 2016 and provided free changing for staff members as part of an initiative to encourage EV usage. Due to the success of this resulting in a large increase of staff members using EVs we will be increasing the number of electric charge points in financial year 2024 – 2025.

We will continue to focus on decreasing our carbon emissions associated with travelling and encourage staff to consider more sustainable modes of travel for both inside and outside of work.

This area is linked to UN SDG goal numbers: three, seven, nine, 11 and 13.

Our approach to water and waste management is focused on the circular economy. This means where we cannot reduce our consumption, we will focus on keeping materials in use for as long as possible, through processes such as maintenance, reuse and recycling.

Office waste is separated to ensure a greater commitment to recycling. Waste contractors are selected that minimise waste to landfill, and our waste streams are recorded when possible. An example of this includes our disposal of confidential waste, which is shredded and bailed in a recycling facility in Camberley and then sent to a papermill in Northumberland where it is processed into paper products.

We will be researching the impact of water waste on the local environment in the future as part of this plan.

We recognise there is more to be done to ensure a full commitment to a circular economy and better water management, creating the actions below to reflect this.

This area is linked to UN SDG goal numbers: 12, 13, 14 and 15.

The United Kingdom is currently facing massive biodiversity loss. Our organisation understands that everyone has a responsibility to act on this, and are committed to supporting local biodiversity, while ensuring that our activities do not have a negative impact.

The purchase of our office and the adjoining road, Stadium Way, has provided us with an opportunity to protect local biodiversity and take steps to strengthen it when possible. We are aware that there is an SSI (Site of Scientific Interest) within a mile of the building; our Environmental and Project Lead will continue to remain up to date with information on this site.

This area is linked to UN SDG goal number: 15.

We want to create a culture where our employees care about the environment and want to take action to support it. Also, we identified that it is equally important that we provide our employees with the skills to make the right decisions when it comes to environmental sustainability, whether at home, outside or in the office.

This area is linked to UN SDG goal numbers: four, 13 and 16.

We value strong communities and understand their importance in a sustainable future. To protect the environment and lessen the impacts of global climate change it is critical we support those around us in making sustainable decisions. We have chosen the actions below to strengthen our place in the local community regarding environmental sustainability.

This area is linked to UN SDG goal numbers: 11, 13 and 16.

Our organisation recognises that we have an interest in ensuring that our suppliers have strong environmental sustainability values. We understand that our supply chain has a far-reaching environmental impact and provides an opportunity to further influence sustainable practices.

This area is linked to UN SDG goal numbers: nine, ten and 12.