Environmental Policy

We all rely on the environment for our health, wellbeing, and economic prosperity. For example, it provides clean air and water, regulates global climate, ensures nutrients and pollinators are available to grow food, gives us energy resources and processes waste. Its heritage and cultural assets offer a sense of belonging and a connection to our past which, combined with access to beautiful landscapes and wild open spaces, provide opportunities for recreation and tourism.

Demonstrated by the priorities of its 2022 – 2025 Strategic Plan. Wardcon Limited understands its responsibility to play its part in addressing the global climate and ecological emergency declared locally. The business aims to be net-zero carbon by 2030.

This Environmental Policy summarises how Wardcon will continue to lead by example to minimise the impact of its own operations and its supply chain on the environment and encourage others to do the same.

Wardcon Limited Commitment

Our Culture

Operate impact assessment processes that require decision makers to consider the environmental implications and opportunities of policies, projects and working practices.

Encourage environmental best practice and innovation among staff and associates.

Purchasing

Work with associates, stakeholders, business partners, third party services, supply chain and key external partners and strategic supply markets to show leadership, improve standards & practices and enable investments which support environmental sustainability priorities.

Promote local service delivery, reduce road miles, and help the supply chain achieve net-zero carbon.

Travelling

Enable staff to minimise their need to commute and travel for business by working flexibly and embracing technology to meet business needs.

Help staff and associates to minimise the environmental impact of necessary commuting and business travel by providing support to use active, shared and low-carbon, clean transport.

Transition its vehicle fleet to alternative low-carbon and clean alternatives.

Using Water

Monitor and reduce its use of fresh water by cutting demand and improving efficiency in existing and new buildings.

Ensure wastewater is disposed of appropriately.

Environmental Risk

Meet the requirements of relevant legislation and guidance and develop a culture of reporting near-misses and incidents.

Suitably store, use, and dispose of wastes and hazardous materials.

Only use pesticides, if necessary, where practical alternatives are not available.

Ensure its services are resilient to extreme weather and are adapting to the changing climate.

Countryside, Coast and Heritage

To ensure that we abide by and support our partners and associates in the management of any estate (including buildings, land assets and county farms), activities and in either our work or work with others:

  • Conserve and enhance biodiversity, air quality, soils & minerals, freshwater resources, and estuarine & coastal waters to achieve a net-gain for the environment and to restore natural processes to provide services such as carbon storage and flood mitigation.
  • Conserve and enhance the natural beauty of landscapes and the quality and distinctiveness of built environment, cultural and historic interests.
  • Plan positively to landscape changes arising from the climate & ecological emergency and socioeconomic pressures to help deliver sustainable development and land management.
  • Reduce light pollution to reclaim dark skies by using new technology, dimming, and removing lighting through public consultation.
  • Demonstrate new management practices.

Energy

Reduce its demand for energy, improve its energy efficiency and seek to source 100% of its energy needs from renewable technologies by 2030 whilst enhancing air quality.

Use its demand for energy to stimulate new, locally owned energy generation and storage infrastructure where possible.

Waste and Resources

Ensure its activities minimise waste and the consumption of single-use plastics by encouraging and enabling staff and suppliers to design-out waste and reuse resources.

Contribute to creating a circular economy by recycling & composting and where appropriate specifying second-hand goods or recycled materials.

Community Leadership

Set an example by continually improving Wardcon’s environmental performance.

Use its powers, responsibility, and influence on:

  • Facilitate greater understanding and appreciation of the county’s rich environment and improve access to it for recreation and learning.
  • Help communities and individuals improve their awareness about how they can help respond to the climate and ecological emergency and enable them to act.
  • Help test emerging green finance and business models.
  • Play its part in developing and delivering environment-related strategies and plans led by partner bodies.

Contact us

Questions, comments, and requests regarding this policy should be emailed to

info@wardcon.net and please use the subject heading: Environmental Policy