Sustainability policy and checklist

Policy

We will seek to promote sustainable development in everything we do. We endorse the ‘Brundtland’ and ‘Caring for the Earth’ definitions of sustainable development: ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’, and ‘improving the quality of life within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems’.

For us the most pressing goals include: " Reducing and minimising energy use, greenhouse emissions and consumption and waste of resources; " Protecting and enhancing wildlife, habitats, landscapes; " Liveable settlements; " Promoting human wellbeing - and recognising that growth in traded activity or consumption does not necessarily or automatically do so; " Increasing local, regional and national economic resilience and reducing dependence on travel, transport and trade; " Taking responsibility here and now: not dumping problems or responsibilities on future generations or other parts of the world.

We will:

• only do work that promotes sustainable development (that is, advancing at least one of these goals and not significantly harming any others)
• encourage clients to take a broad and integrated approach to sustainability, and help clients increase their understanding of and commitment to sustainability at all levels
• minimise our travel, and the environmental impact of our journeys
• minimise our use of resources through the equipment that we buy and how we use it (some of our electricity already comes from a 500MW AirX wind turbine at the Oxford office)
• reuse, recycle or reclaim wastes and surplus materials wherever possible
• require subcontractors, and encourage clients and collaborators, to do the same

Checklist

To implement the policy we ask the following questions about all business decisions where they are relevant.

Work: ask:

• Is the assignment clearly aiming to promote sustainability?
• If it is not explicitly about sustainability, does it provide opportunities to promote sustainability (while still consistent with the client’s wishes?)
• Does the design and context of the assignment give a good chance of putting our work into practice effectively?

If it is not possible to establish positive answers - do not bid.

Travel: We work from home, both because this provides excellent quality of life and because it reduces our need to travel. Ask: is this journey:

• Necessary at all (e.g. not possible to substitute by telephone, teleconference etc)
• Combinable with another journey
• Practicable by foot or cycle (without disproportionate delay / inconvenience)
• Practicable by public transport (without disproportionate delay / inconvenience) - with use of taxi if necessary

Use car or air only if a journey is necessary, unavoidable and either impossible or highly impracticable by less damaging means.

Purchasing: ask:

• Is purchase or consumption really necessary at all, or can it be avoided by better use of something else or a change in behaviour?
• What are the most significant ‘life cycle’ environmental impacts of this product or service?
• Which options (out of those fit for purpose and available without disproportionate cost) have the lowest environmental impacts?

Buy the option with the lowest practicable environmental impacts.

Use of equipment/resources: ask:

• Can the equipment/resource be reused or recycled (e.g. by printing double sided, reusing scrap paper and envelopes, donating old IT equipment for charity)
• Can it be used more efficiently (e.g. by turning off power at night)

Use in the way that has lowest practicable environmental impacts. Office equipment will be powered by renewable energy.

Meetings / conferences: To the extent that we have influence over venues and arrangements, seek:

• Near good public transport
• Good access on foot or cycle, and good cycle parking
• Maps and directions prioritising and encouraging non-car access
• Naturally lit and ventilated (preferably with openable windows)
• Not overheated
• Reusable catering utensils

Influence: ask:

• Which of these issues are applicable to subcontractor, collaborator, client?
• Take all appropriate opportunities to influence them in these directions.

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