Corporate environmental management
We have a longstanding commitment to reducing our impact on the environment.
We achieve this through effective sustainable management of our operations and estate, and by engaging with all staff to embed the principles of sustainable development into our day-to-day working practices.
Our actions directly contribute towards delivering the following National Outcomes:
- we value and enjoy our built and natural environment and protect it and enhance it for future generations
- we reduce the local and global environmental impact of our consumption and production
- we live in well-designed, sustainable places where we are able to access the amenities and services we need
- our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people's need
To help us contribute towards these National Outcomes, we have set the following corporate environmental management objectives:
- we make efficient use of space in order to deliver ministers' objectives
- we use energy efficiently to minimise greenhouse gas emissions
- we conserve water by efficient use and detecting and preventing leaks
- we reduce the need to travel and increase the uptake of sustainable travel options where travel is unavoidable
- we minimise waste by smarter procurement and will reuse, recycle and recover resources wherever possible instead of treating them as waste
- we prevent pollution by avoiding unnecessary use of hazardous substances and, where their use is essential, we shall effectively manage processes, activities and disposal
- we purchase products and services that have the lowest environmental impact
- we protect and enhance biodiversity on our estate
- we educate our people and contractors in complying with all relevant environmental and related legislative requirements
- we make environmental data and information openly accessible to employees and the public
To help us to make progress against these objectives and deliver our targets, we will continue to implement our Carbon Management Plan (CMP).
The CMP sets out the activities that will enable us to reduce our carbon emissions and meet our reduction targets.