this way... ...that way - SustainIt

...that way this way...

Our journey to better sustainability reporting starts here.

Welcome to Our Impact. Our 2013 sustainability report.

Contents:

At SustainIt we are passionate about sustainability along with our passion for helping others along their sustainability journey regardless of their current stage. We use our unique combination of industry-leading knowledge, technical expertise and outstanding customer service to offer a holistic approach to CSR and sustainability. Working together to help businesses become more efficient, more responsible and more sustainable is at the heart of what we do. 

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Welcome

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Objectives

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10 things that we do

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Who do we work for?

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Satisfied customers

Hopefully the content within this report will give you an understanding of how serious sustainability is to

18 Waste and recycling

us. We believe that sustainability shouldn’t be limited by scope or the size of the company. Every single

19 Carbon footprint

10 PepsiCo case study 12 How are we doing? 14 Water usage 16 Energy usage

business can make a change and at SustainIt we make sure that the ethics of sustainability are embedded in the core of our business. This year has marked some major achievements for SustainIt. We’ve participated in many community

20 About us 21 Our people

events, supported charities and helped our clients develop their sustainability ambitions. Next year’s

22 Our community

targets will be higher and give us more to aim for. Whether you skim through it, attentively read it, or

24 SustArt

post it/ email it to a friend/colleague; I hope you enjoy Our Impact 2013 report.

25 Planet First 26 2014 and beyond

Warm wishes and here’s to a fantastic 2014.

27 Contact us

Charlotte (Charlie) Stockford Managing Director 2

Objectives So what’s the main objective of Our Impact report? At SustainIt we believe that a CSR report should serve as a communication tool rather than a spreadsheet with images attached. We wanted our report to be more than just numbers and text. We wanted our CSR report to be a statement of intent and a way to help tell our story. We pride ourselves in our ability to make sense out of huge amounts of sustainability data and this report reflects our knowledge, passion and how “we bring sustainability to life”. The report was designed to cover all aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility including indicators for the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI G4) and Planet Mark. Data was collated and analysed to provide an accurate representation of our activities. The aspects were chosen based on issues that are important to our business.

okay I’ve got it... let’s take a look...

Aspects that we care about...

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things that we do... 4

What we do:

SustainIt are the leading independent sustainability data consultancy known internationally for holistic, non financial data consultancy excellence and being a leading example of a truly sustainable and ethical business.

We offer expert and professional support in regards to all aspects of sustainability data management

We identify your business requirements against the potential solutions in the market

Comprehensive data analysis processes where we analyse, monitor and correct data to make it 100% verifiable and auditable

and this...

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What we (also) do:

Ensure Sustainability Ambitions and Policies are embedded throughout your organisation

Support you with effective engagement communication strategies

Empower your sustainability team by providing outstanding system support services

Provide implementation and upgrade support along with project management skills

We know it’s written in the logo, but we really do want to help bring sustainability into the heart of our customer’s business

Develop innovative community based products such as SustArt (see p24) 6

Who do we work for?

2008

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2012

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Working with: Cloud Apps - Sastun - The Planet Mark - Deloitte - Enablon - PWC - Credit 360 - Systar - Laragon - Ernst&Young - Hara

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rs are satisfie e d om w t s

u iss ed

es - Cu

sfied with sati the e ar a

e

ac h a bi

*

en dl i

100%

Cu

Client te

am’s fri

ss

91%

ur te o ith

action tisf * sa and appro

e

*

y lit

*

f our suppo rt t

ent servi i l C c

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sto m er s

We ask our customers very regularly for feedback - good and bad, so that we can ensure we are delivering exactly what they need.

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yo ilit

iagnose re to d p or t

We believe there is always room for improvement no matter how good or ‘sparkly’ the responses are.

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support l a ic

am

Our recent customer satisfaction survey showed us where we need to target areas of improvement.

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Satisfied customers...

‘’SustainIt have provided us with a low cost yet fully functional environmental and health and safety system that has enabled us to exceed our sustainability goals’’

Global Sustainability Manager, Reckitt Benckiser “SustainIt’s understanding of the business practicalities and complexities of sustainability data reporting, coupled with their expertise in systems, has been a great support for us in developing our company solution’’

a big one...

Global Head of Sustainability, Thomas Cook Group 8

We work for both large (massive in fact) global corporations as well as smaller companies. And every size in between. Firstly, let start with one of the biggest companies on the planet PepsiCo.

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Case study:

SustainIt have been working with PepsiCo since 2011, helping to understand, evolve and expand their data collection systems. For us, the work we’ve done with PepsiCo is a great example of how SustainIt’s expertise and honesty has helped shape their data collection strategy and provided the additional resource to manage and develop how they capture sustainability data.

Over the years, our work for PepsiCo has also included the management of large scale data movements. In one case moving four years of historic data so that is was integrated into an amended KPI structure. We also created a dedicated historic data library, allowing PepsiCo to share internally a static and easily navigable data reporting resource. SustainIt are always committed to providing honest and useful advice on sustainability data collection and management. We are able to provide an open and agnostic view of sustainability software, and help our clients understand what they are doing with their sustainability

SustainIt client since 2011 297,000 employees in 30 countries

data, and where opportunities for expansion and development exist. SustainIt are sustainability data specialists,

Our initial work with PepsiCo was very simple – they wanted

with an ongoing commitment to providing our clients with

to know what they were doing well. Sometimes, a fresh pair

the best possible advice and expertise on how to manage

of eyes is a useful way to make sure everything is working

their CSR data and how to use the data effectively.

as it should. In PepsiCo’s case, we were able to suggest new ways of managing carbon data and provide an understanding

Over the last decade, SustainIt have worked hard to establish

of how to draw clearer lines of responsibility by creating a

their reputation as a world leader in the field, and our client

three dimensional organisational structure.

list of international corporations is testament to that.

Brands include: Pepsi, Lays, Gatorade, Tropicana, 7up, Doritos, Quaker, Cheetos, Lipton

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Key findings:

Carbon footprint

Total energy consumption reduced by 4.1% to 5.99 Million Kwh

Carbon Intensity reduction comparative carbon footprint fell from 209,797 CO2e to 201,980 CO2e

PepsiCo reduced the packaging weight of products by more than 350 Million pounds, exceeding their target by more than 20%

Reduced water consumption reduced waste to landfill from 3476 tonnes to 424 tonnes

how are we doing?

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How are we doing? It’s all very well showing what we do for our customers, but do we practice what we preach? The next few pages explain the steps we have taken to be more sustainable and how successful these steps have been.

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A quick overview Total revenue

Client retention

Increase in 2013 (which is great)

In 2013 (which is even better)

Water usage

Carbon footprint per employee

That’s 7.143m3 per employee

Tonnes KgC02e

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Water usage

ss and per em pl

ption is fa m u lli s n

ne

oth as a b B us g i n

Water scarcity is nowadays a hot topic and at SustainIt we ensure we take the necessary measures and save every drop we can. All staff are aware of that and they value and understand the importance of minimising wastewater and water usage. We even twinned our toilet! This simple process is raising funds for founder Charities Cord and Tearfund, to enable people living in poor communities to have clean water, a decent toilet and to learn about hygiene. 2.5 billion people – that’s 40% of the world’s population – don’t have somewhere safe, clean and hygienic to go to the loo. www.toilettwinning.org

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our water ee, c o oy

Water usage (2013) At the end of 2012 we made a commitment to reduce our water use. We started to implement water efficient measures in our toilets and our teams came up with innovative ideas and ways to reduce our water consumption. The great news for us is that our water consumption is falling. The water consumption per employee has fallen as well, and it looks like everyone is on board. We haven’t even had to give up those vital morning cups of English tea.

Total water used as a business (m3)

Total water used per employee (m3)

energy use...

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Energy usage

At SustainIt we make sure that our energy consumption is minimised. Renting our premises means that we cannot install solar or alternative heat sources but this doesn’t stop us being creative and preserving heat and saving energy. To directly minimise our energy usage we have installed LED lighting and increased awareness within our offices of switching off electronic equipment and lights when not in use. Each night every monitor is switched off ensuring we are not wasting energy unnecessarily.

reduced energy consumption from 1300Kwh/ month to 900Kwh

Enjoying a cycling and camping weekend in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales.

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Energy usage (2013) 20000

2000

15000

1500

12500

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10000

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7500

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5000

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2500

250 2011

2012

Electricity used as a business (kWh)

2013

Decrease in total electricity use from 2011 to 2013

2011

2012

Electricity used per employee (kWh)

2013

waste / recycling...

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Waste and Recycling

Each member of staff has an equal responsibility for playing their part in reducing the amount of waste we produce. Reducing waste sent to landfill makes both environmental and financial sense. Each year the cost per tonne of waste being sent to landfill increases, making it increasingly more expensive than sending waste for recycling. The SustainIt Environmental Policy states that we will reduce the volume of waste produced and recycle as much as possible. In 2013 we tried a new initiative; 0% waste to landfill. Employees were encouraged to think twice about what they buy and what they could do with the waste.

The project was such a success that for 2014 we are aiming for 0% waste to landfill. SustainIt has a well established and comprehensive recycling scheme in place. This has seen the company’s recycling rates steadily rise over the years. The items which SustainIt proactively recycle include: - Paper - Cardboard - Newspapers/magazines - Cans - Plastic Bottles - Glass Bottles and Jars - Food Waste

The amount of our waste that goes to landfill

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Carbon Footprint To be more compliant we decided to calculate our business carbon footprint by using a specific methodology tailored to the size of our business and conversion factors based on DEFRA’s latest recommendations. Along with all our customers we have calculated our carbon emissions and our average carbon footprint is 1.67 tonnes KgC02e per employee.

46%

14%

Breakdown of total carbon footprint

1%

Travel emissions by source

Travel

Air

Building

Car Rail

54%

85%

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About us 20

Our people... Every company has a story to tell and each story is subjective to the individuals that makes the business. At SustainIt we do our utmost to help bring the best out of our employees. We aim to make them happy and enjoy their time in the workplace. We have developed some great schemes and initiatives to achieve this goal.

From the exquisite Fairtrade herbal teas, coffee selection and fresh organic fruit boxes to the great facilities to prepare your home cooked lunch, our office is a wonderful place to spend time.

What else do we do to make our workplace more fun and less boring? We bring our pets to work!

Holly

It has been scientifically proven that pets increase efficiency at work. Taking Holly out for a walk at lunchtime or after you’ve been analysing data for 3 hours is a great way to relax and clear your head - she loves it too!

SustainIt is different and we try to innovate as much as we can. We also encourage friendly competitive activities between our employees (Sustainable Sports Day, Swimathons, and Tomato Growing Competition) and support great schemes like our Ride to work scheme!

The number of community events our staff have been involved in since the business began in 2007. 21

Our people...

Employee Engagement:

Diversity:

We like to call this team building! We have enjoyed many different events throughout the year such as cookery evenings with Square Food Foundation, go-karting, surfing in Wales, camping and kayaking in the Wye Valley and river. We have even had cake-offs, curry-offs, bake-offs and any other kind of foodoff we could think of – even a houmous-off!

Everybody is different and we pride ourselves on the fact that we employ many diverse people. We are a female-led business and we actively encourage flexible working for parents and carers. We have a strict code that we abide by ensuring there is no discrimination against race, gender, sex, colour, national origin, age or disability. Our employees come from USA, Lebanon, Wales, England, Scotland, South Africa, Hong Kong and Europe.

Training: All our employees are offered training with Dale Carnegie training giving them the opportunity to grow and develop with colleagues and share in the success of the business. 22

Our community... Engagement At SustainIt we strive to make a good impact on our surrounding community. Simply put, a business is nothing without the support and love of its community and so we have a moral obligation and a duty of care.

Volunteering with FairShare: A black tie fashion show dinner event to help create awareness of food waste along with ethical and eco fashion designs.

SustainIt volunteers donate their time and experience to mentoring the next generation of enterprising youngsters. One example is where we are supporting students at Chew Valley School who are developing a game app as a business plan.

Fashion and sustainability: with constant support and collaborative work with Texsture.

Young Enterprise provides the much needed practical experience and the invaluable opportunity to learn from actual business people whilst at school.

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SustArt events: SustArt has been a creative and fun journey that has given paid work placements to numerous students and young people to help them find their path and develop their knowledge and experience. Bristol 99 Bristol 99 was all about raising awareness of the Green Spaces in Bristol. An interactive art piece to give people of Bristol an opportunity to talk about their favourite green spaces.

Sustainability Live, Birmingham A stand created at Sustainability Live designed to promote and encourage discussions around sustainability. We provided a way for professionals to talk about sustainability in an engaging and fun environment.

One Planet, Cardiff Cardiff One Planet Festival was all about green solutions and green tech. Our art piece encouraged conversation and gave the people of Cardiff an opportunity to make their views heard. 24

Planet First SustainIt have successfully achieved The Planet Mark certification for sustainability, an internationally recognised certification delivered in partnership with the Eden Project. Achieving The Planet Mark demonstrates continual improvement within the business through the calculation of their carbon footprint as well as engaging employees in initiatives to improve sustainability.

. s s e r g o r p g n i k Ma . t e n a l p For the

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The Planet Mark also signifies a commitment to reducing their carbon footprint by at least 5% per annum. As part of the certification, SustainIt proudly support education programmes at the Eden Project in Cornwall. The programmes that are developed by the Eden Project include educational materials and workshops for school children and young people, as well as industry specific development training programmes

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2014 and beyond Continue working with ethical traders

Promoting sustainable behaviour at workplace

Zero waste to landfill ambition

Minimizing our tiny carbon footprint to a tinier one

Ensuring a minimum of 90% client satisfaction for the New Year

Work with GRI G4 Committee to push for Software data management indicator

Expanding our markets and expertise to USA

Expand our Business size and renovate the office into a more sustainable design

Work with Bristol Council and Businesses in the South West to promote sustainability

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Contact us

For comments or feedback about Our Impact, please contact Rida Daher on [email protected] or give us a call on +44 117 325 4167.

thank-you!

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