Environment and social responsibility
Taking our responsibilities seriously
Sustainability Policy
The Acacia Group can contribute to sustainable development through the way we conduct our business and promotion. This means by working collaboratively with customers, partners and suppliers to create processes of change, we aim to make substantial improvements in resource and our carbon footprint.
1. Principles:
- Be very efficient in our direct use of energy, materials and water, with objectives in line with or exceeding government targets
- Be carbon neutral, offsetting residual carbon emissions in demonstrably sustainable ways
- Be compliant with regulation, environmentally and socially
- Encourage sustainable products and services
- Work with customers and partners to define more environmentally and socially sustainable ways of meeting their objectives
- Enable and promote our staff to live low environmental impact lifestyles
- Encourage social involvement to help build more sustainable communities
- Set targets, report, review and continuously try to improve our performance.
2. Practical Steps:
Efficiency:
- To operate good housekeeping measures to minimise energy, materials and water use within our offices. This will be achieved by measures such as:
- Switching off screens and other office equipment when not in use.
- Operating power management settings on PCs to minimise energy consumption when idle
- Maximising use of natural and sensor lighting whenever possible to minimize use of artificial lighting
- Use of natural ventilation to avoid use of forced air cooling
- Minimise printing requirements and use universal double sided printing (all computers set to default this function)
- Recycle office paper and cardboard, this is done via an external shreading company.
- To travel with minimal green house gas emissions:
- Use telephone‐ or video‐conferencing to minimise travel requirements
- Low emission company cars provided to all staff.
Sustainable Procurement:
Critical purchasing areas are selected where we have significant expenditure and there is also high sustainability impact. These are measured by carbon emissions, waste, impact on employees’ wellbeing and potential for wider positive societal impacts.
- Specifying lower emission transportation
- Reducing frequency of deliveries
- Office equipment and supplies purchasing: second hand office equipment and furniture wherever possible, including printers and photocopiers, toner cartridges; Recycled paper
Encouraging Low Impact Lives:
- We have flexible working hours in order to maximise working efficiency whilst allowing personal flexibility
- Green Plan Co-Ordinator who actively facilitates sustainability
- A Green Travel Plan for the company is produced to facilitate low impact travel to office.
Encouraging Social Involvement:
- Our employees are encouraged to volunteer for socially‐ or environmentally beneficial schemes, most of which can take place in company time. Examples include working with a local charity, fun runs.
