Our Impacts
Our most significant adverse environmental impacts are:
- Consumption of natural resources in the development, production, marketing and distribution of our publications and in our general office operations.
- Emissions to the atmosphere from the use of carbon based energy in the production, marketing, sales and distribution of our publications and our general office operations.
- The environmental performance of our suppliers.
- Management of waste materials.
Our most significant positive environmental impacts are working to minimize and mitigate our carbon footprint and to achieve a carbon neutral / carbon positive state, reducing and eliminating waste, promoting renewable sourcing of raw materials, particularly wood-fibre and energy, and working with our stakeholders and suppliers towards a closed-loop material and energy cycle.
We are continually looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact of our activities, and we offset in full the carbon emissions resulting from our business: the production of our marketing and sales endeavours, their distribution and our full office and travel impacts as well.
Impact Renewable Energy Ltd t/a Impact Renewables is dedicated to promoting awareness and decisions that contribute to achieving environmentally sustainable development.
We aim to reflect our commitment to delivering sustainability in our own business practices and through our values and policies.
We recognize this to be a continuous process of improvement rather than a steady-state and we seek to improve our performance, and that of our suppliers, over time.
Our Environmental Policy expresses our commitment to achieving this aim within our own organization.
Impact Renewable Energy Ltd t/a Impact Renewables is firmly committed to the principles of sustainability. Impact Renewable Energy Ltd t/a Impact Renewables recognises that its activities impact upon the environment through its routine internal operations, its infrastructural development and its influence on the wider community.
Impact Renewable Energy Ltd t/a Impact Renewables acknowledges a responsibility for, and a commitment to, the protection of the environment at all levels.
Impact Renewable Energy Ltd t/a Impact Renewables will endeavour to exceed the requirements of relevant environmental legislation, is committed to environmental performance improvement and will:
- Seek to integrate a consideration of environmental issues into all relevant aspects of the companies teaching and research activities;
- In conjunction with local, national and other agencies, promote and raise awareness of good environmental management policies and practices among staff and customers and suppliers and other stakeholders across the company;
- Promote a purchasing policy which favours those products and services which cause the least harm to the environment;
- Continue to reduce the consumption of primary raw materials (including fossil fuels, water and energy) and seek to enhance the contribution of energy efficient, low carbon measures, recyclable components and renewables;
- Implement sound long-term waste management strategies to reduce overall waste production and increase the recycled component of the waste stream;
- Encourage and facilitate sustainable modes of transport to, from and within the company;
- Develop and maintain the grounds and buildings of the company in an environmentally sensitive way, seeking to protect and enhance natural habitats and biodiversity.
Our Targets
Impact Renewable Energy Ltd t/a Impact Renewables is committed to the principles of sustainability. The company recognises that its activities impact upon the environment through its routine internal operations, its infrastructural development and its influence on the wider community.
The company acknowledges a responsibility for, and a commitment to, the protection of the environment at all levels.
The company will endeavour to exceed the requirements of relevant environmental legislation and has set the following targets to drive environmental performance improvement.
Awareness
To run at least one high profile awareness-raising campaign during each academic year.
To provide annual support and assistance to a student-led environmental action at least 20 times per annum.
Procurement
To introduce and maintain a system to audit key suppliers with respect to their environmental management practices.
To target 85% of all paper procured by the company through the existing stationery contract to constitute “recycled paper”.
Raw Materials & Energy Use
A 10% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2011/12.
Target BREEAM “Excellent” standard for all new buildings.
Waste & Recycling
To reduce waste to incinerator by 10% by 2011/12.
For recycling to account for 40% of total “waste” produced by 2011/12.
To target the recycling of at least 200 tonnes of paper waste per annum across the company by Jan 2011.
Green Transport
To appoint a member of staff with responsibility for sustainable transport policy by Jan 2011.
Introduce at least one high profile environmentally-friendly transport initiative per annum –
Biodiversity
To develop an ecological management strategy for the company-owned property.
Our On-going Commitment
To deliver this Policy, our sustainability staff, drawn from each main department including, Production, Marketing and Sales together with a Board member, has the following objectives:
To oversee and review our environmental policy and all of our purchasing practices and operations and to set the future direction of our environmental practices, conduct monitoring and seek continuous improvement in our environmental performance.
To set objectives, targets and programmes to improve our environmental performance, including sustainable sourcing, carbon management, the use of ethical supply chains, preventing pollution and the pursuit of recognized environmental standards amongst our suppliers.
To comply with relevant legislative and regulatory requirements, identifying and applying the best available techniques wherever possible.
To provide information and appropriate training for and seek feedback from all staff on our environmental procedures and goals.
To regularly review and audit our environmental practices and work with partners to improve our performance and that of our industry.
To work towards the relevant certification(s) for a company of our size and industry.
To use our resources, to meet these commitments in a manner that reinforces our activities.
To measure our progress in pursuing these objectives and report annually to our stakeholders
Thank you.