Sustainability Policy

The Bigger Picture

Amida and our employees fit into the global network of human activity impacting upon the earth and upon each other. There are many issues facing both people and planet today, including population growth leading to intensive resource use, food and water scarcity, the loss of biodiversity and indigenous communities, anthropogenically-induced climate change, peak oil and social injustice. Amida would like to be part of the solution to these issues.

We believe we need to take responsibility to positively impact our world and encourage humanity stewardship. By building brand substance, we ensure that sustainability is not just a cosmetic facade, but is woven into our corporate strategy and integrated throughout our business practices. We are also doing it because it makes good business sense to reduce our bills and susceptibility to increasing energy prices; resilience and adaptability are also important factors of sustainability.

In our work and throughout the business, Amida takes a holistic approach to sustainability, actively engaging with the interrelated issues of economy, society, environment and corporate governance. It is not an end-point to be reached, but is an ongoing process of continual amelioration. Rather than dichotomous or mutually exclusive, sustainable and unsustainable practices can be viewed as at two ends of the same continuum and through business innovation and change management, Amida are committed to sliding along that scale to be the most sustainable that we can be. Being a business that facilitates talent into professional areas related to sustainable development, we have been driving and developing our own sustainability programmes from day one. We are a rapidly expanding business with commitment from Director level to ensure that our growth is as sustainable as possible.

Our Vision

Our vision for the future is to be an exemplar business for good sustainable practice.

Amida will not only act in accordance with UK and EU Environmental legislation in the pursuit of its business goals, but will go beyond compliance to ensure that Amida makes a positive impact to society and the environment.

We are striving towards a situation where we can honestly say that we are becoming the most sustainable we can be on all scales: individually, collectively; thinking about our communities, nationally and internationally.

Our Sustainability Policy for the financial year 2014-2015 comprises 12 categories related to the operation of our business and each one details our policies and our current actions in that area. Measurability is important and through assessment and accreditation within each of these sectors, we aim to monitor and regularly review our status in order to improve for the future. A more detailed Sustainability Strategy is used internally to keep track of actions, set targets and deadlines.

Our Managing Director, Aaron George is responsible for how sustainable we are as a company and every employee is engaged in the process.

1. Procurement

   Objective: Amida will wherever possible use office supplies that are deemed environmentally and socially sound

   Thoughts: We are committed to not only sourcing sustainable products but also ensuring that our procurement management and behaviour are in accordance with the NPR. Our procurement policy also informs most other sectors of our sustainability strategy (e.g. the procurement of our energy, our banking services, etc).

   Actions:

   • Our office stationery supplies are sourced from Wiles Greenworld, which specialises in environmentally-friendly products. As an example, our paper is recycled, our pens, calculators and staplers are all made from recycled plastic.
   • Our office chairs and drawers are second hand
   • In terms of consumables, our cleaning products are from Ecover, our coffee is Rainforest
   Certified and our business cards are FSC certified.

2. Energy

   Objective: Amida will reduce energy use, improve energy efficiency and source our energy from a sustainable supplier

   Thoughts: As our recent energy audit showed, our second most carbon intensive activity after overseas business travel for the year 2013-2014 was the energy use in our office, more particularly ICT.

   Actions:

   • Reducing energy use: We use thin client terminals rather than PCs wherever possible. Computers, lighting and printers are turned off out of hours and when not in use, or screens are turned off when staff are out for a shorter period of time. Our printer is only used when absolutely necessary.

3. Carbon Responsible

   Objective: Amida will be carbon neutral

   Thoughts: We recognise that there is some debate around the merits of offsetting, however, reducing our energy use is our number one priority, thus we are responsible with our carbon emissions. As well as the above actions on energy, we will offset our unavoidable emissions.

   Actions:

   • To offset the carbon emissions from our first year of operation, Amida Directors are currently in ownership of 1ha of pine forest in New Zealand, through Greenplan Ltd.
   • Aspirations:
   • Continue to reduce our emissions and offset the unavoidable ones through Carbon Retirement. They use this money to buy carbon credits via the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, in turn driving up the price of carbon and creating further economic incentive for large carbon-producing industries to reduce their emissions.

4. Waste and Recycling

   Objective: Amida will minimise waste and recycle as much as possible

   Thoughts: We promote and adhere to the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle, in that order.

   Actions:

   • Reduce: Take our own bags shopping, make coffee in the office rather than getting a takeaway vending cup. We encourage staff to buy unpackaged products.
   • Reuse: We use both sides of the paper before it goes into the recycling.
   • Recycle: We recycle with First Mile. Essentially everything apart from food waste can go into the recycling sack and we have a separate confidential waste sack, the contents of which is shredded then recycled. Employees are made aware of what they can recycle with posters.

   Aspirations:

   • To talk to the restaurants and cafes that Amida employees by lunch from about reusable packaging.
   • To be able to also recycle food waste and polystyrene.

5. Travel

   Objective: Amida will promote sustainable forms of transport for commuting and business travel and will help to facilitate that

   Thoughts: We aim to have all employees travelling to and from work by use of either public transport, pedestrian access, or by bicycle.

   Actions:

   All employees have access to the Bike2Work Scheme, enabling them to purchase bicycles and cycling equipment at a much cheaper price.

   • To encourage cycling we have made showering facilities available in our offices.
   • Where public transport is not available, staff will be permitted to use the most environmentally friendly taxi service or car club.
   • We have published a travel plan, which is sent to all visitors to our offices, with details of bicycle locking stations, bus and tube routes (as well as emphasising that we are able to do video conferencing).

   Aspirations:

   • We are investigating having Barclays Cycle Scheme membership as a company.
   • We would like to formulate a system to more easily document staff travel during the working day, as well as commuting and longer-distance business travel.

6. Water

   Objective: Amida will use only as much water as is needed

   Thoughts: Water is one of the most precious resources on earth and it is essential that we do not take it for granted.

   Actions:

   • We also have a water filter system to discourage the purchase of bottled drinking water.

7. Finance

   Objective: Amida will carefully consider where our money is kept according to Environmental, Social and Governance issues.

   Thoughts: Responsible Investment is sustainable in the long term and it is important to Amida to ensure that our money is working as hard as we are, whilst making a positive difference.

   Actions:

   • Amida has investigated different ethical banks and eco-bonds, but unfortunately most did not also offer the business services we were looking for.
   • We currently bank with Lloyds TSB and Royal Bank of Scotland.

   Aspirations:

   • We would like to produce a document for employees to recommend where they keep their money.

8. Community

   Objective: Amida will ensure that employees have access to voluntary community work and will support a chosen charity each year.

   Thoughts: It is not only about making a difference to the wider community, but also using our skills and advice to help our staff, clients and of course candidates wherever needed.

   Actions:

   • We have an Amida community notice board where employees can advertise voluntary events and activities

   Aspirations:

   • We are investigating working with sectors of the community who find it particularly difficult to get into work.

9. Employee engagement

   Objective: Amida will ensure that every employee is made aware of the sustainability policy and acts as a sustainability ‘intrapreneur’

   Thoughts: Employees should be as involved as possible in the creation of a more sustainable Amida. It is ultimately up to us and our behaviour- we can order all the recycling sacks we like, but it is only sustainable if we actually use them rather than the general refuse.

   Actions:

   • Sustainability is not an individual activity so it is important to us that every employee is made a ‘sustainability intrepreneur’ from their first day, meaning that details of how they can make a difference is in their induction training and appraisals.
   • Participation is encouraged through awareness rising. Not only will every employee be aware of their own actions (how and where to recycle in the office), but will be empowered to suggest new ways of thinking and acting.

   Aspirations:

   • Each employee will receive an electronic ‘sustainability’ pack when starting with Amida to inform them of our sustainability journey so far.

10. Spreading the word

    Objective: Amida will make business practices and associated companies public knowledge

    Thoughts: Through this transparency, we hope to encourage other businesses to do the same. We would also like to engage our clients and candidates in our move towards becoming more sustainable.

    Actions:

    • Our actions and affiliations in relation to sustainability are open to suggestion- we welcome comments as sustainability is something we are always working on.
    • Amida content and market intelligence is made available through our blog and publications such as ‘Creating Your Next Career Opportunity in Sustainability’.
    • Staff will be encouraged to participate where appropriate and organise events that facilitate discussion and engagement in sustainability.

    Aspirations:

    • We are investigating Green Award schemes and Sustainability Lists that we may be able to partake in.

11. Staff sustainability

    Objective: To ensure that each employee has access to well-being facilities

    Thoughts: Without a strong and healthy workforce, there would be no Amida!

    Although extremely exciting and ever-changing, recruitment in sustainability can be a tough business and Amida employees work hard to achieve the high standards that we are known for. It is important that staff are supported, physically and mentally, in order to do a quality job.

    Actions:

    • Career: One of the ways to ensure internal sustainability is through each employee having regular reviews and appraisals to report on their progress and development.
    • Health: Our policy is ‘it’s better to get better’ and employees are encouraged to take the time to attend the Doctors, Opticians, Dentist, when necessary.
    • Social interaction: Amida pays for staff drinks every Friday and regular work trips.

    Aspirations:

    • We are looking into a variety of options including discounted gym membership for staff and pension plans.

12. Sustainable Recruitment

    Objective: Amida will act with integrity in all of its recruitment operations.

    Thoughts: Unsustainable recruitment is derived from prioritising placing people in roles as quickly as possible with little thought to whether the fit is exactly right, in order to fast progress the business. Amida takes the time to get to know both candidate and client to ensure that the role is exactly right for the person and the person is exactly right for the role- in our experience, this creates fruitful and longer lasting relationships that work on all levels.

    Actions:

    • Client selection: we work with organisations who are publically and actively moving forward the sustainable development agenda.
    • Amida will carefully consider each applicant to each role in respect of their career objectives and motivations.
    • Our channels of communication with clients and candidates are open and transparent.

    Any concerns are voiced and dealt with appropriately whilst managing expectations on both sides.

    • We have Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policies which are adhered to at all times.
    • Amida is committed to following up candidates and clients after placement and being available to speak if needed.

    Aspirations:

    • Build upon our reputation for long term client and quality candidate relationships.
    • Our Managing Director will undertake ‘spot-checks’ calling up clients and candidates to ask what their experience with a particular consultant has been.

Aaron George

28/04/2015