Sustainability

Having a better understanding of the greenhouse gas emissions we are directly or indirectly responsible for is essential to being able to make real, measurable improvements. We know that we are not experts at this, and, despite our best intentions, we recognise that we need help.

As part of this journey to be net zero by 2035, we are seeking a suitable net zero and sustainability consultancy that will provide us support of measuring our impact and making changes to build a more sustainable future.

With their help, we will be able to build a much better understanding of our greenhouse gas emissions across the “THREE SCOPES” that first appeared in the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol of 2001 which are now the basis for mandatory climate-impact measurement and reporting around the world.

Scope 1 are all direct emissions that we have direct control over. “Burn” is shorthand for Scope 1, because it includes things that Your Health burns (and releases into the atmosphere) -such as fuel to heat or power our buildings, vehicles, and machinery.

Scope 2 are all “bought” emissions. “Buy” is shorthand for Scope 2, because we buy this energy to run our operations, and, for Your Health, electricity will be the only source of Scope 2 emissions.

Scope 3 are all emissions that we are indirectly responsible for throughout our supply chain activity and items purchased from suppliers. We are typical of many companies where 80-90% of our overall emissions are “indirectly generated and will be the most difficult to measure. Scope 3 also includes such areas as business travel, employee commutes and waste disposal.

We anticipate that our net zero and sustainability consultancy partner will help us accurately measure our emissions across all three scopes, providing us with tangible data which will be used to both measure our progress and set realistic targets for improvements. This is really a crucial point to make, because without that data, the best we can be is aspirational. With accurate measurement, we can take practical steps towards improvement.

For now, we can report some practical steps already taken.

• Our energy contracts are reviewed regularly. We will be seeking to engage with energy partners who supply electricity from 100% renewable sources and gas that is 100% carbon neutral.
• Our fleet of cars and vans will slowly be replaced with “greener versions.” Three plug-in hybrid company cars were recently purchased to replace aging petrol models.
• In partnership with 1st Waste Management, we can report that 100% of our waste is now diverted from landfill. In addition, we are working with them to measure our GHG emissions associated with our scheduled waste collections with the total measured reduced through carbon offsetting.