Sustainability & Net Zero Policy

Outlining Design Nature CIC’s Social, Ethical, Environmental and Well-being Considerations and Policy Approach

As a small business, formed to create positive environmental and social impact, particularly for young people and the community, we aim to ensure that how we work is aligned with why we work.

Context

We are primarily a serviced-based consulting and workshop-based organisation, with our team working from home or in other roles, part-time. This means that many of our considerations and impact are intertwined with our day-to-day living (homes), and life choices,  as well as cross over into other businesses and organisations we are involved in. Living and practising our work/ life values.

This being the case we are updating using tools that calculate personal working-from-home carbon footprints.

Why and What We Work On

Our work and purpose is inherently focused on sustainability, both the environment and interconnected social and ethical aspects to this. In this regard our projects and activities, core “business” have sustainability at their core, to mitigate, enable, adapt and regenerate for a flourishing planet and people, with particular consideration of young people.

How We Work

Our commitments and considerations

Equipment / Materials

  • When choosing materials or equipment we research and consider their environmental and social standings. Using online resources such as Ethical Consumer.
  • Explore sustainable options on the market and their effectiveness of these.
  • Support local and sustainability-focused businesses, entrepreneurs and organisations.
  • Look for appliances and electronics with higher level energy label and ecodesign considerations.
  • Other labels that may guide preference are certified FairTrade, FSC, recycled content, B Corp and/or plastic-free (if suitable alternatives exist).
  • Think and look for quality and durability, ability to repair and maintain. Fixing equipment where possible. 
  • Purchasing and using refurbished technology when appropriate
  • Look at 2nd hand, charity shops and reused items if of a suitable quality, for use directly or for running workshops.
  • Minimising the need to print through digital options as well as looking at recycled paper, printing in black and white and shared facilities.
  • We use an eco stamp to brand materials and recycled or seed-based paper
  • We look at multifunctional design and usefulness in any materials we create, give or use in our workshops

Travel & Accommodation, Meetings & Events

  • We prioritise use of public transport where possible and include this in staff expenses.  If we did find the need to fly for work, although, with our business focus, this is unlikely, we would try to combine work trips and offset the carbon.
  • If you’re not too far and the amount of materials to bring allows, we may arrive on foot or by bike
  • Take preference of using the stairs instead of the lift
  • When arranging face-to-face meetings, we will ensure that it is necessary and efficient. If not there is the option of video conferencing.
  • When looking for venues for events or meetings to rent or share, we prefer to support local communities, charities, other social enterprises or smaller local independent organisations. Alongside these looking for opportunities to be outdoors

Food and Drinks

  • If organising catering we strive to choose and support local organisations and those that supply seasonal, local, vegetarian and vegan-based options. 
  • We also encourage making and sharing (including homegrown courgettes).
  • Any food waste leftovers will either be shared to take home or donated to a suitable redistribution network such as Olio or community fridges.
  • We will aim to ensure that any unavoidable leftovers will be composted or go into local food waste recycling facilities
  • Strive to use reusable, refill options wherever possible, carrying our own coffee cup and flask and encouraging others to as well.

Energy

  • Frequently working from home, we use 100% renewable energy supplier Octopus and have undertaken house renovation such as using an Air Source Heat Pump, insulation, draught-proofing. 
  • Switching off electrical equipment, lights, laptops, screens etc when not in use (and will remind others).
  • Turning the heating down or have off, wear chunky jumpers and warm slippers.

Digital

  • We use a UK renewably powered web host.
  • We have designed our website to be low energy use on our pages and assessed this using Website Carbon.
  • Use the search engine Ecosia which uses the income from search ads to plant trees.
  • Our cloud-based files are on google that use renewable sourced energy 
  • We clear out our inbox and mail folders regularly
  • We consider our content and digital use also through the lens of wellbeing and privacy, recognising the interconnectedness of its role in consumption and young people’s mental health.

Carbon Footprinting and Net Zero

  • We have committed to be Net Zero by 2030 and will aim to do this much before. In Net Zero reporting our Scope 1 & Scope 2 emission are zero and now we are working and developing strategy for Scope 3, already identified our supply chain choices and online business elements are core contributors here that we have already reduced (such as the website)
  • We have explored a number of different footprinting tools to understand in more detail our carbon impact and take further action. These include:
  • We will share more of our journey and activities openly and transparently to also support other micro SMEs on their journey and integration of home working footprinting for our team.

Waste & Resources

  • All resources and materials used will be carefully assessed by Design Nature as to need and will be considered for their design, usage and lifecycle, alongside the best option for disposal, repair, reuse, recycling etc.
  • We consider and experiment with new and alternative sustainable business models such as rental, borrowing, subscription.
  • Suitable resource streams will be found by Design Nature, such as Terracycle, Olio, Freegle, for those items that can be reused, recycled or repaired while for any remaining waste we will explore ways to either eliminate the need in the first place.
  • Design Nature may look to actively engage manufacturers, and businesses in improving or redesigning products and services through our own work, campaigns or collaborating with others.

Nature & Biodiversity

We look wider than carbon and Net zero and integrate biodiversity and nature-based considerations into our work, both in content development and choices. 

This may include using paper with wildflower seeds in or developing projects that support creating more habitats for wildlife

Finance & Savings

  • We use one of the higher-rating ethical banks, Starling, that has committed to not funding fossil fuel and other sustainable or ethically damaging organisations or investments
  • We’ve written to our pension providers and chosen their ethical/ sustainable funds – also supporting the Make My Money Matter Campaign

Climate Justice

We recognise the interconnectedness of the climate crisis and also human injustices in the world, acknowledging that many of the effects are being felt the most by those people and places that have caused the least damage. Alongside the role colonisations and Western capitalism has played in fueling consumption, resource extraction and climate breakdown.

Modern Slavery

Connected to this is also ethics around Modern Slavery, although not obliged to publish an official statement or procedures, our procurement and decision-making considers how to eliminate this in many of the sectors we work and products we use in the business, from manufacturing to fashion, advocating for just, sustainable supply chains.

Giving Time and Resources

Our team are able to spend time and resources on projects and topics that they care about, such as:

Happiness & Wellbeing 

This is important, both feeling happy and in good health ourselves and ensuring that we can also support those that we work with. We aim for our projects and team working to be a happy and healthy experience.

The 5 Ways to Wellbeing 

We’ve been inspired for a number of years by NEF’s 5 Ways to Wellbeing and look at how to build these into our daily lives and the projects and programmes we work with.

  1. Connect
  2. Take Notice
  3. Be Active
  4. Keep Learning 
  5. Give

We encourage sharing tips and tricks for relaxing, clearing the mind as well as invigorating and motivating. For us a walk or a run does wonders, dancing concentrates another part of the mind alongside yoga, and sharing concerns openly and constructively can take a weight off your shoulders. Alongside this Action for Happiness, provide some great resources and monthly themed calendars to inspire, reflect and help take small actions to support yourself and others.

Nature connectedness

Working so much for the environment and about the environment, it’s important to get outdoors and enjoy beautiful nature, ensuring balance between time online and tech, with more physical activities and making. This is something that we actively look at how to build more fluidly into our work and life.

Aligning our work and values with the Sustainable Development Goals

Ones that are particularly related to our core work, Our Why

  1. Quality Education       13. Climate Action            17. Partnerships for the Goals 

Ones that are particularly related to how we operate and our current programme content and topics

2  Zero Hunger

3 Good Health and Wellbeing

7 Affordable and Clean Energy 

8 Decent Work 

9 Industry Innovation and Infrastructure

10 Reduced Inequalities

11 Sustainable Cities and Communities 

12 Responsible Consumption and Production

15 Life on Land

Organisations and Campaigns we support

  • Design Declares
  • SME Climate Commitment
  • Fellows of the Royal Society of the Arts

Aim to explore our role as a small business further in goals and frameworks such as SBTI Net Zero and BCorps.

Who We Work With

We recognise that no one is perfect (also that many other organisations are doing even more than us). We are always open to sharing and learning new ideas on ways to improve our environmental and social approach.

We judge my work collaborations case by case but will avoid work with organisations whose main activities involve the defence industry, environmental degradation or any known worker exploitation. We also encourage all members of the organisation to at least be paid a Real Living Wage and explore wage ratio limits.

Predominantly what is important in organisations and individuals is the openness, commitment and intent to learn, understand and improve!

Commitment to continually reflect, learn and evolve

We recognise the importance of continually reviewing, reflecting, learning and evolving our approach and considerations. Making space to read, question and invest in personal development in areas that will support us further in empowering others and the planet further. 

 

Date: 04.2023

Review: 04.2024