Scientists for Global Responsibility's environmental policy lays out how we strive to minimise the direct environmental impacts of the organisation's activities, and hence play our part in responding to the global climate and nature emergencies.

This policy was last reviewed and approved by SGR’s Board of Directors in October 2024. Our organisational environmental champion is our Finance & Membership Manager, Emily Heath.

We achieved Bronze-level accreditation with Investors in the Environment (IIE) in 2022, which involved conducting an audit of our resource use and overall carbon footprint, setting reduction targets, developing an action plan, improving our environmental monitoring and communications, and implementing environmental projects. We decided not to seek higher levels of accreditation due to the disproportionate amount of time it would have required to do the necessary monitoring and reporting, given that we are a relatively small organisation with an already very small carbon footprint. In September 2024 we vacated our office, so that all staff work now from home, further reducing our environmental impact.

For information about SGR's activities to encourage society as a whole to reduce its environmental impacts, see our constitution and issues pages, such as those on climate change and energy.
 

Responsibility

Scientists for Global Responsibility recognises that it has a responsibility to the environment beyond legal and regulatory requirements. We are committed to minimising our environmental impact as an integral part of our Articles of Association, organisational strategy and operating methods. We encourage all stakeholders, for example our members and other organisations, to do the same.

All employees and volunteers have a responsibility in their area to ensure that the aims and objectives of the policy are met.
 

Policy Aims

• Minimise our environmental impacts including emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants.
• Incorporate environmental factors into organisational decisions.
• Involve all employees and volunteers in the implementation of this policy and increase their awareness as necessary.
• Encourage our stakeholders to take similar actions and to increase their awareness, e.g. by signing up to SGR’s Fair Lifestyle Targets.

Consumption and waste

• We minimise the amount of energy, water and other consumables we use as much as possible, and use low carbon and renewable sources of energy in our homes/home offices.
• We take into account energy consumption, efficiency and environmental impact of products when purchasing – for example, ICT equipment and hosting services, printing of our annual journal, and stationery supplies.
• We minimise and reduce our waste as much as possible, and reuse and recycle wherever possible - for example, we encourage our members to receive digital communications rather than paper mailings if they can, and we use recycled paper and envelopes for our paper mailings.

Travel

• We minimise the need to travel, e.g. all our employees work from home, and we use email and video-conferencing for almost all of our meetings, conferences and general communications.
• We use public transport by default for necessary business travel – e.g. participating in external meetings and events, in the UK and northern Europe.
• We avoid flying, because of its very high environmental impacts. We have declined all invitations to events where flying would be required for at least the last 15 years. Any proposal to use air travel in future would require very strong justification.

Culture

• We will review this policy at least every 2 years, in consultation with staff and other stakeholders where appropriate.
• We aim to recruit staff and volunteers who share our ethical values and commitment to sustainability, and we provide relevant environmental training where needed.
• We aim to influence our members and supporters, suppliers and collaborating organisations to reduce their own environmental impacts.
• We use local suppliers where possible, to reduce environmental impacts and support the community and independent businesses.
• On the rare occasions when we organise catered events, plant-based catering will be provided.