Environmental Performance Review follow up
Naturesave Insurance
EPR – Post audit review 2nd July, 2014 A project funded by
and in accordance with BioRegional’s 10 One Planet Living Principles and 100% funded by Naturesave Insurance
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Environmental Performance Review follow up One Planet Living is a positive vision of a world in which we are living happy, healthy lives, within the natural limits of the planet - wherever we live in the world - and we have left sufficient space for wildlife and wilderness. Real life examples show that this is possible. Ecological footprinting shows that if everyone in the world consumed as many natural resources as the average person in western Europe, we’d need three planets to support us. If everyone consumed as much as the average North American, we would need five planets. In China and South Africa the overall average is one planet, but this disguises considerable variations between different regions and lifestyles. One Planet Living is BioRegional’s vision of a sustainable world, in which people everywhere can enjoy a high quality of life within the productive capacity of the planet. It uses ten principles of sustainability as a framework, which were developed out of BioRegional’s work on the BedZED eco-village. The One Planet Living approach and ten principles framework is a simple way to plan, deliver, communicate and mainstream sustainable development and the green economy.
The Sustainable Business Clinic is an accredited environmental consultancy and has been contracted by the Naturesave Trust to undertake an Environmental Performance Review (EPR) of Naturesave Insurance. This forms part of the commercial insurance package given by Naturesave Insurance, whose aim is to use insurance as a vehicle for sustainable development. This report is a post audit review of recommendations on how Naturesave Insurance could trade in a more sustainable manner in accordance with One Planet Living Principles as developed by BioRegional. Report prepared for: The Naturesave Trust 58 Fore Street Totnes Devon TQ9 5RU
Report prepared by: The Sustainable Business Clinic 18 Baxter Street Brighton BN2 9XP
Issue and Revision Record Reference
Date
Originator
Status
NS0050
02/07/2014
Sustainable Business Clinic
Final
The Sustainable Business Clinic accepts no responsibility for the consequences of this document being used for a purpose other than that for which it was commissioned. Any person using or relying on the document for such purpose agrees, and will by such use or reliance be taken to confirm his agreement to indemnify The Sustainable Business Clinic for all loss or damage resulting there from. The Sustainable Business Clinic accepts no responsibility or liability for this document to any party other than the person by whom it was commissioned. To the extent that the report commissioned is to be based on information supplied by other parties, The Sustainable Business Clinic accepts no liability for any loss or damage suffered by the client, whether contractual or tortious, stemming from any conclusions based on data supplied by parties other than, and used by The Sustainable Business Clinic in preparing this report.
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Environmental Performance Review Follow Up
CONTENTS 1
INTRODUCTION
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2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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3
REVIEW OF RECOMMENDATIONS
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Zero carbon
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Zero Waste
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Sustainable transport
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Sustainable materials
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Local and sustainable food
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Sustainable Water
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Land use and wildlife
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Culture and heritage
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Equity and local economy
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Health and happiness
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Environmental Performance Review Follow Up
1 INTRODUCTION In order to assist companies with more environmentally aware trading practices, The Naturesave Trust provides each Naturesave Insurance commercial policy holder, with a FREE Environmental Performance Review (EPR) of their business premises and trading practices. This document outlines the review of recommendations given in the EPR, conducted for Naturesave Insurance on the 23rd August 2013. The surveyor has conducted a telephone interview to: Attain feedback on the EPR process. Assess which recommendations have been implemented. Assist the client in attainment of the recommendations where required. The outcome in meeting the objectives to the satisfaction of the independent surveyor and The Naturesave Trust, is that they will be acknowledged by the issue of an Environmentally Aware Trading Certificate (EATC). The Company can continue to meet these principles in order to become endorsed as a One Planet Living Company by BioRegional. For more information contact BioRegional or check out their Facebook or Twitter pages.
2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Naturesave is an exemplary company who trades in accordance with the triple bottom line, with respect to people, planet and profits. The company ethos is to support environmental and social sustainability via charity support from the Naturesave Trust. Naturesave should take great pride in its progressive business thinking with the Insurance Industry. Naturesave is therefore already embodying many One Planet Living Principles organically, to ensure a holistic view of their trading operations. Key environmental commitments are stated on the website. Feedback received on the review process was that “it has been useful and inspired lots of action. Some changes are under review for implementation in the future.”
3 REVIEW OF RECOMMENDATIONS Zero carbon: It is recommended that Naturesave takes monthly electricity readings and logs them in Excel, which may reveal trends and/or unpredicted spikes in energy use. You can quickly spot the cause of expensive problems, such as faulty or ageing equipment to overall office energy management. This helps to measure improvements made on site, and can help to rectify invoicing issues and so improve cash flow management. An excel monitoring spreadsheet detailing energy use since 2011 is attached. You can simply add in your future readings to calculate your carbon footprint. This data can also be supplied to co2Balance to more accurately offset your carbon footprint. Outcome: Naturesave are regularly taking meter readings and logging them in the Excel spreadsheet that accompanied the report. At year end any noticeable change in energy consumption can then be spotted. 4
Environmental Performance Review Follow Up Recommendation 2: In the main office room there are some T8 tubular lights fittings in groups of four every few ceiling panels. To save energy you could upgrade the T8s to third generation self-ballasted T5s or LED tubes that are even more efficient than T5s. T5s produce more lumens per watt (i.e. more light for the same electrical power) than T8s so the more narrow the lamp, the more efficient it will be. As T5s produce more light you may be able to then disconnect one light out of four in the ceiling panels thereby reducing your lighting costs by a quarter. The Carbon Trust has a good booklet on How to use retrofit kits to convert fluorescent light fittings to T5 fluorescent or LED lamps. For replacement lights please see http://www.ledlightszone.co.uk/2-led-lights-tube or http://www.ledhut.co.uk/. Outcome: At present when lights reach their end of life they are not being replaced. Every other tube light is operational and provides enough lighting in the summer months. When they are due for replacement, the non-working tubes will be replaced with T5 tubes. Recommendation 3: Consider switching the Naturesave web site to a green web hosting provider that offers hosting using 100% renewable energy from within the UK. Renewable energy web hosting is fairly common in the US, where companies will use solar energy for power. However, there have not been options available for UK-based hosting unless the company is re-selling US-based hosting. This can be a problem for UKbased businesses who want their websites to rank well in Google and in other search engines. Outcome: At the moment Naturesave is looking for a new web host and a review of services has been tendered out. As part of looking for a new provider, it is a specific requirement to find a web server that is powered by renewable energy, and not one that merely offsets its carbon emissions. This change over should happen in the next month. Recommendation 4: Office equipment can consume as much as 15% of office energy costs. Staff are already energy aware so continue to monitor that PC shut down takes place when staff are not at their desks. The Carbon Trust has some free resources of posters and stickers that can be ordered to act as a prompt. PC screen consumption can often represent at least a third of the electricity consumption in a modern office. Most of the wasted energy is given off as heat, and in an air-conditioned office half as much energy again can be used in getting rid of this waste heat in summer. Outcome: This option was looked at but all staff are already very energy aware by nature. It was not seen as worthwhile to spend paper and ink resources in printing off posters. Recommendation 5: Formulise a short checklist of responsibilities for the last person to leave the office. This could include checking all equipment has been powered down, all lighting has been switched off and all windows are closed. If this is hung on the door as a tick list, the last person to leave the office can do a 30 second check, and write the date and their initials to show this is done on a daily basis. Outcome: A checklist has been put up by the office door to act as a prompt for when the last member of staff leaves the office. Recommendation 6: When looking to replace the laser printer, research energy efficient models and leasing options. Check the printer can use low VOC (volatile organic compound) or vegetable based inks for printing. Also look for the Blue Angel (rates the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle, from manufacture to disposal or Energy Star Certification (energy efficiency) for an indication of 5
Environmental Performance Review Follow Up environmental friendliness. Other factors to consider are to ensure printers are set to duplex where possible and to ensure they are set to sleep mode when not in use. Outcome: The printer is being replaced with a low energy and environmentally friendly model. Recommendation 7: It is a good idea to check the temperature controls on the storage heaters. The recommended temperature for offices and sedentary work is 21-23C. However when setting temperatures the usual office temperature is not above 19C due to the internal heat gains from equipment and lighting. Also align the heating times with when the office is occupied and needs vary through the day and in different seasons. In reducing heating temperatures by just 1C you can cut fuel consumption in a typical office by 8% and save enough paper to print over 40 million sheets of A4 paper1. Outcome: All staff are aware of the level of heating in the office, and the office is not overheated. Recommendation 8: The windows are Grade II listed with lead panes so the room can be cold and draughty in the winter as well as thermally inefficient. There is limited scope for insulating the windows, as the building is in a conservation area. However draught-proofing would cut back on heat loss and is one of the cheapest and most efficient ways to save energy and money. Draught-proofing strips can be stuck around the window frame and fill the gap between the window and the frame. There are two types; self-adhesive foam strips which are easy to install or metal or plastic strips with brushes or wipers attached that are long-lasting, but cost a little more. For the window areas that do not open, try to use a silicon sealant which you can obtain from a DIY store. Outcome: A film has been placed over the windows and this has made a big difference stopping drafts and improving comfort levels. Recommendation 9: In respect of making the windows more thermally efficient you can place a thin insulating, transparent window film on the glass to provide double glazing thermal insulating performance. This could save up to 50% on energy savings by reducing heat loss in winter and solar heat gain in summer. For more information on how to install this see http://www.cse.org.uk/advice/advice-and-support/secondaryglazing. Outcome: See above recommendation outcome. Recommendation 10: There are two radiators used for heating. The radiators can have their power boosted by installing radiator boosters that will help circulate warm air around the room. These can be ordered online at Nigel’s Eco Store. Outcome: The heaters are Economy 7, and due to their shape cannot be fitted with a radiator booster. Zero waste: Recommendation 1: Check on how you recycle your waste electrical goods such as old computers of printers. The Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations came into effect on 1 July 2007. Devon Contract Waste (formally TQ9) already takes your recycling. They can also collect WEEE on a Thursday if you notify them beforehand. http://www.dcw.co.uk/waste-type/weee-waste-electrical-recycling/
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http://www.carbontrust.com/media/13151/ctv007_office_based_companies.pdf
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Environmental Performance Review Follow Up An ethical alternative is eco IT Computer Disposals Ltd. They provide an ethical IT recycling service for Devon. Included in the service is secure collection, provision of all environmental paperwork, secure data destruction to UK Government standards, data erasure certification and a detailed asset report for audit trail requirements. Ensure on collection you are given a Duty of Care Waste Transfer Note and a Hazardous Waste Consignment Note. If you wanted to donate any redundant IT equipment to good causes you can donate online via DonateAPC.org.uk. Donate is a free 'matchmaking' service where you can list your old IT equipment, and charities can contact you direct. It is not just for PCs, but printers, hubs, scanners, CD drives, to fax machines. For a full list of organisations that recycle WEEE see http://www.itforcharities.co.uk/pcs.htm. Outcome: All electrical waste is recycled correctly and is disposed of by IT company, Apollo. Recommendation 2: A pre-audit survey was undertaken with staff to look at moving towards a paperless office. The survey revealed that 90% of clients have elected for electronic correspondence where possible. However there are also some barriers, the main one being that due to the nature of the business as an insurance company, personal paper files are fit for purpose for managing policy holders information. Electronic copies can be too unwieldy and time consuming in tracking scanned communication. Therefore some paper use will need to remain in place although most commercial clients are dealt with electronically. It is recommend therefore where possible to email renewal documents instead of sending hard copies by post, and to continue the current practise of logging calls and emails on a hand written record log inside each file. Outcome: All calls are logged by hand within client folders and the printing of emails and other correspondence is kept to a minimum or for regulatory compliance. Sustainable transport: Recommendation 1: To ask sub-contractors, such as loss adjusters, to use public transport or low carbon modes of transport when possible to meet clients. Outcome: Many clients arrive by train as the office is centrally located in the Totnes town centre and easily accessible by foot from the train station. The director, Matthew Criddle uses public transport and visits clients by train or bus. Company policy encourages all staff to use public transport when they take annual leave, and incentivises staff with additional holiday time. Sustainable materials: Recommendation 1: Allocate a Procurement Champion, to conduct research on preferred suppliers so that sustainable procurement is across the board. Chosen suppliers can then be shortlisted and compete on quality and price of service. This will illustrate you are committed to addressing social, economic and environmental issues through the purchasing of all supplies and services. Outcome: A Procurement Champion was not assigned due to staff changes at the time. However ethical and sustainable procurement takes places as a matter of course and is embedded into purchasing procedures. Recommendation 2: Consider conducting an annual review of your total budget, excluding staff costs, that is spent with ethical suppliers. This will reveal your overall ethical spend and areas in the supply chain that could be re-commissioned. 7
Environmental Performance Review Follow Up Outcome: This will take place at the end of August. Recommendation 3: When you procure more computer equipment choose equipment that caters to the current business needs and predicted requirements. For instance a high specification PC with a large screen and fast processors will use a lot of energy whilst one of a lower spec and energy use could be just as suitable to be fit for purpose. So take into account running costs on initial purchase. Outcome: This takes places as a matter of course as all procurement is made with sustainable and environmental considerations in mind. Recommendation 4: Also ensure all new equipment has energy saving features meeting the ENERGY STAR performance specifications or the Blue Angel label (rates the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle, from manufacture to disposal). Outcome: This takes places as a matter of course as all procurement is made with sustainable and environmental considerations in mind. Local and sustainable food: Recommendation 1: There are no recommendations due to the nature of the business as an insurance company. There is no catering in terms of events. Naturesave is collecting all kitchen waste, with organic waste being taken off site for home composting. Sustainable water: Recommendation 1: Check the flow and pressure rates of the taps in the toilets, to ensure the flow is fit for purpose. Outcome: A plumber has checked the flow rates of all the taps and they are fit for purpose. Recommendation 2: Keep a track of your billing data and water use to determine actual water use on a six monthly basis. It is best to track actual usage, as some bills are estimates and can be incorrect. In taking your own readings it then makes it easy to spot changes in consumption that might not be clear from price changes, and to measure improvements or irregularities. In monitoring, you might be able to pinpoint areas where you could cut back on usage. Outcome: Billing data and usage is being tracked to spot any inconsistencies. Land use and wildlife: Recommendation 1: To the back of the office there is a large flat roof. Ask the landlord if there could be a possibility to transform this unused space into a roof garden. This could include grasses, flowers and even food plants. Green roofs must be built on a gently sloping or flat roof, which must be able to carry the load of a shallow garden. The benefits are many. Firstly there is the enjoyment of a green space. Green roofs also provide the carbon dioxide/oxygen exchange that plants perform so they can filter air. Green roofs also help reduce 8
Environmental Performance Review Follow Up the urban heat island effect and help with rainwater retention as they are good at holding storm water, and the thicker they are, the more water they can hold. Green roofs also play a key role in supporting biodiversity, providing space for native plants to grow in urban environments, a safe haven for migratory birds, and a space for urban beekeeping projects to help support vanishing honeybee populations. If you are able investigate this the consultant can then signpost you to partner organisation who could help you create a roof garden. See http://livingroofs.org/ for more information and their sister site The Green Roof Directory provides details of roofing contractors, green roof manufacturers & suppliers, architects and landscape designers who are active in the green roof industry. Outcome: The flat roof is above a bank, so there may be some security issues. Naturesave are keen to create a small food garden and are investigating the options. Culture and heritage: Recommendation 1: There are no recommendations due to the funded support given by the Naturesave Trust. Since the end of June, Naturesave have made it part of policy to add 10% of all renewable energy premiums to the funding of the Natursave Trust. This will enable greater support of community renewable energy projects. Equity and local economy: Recommendation 1: There are no recommendations to be made due to the community renewable energy projects, funded by the Naturesave Trust. Health and happiness: Recommendation 1: There is great regard for staff, evident in the cohesive and efficient manner in which the organisation is run. Pay scales and work allocation is democratic and due to the varied roles within Naturesave Insurance and the Naturesave Trust, the staff enjoy an every changing skill set. Consequently there are no recommendations to be made.
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