Purpose

The aim of this policy is to ensure that the company manages and reduces its carbon footprint. The environment in which we work and live has never been subjected to as much change as it is now experiencing. Population growth, use of finite resources and greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are taking their toll in many ways, not least of all through climate change and pollution.
World temperatures continue to rise as greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere increase and pollution through waste generation continues.

Cherry & White are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our operations and will ensure that all is done to mitigate climate change and the adverse impact this has on the world. We are committed to complying with applicable legislation in all the jurisdictions where it operates.

Cherry & White is therefore taking steps to reduce its own carbon emissions. This makes good sense both environmentally and economically.

Scope

Cherry & White needs to balance environmental commitments with other considerations such as UK and international operations, financial constraints and response to the humanitarian imperative. It is nonetheless our aim to ensure our environmental commitments become an integral part of our day- to-day activities, that we seek ways to continually improve our environmental performance and operate in a responsible manner including reducing waste and making reductions in our carbon emissions from heat, power and travel.

The company will ensure it operates within all environmental, legal and other requirements as imposed by law and best practice.

Cherry & White has attained ISO 14001 certification in environmental management systems and will maintain this accolade as a minimum standard for all present and future environmental and carbon reduction initiatives.

Policy Body

The aim of this policy is for Cherry & White to control its impact on the environment through the following objectives:

• Minimise our contribution to pollution by reducing our carbon emissions and waste together with recycling, reusing and reducing wherever possible.
• Assess the adverse effects our operations/partnerships may have on the environment and seek ways to minimise them.
• Introduce into our procurement practice supplier selection criteria based on a minimum environmental standard.
• Promote environmental awareness to all employees including this on the induction of new starters.
• Monitor, report and reduce carbon emissions specifically from heat, power and travel. MP004 Carbon Management Policy 2 of 2 Version 1 PUBLIC

We will achieve the objectives through the following activities:

• Selecting the most appropriate form of travel taking into account carbon emissions as well as other business factors; and only travel when necessary.
• Ensuring that our buildings are operated in such a manner so to optimise use and reduce emissions through control of heat and power.
• Reducing waste through control of packaging for bought in goods.
• Recycling all appropriate waste such as paper, card, metals and plastics.
• Reducing our use of plastics.
• Ensuring that the induction process for new starters contains information about this policy and obligations to adhere to it.
• Challenging behaviour of colleagues who act in a manner contrary to this policy.
• Implementing a central reporting mechanism to allow senior management to be informed about environmental issues within the organisation and achievements made in mitigating the overall environmental impact.
• Expanding the availability and use of new technologies to allow for changes in behaviour particularly around travel, e.g. greater use of video conferencing and expand the ‘virtualisation’ of IT systems.
• Including in supplier selection and review criteria minimum environmental standards expected of current and future suppliers for bought in goods and services. • Using environmental impact assessments (EnvIA) for UK and international operations/projects to find a potential increase risk of detriment to the environment.
• Standards 2.7 ISO 14001:2015 standard for our environmental management systems.

Responsibilities

All of our organisation is responsible for complying with this policy and supporting our efforts to minimise our impact on the environment.

Management and all those in a supervisory role have the responsibility for implementing the policy within their areas of responsibility and should ensure that environmental issues are given adequate consideration in the planning and execution of our operations, services and programs.

Management systems certified to ISO14001:2015 standard are in place to monitor this policy and ensure compliance.

This policy will be reviewed annually but will be updated earlier as required.