Corporate Social Responsibility
Evolve – A4e’s responsible business practice
In 2007, Chairman Emma Harrison posted a blog on the A4e website calling for A4e to implement green initiatives relevant to its business. Following this she appointed Ollie Gray as Environmental Champion for A4e. Ollie set about creating ‘Evolve’ to address the company’s environmental performance at all levels.
The Evolve Project is about reducing the environmental impact our business and operations. Ollie is supported by a team of 11 who are certified in CIEH Accredited Environmental Awareness. Closely aligned to A4e’s culture and ethos on ‘Improving People’s Lives’ Evolve is about ‘Improving People’s Future’.
The Evolve Team identified the 5 areas where A4e has the most significant impact on the environment and are developing a framework to minimise each of these impacts. The 5 areas are: Transport, Waste, Energy, People and Procurement. Each of these identified impacts has been developed into a workstream with at least two members of staff committed to developing and implementing an individual plan with measures to reduce the impact, including key milestones and SMART objectives that fit into the overall Evolve framework.
We have introduced a number of initiatives to our business to reduce our carbon footprint. Some examples include:
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A4e Car Share Scheme
So far, through car sharing, A4e staff have saved:
- 18,770 Miles
- 6 Tonnes of CO2
- £1,877
- 1913 Trees
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A4e Cycle to Work Scheme
This scheme enables our staff to get a reduction of up to 50% off the cost of a new bike and cycling equipment and spread the cost of the bike over the course of a year or 18 months, interest free.
Other initiatives that are now in place across A4e are:
- Web/teleconferencing facilities
- Trainline service available to A4e staff to promote quick, simple and cost effective use of public transport
- Automation of Purchasing process and procedures – reducing waste paper
The Evolve project was featured as a Case Study in the Low Carbon Innovation Network in 2008, to view the Case study follow this link
http://www.carbon-innovation.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?t=399
For further information about the Evolve or A4e’s environmental practice please contact evolve@a4e.co.uk