The Better Business Alliance is Committed to Sustainability *

We Are Committed to Sustainability

Concern for the environment and promoting a sustainability agenda are integral to the Better Business Alliance’s activities and the management of our organization.  We follow and promote good sustainability practices.  Our goal is to reduce the environmental impact of our activities and to help our clients and partners to do the same.

Our Sustainability Policy Guidelines:

• To comply with, and exceed whenever practicable, all applicable legislation, regulations, and codes of practice.
• To integrate sustainability considerations into all our business decisions.
• To ensure that all staff are fully aware of our Sustainability Policy and are committed to implementing and improving it.
• To minimize the impact on the sustainability of all office and transportation activities.
• To make clients and suppliers aware of our Sustainability Policy, and encourage them to adopt sound sustainable management practices.
• To review, annually report, and to continually strive to improve our sustainability performance.

Practicing Our Sustainability Principles

Sustainable Travel and Meetings

The Better Business Alliance Policy concerning Sustainable Travel And Meetings includes:

• Walk, cycle and/or use public transport to attend meetings, site visits, etc.
• Include the full costs of more sustainable forms of transport in our financial proposals.
• Avoid physically traveling to meetings where alternatives are available and practical.  Using teleconferencing, video conferencing or webcams.
• To reduce the need to travel to meetings and elsewhere, and facilitate regular client contact.
• Reduce the need for staff travel by using alternative work arrangements. Including home working, etc.  
• Use an emissions recording method for business travel to monitor our impact.

Sustainable Purchases and Consumption of Resources

The Better Business Alliance Policy concerning Sustainable Purchases and Consumption of Resources includes:

• Minimize use of paper and other office consumables and identify opportunities to reduce waste.
• Arrange to reuse or recycle office waste, including paper, computer supplies, and equipment.
• Reduce energy consumption by purchasing energy efficient equipment and good housekeeping.
• Purchase electricity from a supplier committed to renewable energy.  Maximize the proportion from renewable energy sources, while supporting investment in new renewable energy sources.
• Ensure that timber furniture, and other timber products, are recycled or from well-managed, sustainable sources.
• Purchase fair-trade and/or organic beverages.

Sustainable Working Practices and Advice to Clients

The Better Business Alliance Policy concerning Sustainable Working Practices and Advice to Clients includes:

• Voluntary work with the local community and/or environmental organizations and make donations to seek to offset carbon emissions from our activities.
• Ensure that any associates that we employ take account of sustainability issues in their advice to clients.
• Include a copy of our Sustainability Policy in all our proposals to clients.