Sustainability charter

The Emergency Services Environment and Sustainability Group (ESESG) includes members from UK Police Forces, Fire and Rescue Services, Ambulance Services and other Emergency Services. They meet to share best practices and discuss emerging technologies, government policy and legislative requirements.

This Sustainability Charter has been developed for members to pledge their support to

  • work towards a set of common goals and aspirations
  • embed sustainability within their own organisations
  • achieve national and international sustainability objectives.

It will also enable members to identify positive effects on sustainability within their communities and manage any negative effects and risks.

All members shall consider the Sustainability Charter aspirations in the development and delivery of their own policies and strategies.

It is acknowledged that members are at different stages of their sustainability journey and will have different priorities depending on their core business activities and regional issues.

This Charter has adopted the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to provide a consistent framework with consideration to all areas of sustainability. Key goals are linked under the People, Planet and Public Purse headings to enable all members to identify relevant areas of sustainability and incorporate these back into their own organisations.

For ESESG sustainability means:

Reducing the negative impacts associated with our operations, whilst working towards positive and long-lasting outcomes for our planet, the people within our organisations, the communities we serve and the public purse.

Our organisation recognises that all emergency services have the potential to affect the local and global environment, society and the wider economy. We also recognise that climate change and global trends will continue to have an impact on the demands placed upon our emergency services. We need to be proactive in recognising these impacts to continuously provide an efficient and effective service, and therefore aspire to:

People

  • Take action in our local areas to contribute to the transition to more sustainable cities and communities.
  • Proactively manage our resources as communities change and develop to continue to be receptive to their needs.
  • Provide our staff with the tools and resources required for them to make informed sustainable decisions both in the workplace and at home.
  • Provide a safe and healthy working environment and improve wellbeing for all staff.
  • Continue to improve equality, diversity and inclusion in our organisations and in the communities we serve.
  • Reduce the harmful emissions associated with our operations, to improve local air quality, reduce pollution and enhance the wellbeing of our communities.

Planet

  • Work towards net zero carbon emissions through improving the energy efficiency of our estate and sustainable business and personal travel.
  • Improve resource efficiency and adopt circular economy approaches to reduce waste and save money.
  • Restore and enhance local biodiversity through the considered management of our estates.
  • Adapt to inevitable climate change through proactively managing our ability to respond to extreme weather events and changes to service demand.
  • Take action to avoid or mitigate pollution of water courses.
  • Minimise our reliance on fossil fuels by actively seeking to generate renewable energy at our sites, and through the adoption of greener technologies and fuels for our fleet.

Public Purse

  • Use our spending power to promote and adopt sustainable procurement practices.
  • Proactively manage the opportunities brought by new technologies to maximise financial budgets.
  • Proactively prosecute wildlife crime.
  • Support our staff and local supply chains to develop and maintain the skills needed to meet our organisational needs and sustainability goals.
  • Maximise Social Value contributions through the contracts we procure.

By signing this Charter

CFO Lee Howell is agreeing to embed sustainability considerations throughout our organisation. We will measure and monitor progress and will strive to continually improve.

1 February 2022