At Career Connect, we aim to create a better future for everyone, and one of the key ways we can do this is by supporting a healthy and sustainable environment. So, on Earth Day (22 April) here's an update on the various measures we're taking to reduce our environmental impacts, helping to keep the planet healthy and achieve our target of becoming ‘Net Zero’ by 2035.
Positive Planet
In September 2022, we started working with Positive Planet, to help us understand how to reduce our carbon emissions. With their support, we have conducted annual carbon footprint audits that help us to monitor our progress and take actions towards achieving ’net zero’ by 2035.
You can view our Reduction Plan dashboard on the Sustainability page of our website.
The Green Team
In 2022 we created a ‘Green Team’ of staff members committed to ensuring that environmental sustainability plays a key role in all of our activities. By 2023 the team had expanded to include someone from each of our key operational teams. They act as environmental sustainability champions across the charity and ensure that green issues are at the forefront of all that we do. Our staff are also encouraged to share their own green ideas via a special page on our intranet.
In 2023, we held carbon literacy training to improve the understanding of our trustees and senior managers about the carbon costs and impacts of our everyday activities. Everyone who completed the training made individual and workplace pledges to help reduce carbon. These pledges ranged from travelling to meetings in more sustainable ways, to reducing energy usage, and understanding the impact of using printed materials.
Reducing e-waste and tackling digital exclusion
Career Connect has been partnering with Tameside Community Computers CIC since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, we have been donating our old business laptops to Tameside Community Computers CIC, who refurbish them and donate them to people across the northwest disadvantaged by digital poverty – an issue that has become more pronounced during the cost of living crisis.
By donating these laptops, we are helping to reduce e-waste in landfill, while also helping more people get connected and access services online. Digital access can also help reduce people’s feelings of isolation and improve mental health and wellbeing.
Want to donate your laptops? Find out how here.
Improving our IT
Since 2020, we have invested in a major transformation of our IT infrastructure, achieving a reduction in IT energy use of more than 30%. We are also investing in improved digital resources and information platforms to give much greater online access to our services.
We are reducing our reliance on printed materials where it is practical do so. When we do provide physical or printed materials, we are committed to using sustainable or recycled printed materials.
Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) assessment
We undertook our first ESOS assessment in 2015/16. This 4-yearly energy assessment is mandatory for all UK organisations classified as large enterprises or part of large group enterprise. The assessment helped us understand more about our energy usage, transport fleet cars/mileage, number of staff and company premises. We have conducted second and third assessments in 2019/20 and 2022/23 respectively, making significant improvements each time.
Greater Virtual Delivery of our Services
Many of the virtual services we introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic have been retained. These include using video conferencing with our service users and strategic partners, plus the use of remote and flexible working for our staff. This has led to a major reduction in business travel and commuting carbon emissions and a 50% reduction of our head office site.
Find out more about Career Connect’s commitment to a healthy and sustainable environment HERE.
