UK Office Environmental Policy

Buitelaar Group UK Office: Environmental Policy

1.1 Introduction

At Buitelaar Group, we recognise the pressing need to address environmental challenges and the importance of businesses playing a proactive role in protecting our planet. This policy has been developed to provide a framework for reducing our environmental impact in our UK offices, supporting sustainability, and ensuring compliance with relevant environmental legislation across the UK. By embedding sustainable practices into our operations, we aim to foster a culture of responsibility and care, benefitting both current and future generations.

This policy applies to all our offices across the UK.

2.1 Purpose of the Policy

This policy has been adopted for the below reasons:

Environmental Responsibility: As a responsible organisation, we acknowledge our duty to mitigate the environmental impact of our activities, including energy consumption, waste generation, and resource use.

Alignment with Values: Sustainability aligns with our core values of consistency, integrity, and family.

Regulatory Compliance: We aim to meet all relevant environmental regulations and standards within the UK.

Cost Efficiency: Many sustainable practices, such as energy conservation and waste reduction, contribute to long-term cost savings.

Reputation and Stakeholder Expectations: our sustainability drivers remain CLEAR: customers, local communities, Environment, Authorities and Relationships.

3.1 Objectives

• To reduce carbon emissions associated with our operations.
• To minimise waste and increase recycling rates.
• To improve resource efficiency, including energy, water, and materials.
• To actively engage employees and stakeholders in sustainability efforts.

4.1 Our Commitments and Office Policies

4.2 Energy Efficiency

• Install and utilise energy-efficient lighting, equipment, and appliances.
• Implement measures to reduce energy wastage, such as turning off lights, monitors, and non-essential equipment when not in use.
• Regularly review energy usage and explore renewable energy sources.

1. Sustainable Purchasing, Waste Reduction and Recycling

4.5 Transportation

• Encourage car-sharing, cycling, and the use of public transport for commuting and business travel.
• Where a pool car is available, it should be used to share business travel where feasible.

4.6 Water Conservation

• Ensure no leakage from water faucets. If reported, incidents of water leakage should be reported as soon as possible.
• Encourage mindful water use among staff.
• Office dishwasher, to only be used on “Eco” mode.

4.7 Employee Engagement

• Provide training and resources to educate staff about sustainable practices.
• The Sustainability Committee will continue to lead initiatives and share best practices.

5.1 Monitoring and Review

To ensure the effectiveness of this policy, we will:

• Regularly monitor and evaluate our environmental performance.
• Encourage feedback and suggestions from employees and stakeholders.

6.1 Contact

For more information about this policy or to share ideas for improvement, please contact James Watson, Group Sustainability Lead, james.watson@buitelaar.co.uk