Carbon Footprint Policy Statement
It is the stated policy of Commonweal Housing Limited to reduce its environment impact wherever practical. Carbon reducing measures form an integral part of Commonweal’s overall strategy, helping to improve both operational performance and a reduction in potentially harmful emissions to land, water and air. Commonweal’s current medium-term plan is to gather information to quantify its carbon footprint by 1st December 2010 and thereafter to set a realistic yet challenging target to reduce its carbon foot print to 0% within 4 – 5 years.
To help achieve this, Commonweal will:
§ Comply with all current energy legislation, seeking to meet or better legislative targets
§ Minimise waste, promote recycling and the use of recycled products to help reduce the burden of landfill and therefore methane generation.
§ Promote environmental awareness and responsibility amongst employees, partners, contractors and service users in projects in which Commonweal is involved and will seek, where practicable, to continuously improve environmental performance.
§ Evaluate and where possible adopt means of reducing travelling including ideas such as video conferencing.
§ Evaluate the potential benefits of home-working.
§ Evaluate the potential benefits of carbon offsetting such as tree planting on land owned by Commonweal.
§ Encourage occupants of Commonweal’s homes to reduce their carbon footprint.
§ Consider further investment in their properties to reduce the carbon footprint of them.
§ Expect partners and suppliers to have credible, measurable carbon footprint policies.
Actions taken to date include:
§ Upgrading of every home procured by Commonweal to the best practical standards of insulation.
§ Installation of energy efficient and therefore carbon reducing equipment throughout Commonweal homes.
§ The supplying of the most up-to-date energy efficient household appliances.
§ The refitting of homes with energy efficient lighting systems.
§ The refitting, where possible, of water saving devices.
§ The use of public transport wherever practical.
This policy clearly identifies the responsibilities and procedures for achieving Commonweal’s stated objectives in all aspects of its activities leading to improved environmental performance, including reductions in both CO², and methane