Sustainability

As a campaigning organisation, it is inevitable that we have a ‘footprint’ as a result of our unavoidable business travel, energy consumption, purchase of vital equipment and the production of reports and other materials that are essential to our work.

We have a commitment to minimise EJF’s footprint on our planet.

• We commit to reducing our carbon footprint wherever possible, offsetting our impact, and supporting truly renewable, sustainable energy production.
• We comprehensively offset all carbon from any flights that staff take for work and personal reasons.
• We pledge to use public transport wherever it is a practical option for our business travel and to avoid flights where possible; we minimise or avoid travel where practical alternatives – including tele-conferencing - exist.
• We offer a cycle-to-work scheme to encourage our staff to cycle to work safely.
• We use low-energy lighting and opt for the best energy ratings for electrical equipment we purchase, and we ensure that equipment is always switched off when not in use.
• We share many of our campaign films, reports, briefings and other materials electronically. Where copies are needed, we share films on sustainably-sourced bamboo USB flash drives; our reports are printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper, using certified organic inks. Unavoidable in-house printing is on 100% recycled paper.
• Our charity T-shirts, which raise funds and awareness for our campaigns are made in a fair trade, certified organic and carbon neutral supply chain.
• We recycle everything we can including old equipment, furniture and other items recycled or donated for up cycling.
• We have a plastic-free pledge – rejecting single-use plastic in the office and encouraging staff and volunteers to consider the use of plastic in their work-life. We encourage staff to reduce or eliminate their consumption of food or drink that has a disproportionate impact on natural resources – these include avoiding products containing palm oil, meat, dairy (for their carbon, land and water footprints) or unsustainable seafood.
• Due to these environmental impacts, in work-related activities, EJF will only cover the costs of meat-free meals.
• We source organic, sustainable and equitably-produced items for the office, including cleaning products, tea and coffee.
• When overseas, staff are encouraged to be respectful of local food security needs – to consume little and give benefit to local, sustainable producers and avoid products that can have a negative local impact as a result of their production or waste.
• We have purchased a Welsh woodland to support our commitment towards offsetting our unavoidable carbon footprint and to protecting the area for wildlife.
• We also invest in a community-owned renewable project in Wales and will expand these investments to bring environmental and community-led benefits in the future.
• Our financial dealings are restricted to ethical banks; we will never invest in unsustainable and inequitable funds that perpetuate environmental injustice in the UK and overseas.
• We encourage staff to invest in an ethical fund held by the EJF pension scheme provider.
• In addition to our adherence to the principles behind ethical investments, we will never accept corporate support or donations from companies involved in the production of non-renewable energy, pesticides, non-organic and demonstrably sustainable foods, or mineral extraction.