Sustainability has become an increasingly important topic for businesses around the world. As both industry regulations and public expectations of corporate responsibility have grown, it’s vital that companies think strategically about how they will balance profitability with environmental concerns.
Our planet is being threatened by the consequences of climate change, which has become an issue of global proportions. Sea levels are rising due to polar ice sheets and glaciers melting away at rapid rates, while regions across the world face increasingly harmful weather conditions including typhoons, hurricanes, droughts and heat waves. Given that we work across the full insurance ecosystem we see the impact that this is having on people and businesses across the world.
We wanted to share the positive steps we have taken to implement our own sustainable practices with the aim of engaging others on the topic and encouraging them to take action.
Measurement
We researched and signed up to an organisation that would guide us through the process. Our trust in their credentials was based on them being:
- Committed to the environment – ISO 14001:2015 certified and Carbon Neutral
- Committed to quality – ISO 9001:2015 certified
- Leading in carbon offsetting – founding members of the Quality Assurance Standard (QAS)
Offsetting
With the calculation complete we were then in a position to choose an offsetting project to counter our footprint. The partner organisation we chose ensures all the offset projects sold are approved as part of the QAS. These include:
- The Certified Emission Reductions (CERs)
- The Clean Energy – Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) projects
- The tree planting projects as the emissions reductions are guaranteed by the Tree Buddying approach, where for every tree planted 1t of carbon from a VCS project is also retired.
We have chosen to support an official UK tree-planting scheme and funded the planting of 35 trees, to be planted where they are needed most. Each tree planted helps to offset our environmental impact by “breathing” in CO2 emissions as it grows. The trees also provide sustainable habitats for wildlife and will enhance the natural landscape with native broad-leaved trees.
Reduction
Our next step of the process is to look at ways that we can reduce and minimise our emissions. We are already on the lower end based on the measurement part of the process but there are still a number of aspects that we are focusing on:
- Purchasing sustainable products – we are buying toilet rolls, hand towels and kitchen rolls from brands prioritising sustainability. We are adding to that where we can with refillable soap dispensers recently purchased.
- Fresh fruit deliveries – we provide fresh fruit for our team and the company that delivers it was chosen in part because they offset their own emissions. Based on our deliveries so far, they have planted 11 trees.
- Recycling – we are reviewing the signage and awareness to make sure we are always collecting waste and recycling separately, and that we are meeting the requirements that mean they get processed efficiently. We also have a waste toner collection.
- Salary sacrifice schemes – we have run a successful cycle-to-work scheme for a while and have recently added a scheme for the purchase of electric vehicles.
Where we go from here
The measurement and offsetting will now be an annual process, and engaging our teams will be important for continual improvements and new ideas.
We are also actively working on deliverables for clients that minimise emissions. From printing on recycled materials to a focus across our events team to build an approach for running sustainable events and exhibitions. This includes training, partner selection and building a collection of low-emission and recycled products and materials.
We will share further action, insights and changes as things develop.
