Environmental Policy
Oakdene Hollins provides technical, economic and policy analysis research and consultancy services relating to the circular economy, sustainable products and innovative technologies and materials sectors. We believe it is our responsibility to provide robust independent evidence to support in decision making and improve the sustainability of business operations within any organisation. The world we live in provides us with the opportunity to thrive, in return we must endeavour to improve our chances of creating a habitable planet for future generations and all other life. In all cases, we turn to science, evidence, and knowledge to develop the narrative that helps us make the most informed decisions that we can.
We can contribute to sustainable development not only through our advice and research, but also in the way we conduct our business. We seek substantial improvements in resource and carbon-intensity that result in a long-term transformation in our methods of working. Our team, our partners and our clients are the reason we exist, and we must nurture and protect them. Our company must be an inclusive space to be creative, diligent, and proactive, but compassionate. We practice ethical leadership at all levels of the business, internally within our team and externally with our clients. We operate an Environmental Management System that has been registered to ISO 14001:2015. Our Environmental Policy is summarised below:
Our commitment to the environment
We support the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production) and Goal 13 (climate action). By 2030, working to:
o achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources;
o achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment;
o substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reuse, reduction and recycling;
o encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle;
o promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities.
While we consider all environmental impacts of our business operation, such as pollution, or biodiversity loss, a key driver is carbon improvement.
We endorse the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) to accelerate corporate climate action in reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. As an ambitious company-wide objective, we have committed to reach Net Zero by 2040, having submitted our science-based targets to SBTi and engaging our team in delivering our Net Zero Roadmap.
We promote the circular economy and the adoption of value retention processes at a product and material level.
We work with customers and partners to define more environmentally sustainable ways of meeting their objectives; we review and continually try to improve our own environmental performance, reducing our footprint across all of our activities and services and encouraging our stakeholders and suppliers to do likewise.
Over the next 12 months, we intend to complete our application for B-Corp certification, using this framework to formalise our ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) evaluation and progress, publishing our sustainability performance on our website.
Our EMS policy is available on our website. EMS forms part of the induction training for all staff and is reviewed annually to ensure that it continues to be effective. Our overall aims are to reduce our environmental impact year-on-year, to maintain our ISO 14001:2015 registration, and to communicate our commitment to the environment to our stakeholders.
David Fitzsimons, Director Last updated: December 2022
David Fitzsimons has ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the environmental system is adopted, used, improved and understood by everyone at Oakdene Hollins.