Environmental policy
Cornwall Environmental Consultants (CEC) Ltd works to conserve Cornwall’s wildlife for the benefit of this and future generations. As part of this work CEC aims to carry out its work in a sustainable manner and to maximise its contribution to a healthy living and working environment, as well as educating and motivating staff to work in an environmentally responsible manner.
Statement of principles
Cornwall Environmental Consultants (CEC) Ltd works to conserve Cornwall’s wildlife for the benefit of this and future generations. As part of this work CEC aims to carry out its work in a sustainable manner and to maximise its contribution to a healthy living and working environment, as well as educating and motivating staff to work in an environmentally responsible manner.
Background
Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s ‘Green House Group’ (GHG) was established in September 2003 and comprises staff and trustees representing the full range of the Trust’s & CEC’s work. Since the inaugural meeting, the GHG has carried out an assessment of the Trust’s & CEC’s environmental impacts and has then audited and prioritised the impacts. Subsequent to the audit, the GHG has produced an Action Plan which has been approved by the Trust’s & CEC staff, Management Team, Conservation Strategy Committee and Executive Committee.
Action Plan headline objectives (underpinned by the detailed working Action Plan)
1. Conserving resources
To improve energy efficiency by:
- Ensuring electricity used on-site is from a renewable source
- Monitoring and reducing use of electricity
- Monitoring and reducing heating oil use
- In the long term ensuring that all energy used is from sustainable sources.
2. Waste
To use resources efficiently so that the physical waste produced from CEC's operations is reduced and those waste systems that are chosen don't inherently produce waste.
Hazardous waste:
- Monitor and reduce quantity of left over spray containers and chemicals (not applicable to CEC)
- Ensure hazardous waste containers are stored and disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner (not applicable to CEC)
- Monitor and reduce other waste materials generated by the Trust & CEC
General waste
- Monitor and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill every year
Office waste
- Monitor, reduce, reuse and recycle office waste.
Other
- Ensure timber waste is disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner (not applicable to CEC)
3. Water use
- Monitoring, reducing, re-using and recycling water across the sites
4. Transport
To reduce congestion and pollution from commuting, official travel, fleet management and visitors by:
- Complying with Green Transport Plan policy issued by the GHG whenever practically possible – please refer to the Appendix to view this policy.
- Monitoring annual journey to work miles
- Reducing journey to work mileage by car sharing & working from home opportunities
- Persuading the relevant local authority to construct a bus stop to serve the Trust & CEC offices and wider community
- Monitoring and reducing annual business mileage by using public transport where possible
- Monitoring visitors’ modes of transport (encourage public transport).
- Only purchase new vehicles powered by a lower impact fuel source
- CEC purchased a Ford Focus Estate with one of the lowest CO2 emissions in its range, in March 2009. Staff will use this vehicle for business related journeys, instead of their own cars, to reduce mileages costs and the impact on the environment.
5. Procurement
To improve the environmental impact procurement can have, CEC will aim to encourage good environmental practice concerning the purchasing of goods by:
- Ensuring that through the purchasing of all goods and services, minimal environmental impact is generated.
- Ensuring that timber products (i.e. bat boxes) is purchased is from an accredited sustainable source, and through an environmentally responsible company
- All office supplies, including stationery and specialised equipment, should be sought from a local supplier and a sustainable source where ever possible.
- CEC’s procurement procedure should be followed by all staff – please refer to Appendix to view this procedure.
6. Training / funding
- Improve communication and knowledge of impacts by staff training, for example during Induction when employed, EMS Training, Environmental Impacts, Internal Audit training etc.
- Communication between staff is encouraged by using email and/or the Intranet
- Staff also have the opportunity to discuss such issues at staff meetings.
- Retain ISO 14001 status
Cornwall Environmental Consultants is committed to monitoring and evaluating its environmental practices. It is the intention of CEC that the statement and Environmental Action Plan will be reviewed annually and if necessary a revised version can be issued to reflect the latest developments.
