Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Statement
Elmbridge Community Eco Hub
Elmbridge Community Eco Hub is committed to responsible, ethical and sustainable practices. We consider the impact we have on our team, our volunteers, our customers and the local community as well as the world’s resources. We aim to maximise our long-term positive contribution to society and its resources, whilst minimising any adverse impacts our actions may have. We believe our goals and approach align to many of the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs), including those on poverty, hunger, health and wellbeing, education, affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production as well as climate action. In this way we seek to be actively supporting both the UK and the world in making a better future.
Environmental: reducing waste and tackling climate change
- We are committed to helping to mitigate climate change, and aim to do this through:
- Actively managing the energy consumption within our buildings; constantly looking for
- improvements and efficiencies.
- Wherever possible using solar energy lighting on our grounds and within the Hub.
- Reducing waste to landfill wherever possible
- We are dedicated to supporting our users and volunteers in reducing their carbon footprint
- We seek to avoid creating waste. We will reuse, repair, repurpose, refurbish and recycle and grow as much as we are able. When suitable organic waste is generated it will be added to our compost pile. We aim for zero waste to landfill.
Social: Good health and wellbeing
- We aim to provide a safe and healthy environment for our team and the volunteers to work in and will provide support and systems to promote well-being and healthy minds
- We aim to provide practical and effective options for the community to benefit from by providing initiatives that will reduce social isolation, provide access to free fresh food, borrow useful items rather than purchase, repair products, provide learning opportunity, opportunity to grow fruit and vegetables, herbs and flowers in our Community Garden, borrow books from the Book Swap, and meet with friends and make new ones.
Governance: i) Sound corporate governance
- We are committed to operating an effective, accountable and transparent organisation at all levels
- We actively encourage our volunteers and other Hub users to report any concerns with the way in which the organisation is being run or any relationships with or service given by suppliers
Governance: ii) Work and the Hub
- We aim to ensure we have the right leadership team available with the right skills and support to deliver a safe and responsible service
- We will strive only to use supply partners that are committed to similar values as our own, including the eradication of forced labour, ending modern slavery and child labour and environmental sustainability
- We aim to develop future talent within our organisation and the wider community through schemes such as work experience, Duke of Edinburgh and support of continued professional development
- We are committed to working with partners to identify, implement and promote new technologies to improve environmental sustainability, reduce carton footprint, improve the mental and physical wellbeing of our team, volunteers and the general public in our local community
- We are committed to working in a financially sustainable way, with funds being reinvested into the ECEH, used to maintain current initiatives, set up new ones, or invested back into the community
Governance: iii) Equality, diversity and inclusion
- We believe in treating everyone fairly; our team, our volunteers and the general public in our local community, as well as anyone else who is affected by our initiatives, activities and services
- We seek to prevent discrimination, promoting equal opportunities and inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
Governance: iv) Measurement and partnerships
- We are committed to including sustainability indicators and other metrics in our publicity and management information and reporting to ensure oversight and action where required
- Weight of surplus food redistributed via the Community Fridge
- Direct energy consumption by primary energy sources
- Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements
- Weight of the various items sent to Terracycle via the Small Item Recycling scheme
- Total weight of waste produced by type and disposal method
- Number of products loaned and their carbon equivalent saved (in terms of landfill, manufacture and transport, or financial savings)
- Number and type of items brought to the Repair Café, successfully repaired and saved from entering landfill in raw numbers, carbon equivalent and financial savings where possible
- Numbers of volunteers and hours spent volunteering at the Eco Hub
- Social impact of volunteering in respect of reducing isolation, improving confidence, upskilling and improving employability where possible
- Raw number of work experience placements, including DofE placements
- We will share best practice with customers, our suppliers and others in our sector, building partnerships which can make a positive difference to our communities and our environment
- We are part of the national Eco Hub Network, International Repair Café Network and the UK Community Fridge Network, sharing best practice, ideas and innovations with other Hubs around the country.
Michael Tumilty
Director Elmbridge Community Eco Hub
Reviewed 23 April 2023. Mark Ellis