I think we can all agree that more needs to be done to protect our planet for future generations. Governments around the world are just beginning to take the issue seriously and legislate to influence behavioural change.
Sustainability is in the Choices we make as Individuals & Organisations.
We work with many responsible clients who have opted to do more to protect the environment through standards such as ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), ISO 50001 (Energy Management) & ISO 14064 (Carbon Footprint).
At Assent we also want to do our bit, so just like many of our clients, we assess the aspects of our business that affect the environment and try to reduce their impact.
Here’s a bit more about what we’re doing at Assent:
Low Impact Offices
We’ve been moving towards a more flexible approach to working for some time. In 2020 we moved our team to the CEME Campus in London, and sustainability played a big part in our choice of location.
Campus generates around 10% of it’s total electricity consumption via it’s own onsite solar panels. The electricity generated can be seen on a digital display in reception.
Paper is recycled while the rest is used to generate electricity (Energy from Waste / Refuse Derived Fuel).
In addition the Campus grounds are beautiful, featuring a lake and free-roaming geese. This is not only important for the local ecology, but also for the wellbeing of our team onsite, who are encouraged to get out the office and walk the grounds when possible.
We’ve also been thinking about the future of transport which is likely to involve electric vehicles (EVs), see below. There are four charging stations on campus already.
Read more: Assent Prepares for the Future of Workspaces.
Greener Travel
Our move to Campus coincided with a general change in working habits due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus. Luckily our team already had the tools to deliver ISO Remotely, but we knew that the traditional working week at an office was over.
This means we’re making fewer journeys to our offices and when we are on-site together we are car sharing whenever possible.
This has greatly reduced the CO2 produced during our commute.
In addition, with charging stations at or close to all our locations, we are promoting the use of electric vehicles.
Less Travel
We are also making fewer journeys to client sites now with more meetings, consultancy sessions and audits being held online.
This has not only reduced our carbon footprint but also opened up our consultancy resources giving us more capacity to deliver anywhere in the world. Back-to-back work days can be in different parts of the world when there is no travel involved.
However, we know.that some work can not be done remotely, so when we are traveling to a site we are using the most practical environmental means and considering that impact in our footprint calculation.
Choosing Responsible Supplies & Suppliers
We have a choice on what products we buy and who we buy them from. Of course cost is always a consideration but so too is sustainability.
As a consultancy focused on standards, we look for goods and services which are compliant with environmental standards such as:
- BCORP,
- Rainforest Alliance.
Making better buying choices not only reduces environmental impacts but also puts pressure on the supply chain to do better!
Promoting the Benefits of a Plant Based Diet
If you have followed us for a while you might have seen the Vegetarian Day events we host in our offices.
Going meat-free not only has some health benefits but can be good for the planet. Read More: Does Going Meat-Free Reduce Carbon?
Summary
We can always do more to reduce our impact and improve the environment. Implementing an Environmental Management System like ISO 14001 helps to measure our performance and set improvement objectives.
If you are interested in implementing an environment management system to ISO 14001, calculating your carbon footprint or becoming more energy efficient our consultants can help. Contact us to find out more.
