Our environmental commitment
Axis Educational Trust is committed to achieving outstanding environmental performance and sustainable development of its buildings and environment for the benefit of present and future generations.
We are striving to ensure every aspect of our business incorporates the principles of sustainability. This means we will strive for sustainability in our roles as an educational charity, major employer, property owner, provider of services, a significant purchaser within the local economy, and facilitator of community initiatives.
We recognise that charities have a responsibility to adhere to the UK Sustainable Development Strategy's guiding principles – live within environmental limits, ensure a strong and healthy society, achieve a sustainable economy, promote good governance, and use sound science responsibly. This means that we will respect the planet's resources, take a precautionary and polluter pays approach to preserve the environment for the future generation, incentivise resource efficiency, use sound scientific evidence to inform our policies where available and work with stakeholders to achieve these aims.
Axis Educational Trust is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by making conscious decisions and changes in the way we deliver our service to young people and stakeholders.
In addition, Axis Educational Trust makes the following objectives and commitments both in respect of its own activities and, where appropriate, in its influence over the wider community:
Our objectives and commitments
- We will comply with applicable local and national regulations.
- We will continually seek to improve the environmental performance of our projects and services.
- We will protect the health and safety of our employees, service users and surrounding communities.
- We will use resources, including energy and water, as efficiently as possible.
- We will champion ethically sourced and energy-efficient products and materials.
- We support ethical investment and management of our funds.
- We will work with our suppliers and other partners to develop and deliver sustainable practices, products and services.
- We will seek to procure fair trade and environmentally friendly, sustainable products.
- We will support equal opportunities and fair access in our procurement practices, including the way we commission and communicate our research.
- We will seek to minimise the gap between our employees' salaries and the minimum income standard.
- We will treat staff and people and organisations that we work with, fairly and with respect.
- We value and encourage work/life balance and will support flexible working practices wherever possible for our staff.
- We will encourage the sharing of knowledge of sustainable working practices to improve our performance.
- We will train our staff on best practice on sustainability.
- We will incentivise our staff to work more sustainably, e.g., reduce energy use and minimise unnecessary travel.
- We will make the best use of resources and reduce, re-use and recycle our waste.
- We will seek to reduce our energy and water consumption and use renewable energy resources where possible.
- We will operate efficiently in our working processes and practices (e.g., avoid duplication, waste and unnecessary expense).
- We will seek to use the most efficient and effective channels for communicating internally and externally.
- We will measure and report on our carbon footprint for our activities to minimise our footprint over time.
- We will ensure that all staff are aware of our environmental standards and shared responsibilities and encourage improvement in our supply chains and partnership networks
- We will encourage staff to walk or cycle to work and to implement a cycle to work scheme. Where this is not appropriate, we will encourage staff to use public transport or car share.
- We will seek to support local initiatives specialised in promoting environmentally friendly measures for companies and charities, and our support will be made public through our website, social media and press releases.