Each EMS ensures a common thread through communication and assessment while at the same time offering bespoke tactics and interventions as we seek to engage with staff and assess and our environmental impacts.
Our approach
Newable is not only looking to mitigate its own potential compliance risk and to reduce costs and carbon through high level strategy, but also by engaging its staff and clients at a more ‘grass-roots’ level, from the bottom, up. Newable has therefore identified the need for an EMS which can act as a facilitator of best practice at each over the over 40 sites across the group. This EMS provides a framework for all users to co-establish a set of agreed processes which are documented and become a living framework which can be updated and improved as the office communities learn, and needs evolve. Site level EMS allow Newable to integrate our environmental ambitions into each location across the group tailoring it to their unique needs and activities while at the same time, our centralized tracking and management tool allows Newable to effectively develop group level policy based on groupwide trends and best practices. This grass roots approach also extends to our supply chain. Newable has developed a new Supplier Code of Conduct Statement and processes in order to communicate our environmental commitments and expectations for those we do business with. This has been distributed to our entire network of over 1,500 suppliers and new processes, including assurance, are now in place to communicate similarly with any new suppliers that come on board.
EMS Highlights
As a provider of business support services, Newable’s primary impacts are the utility usage and waste created by our offices, as well as the indirect impacts from our suppliers, partners and clients. Therefore, our EMS focus’ on controlling and reducing these impacts wherever possible. This means reducing our inputs and outputs at sites across the group while also advocating for sustainable businesses practices by sharing our policy and approach with our landlords, suppliers and clients. From retro fitting spaces with low flow toilets and LEDs to consolidating energy providers and prioritizing renewable generation, our focus is to achieve energy efficiencies and reduce waste through even the smallest of changes. We are able to achieve this by properly managing impacts at a site level and promoting behaviour change through policy and engagement.
Green Mark Partnership
Newable has sought out of the expertise of leading environmental consultancy Carbon Architecture and its internationally recognized environmental certification to ensure our approach to environmental management is steeped in best practice and properly evaluated. Our collaboration has resulted in the development of an EMS with the ability to present site level data and group insights simultaneously enabling Newable to ensure a standardized approach to environmental management across the group. All Newable Group Sites are slated to receive Green Mark Level 3 certification by the end of 2021 setting the foundation to pursue ISO 14001 certification from 2022 group wide. Features of the partnership include:
- Green certification across our portfolio helps demonstrate our environmental commitment
- Boost productivity and monitor performance using customized portfolio dashboard
- Track and optimise energy use to embed lower costs and reduce our carbon footprint
- Reduce waste and increase profitability whilst making smarter buying decisions
- Use as a platform to collaborate & share best practice; inspire, motivate & celebrate
Operational approach to environmental management
The integration of the Green Mark Environmental Management System gives our sites the tools to create a fully documented and fluid EMS. The online portal gives access to a 3-step certification scheme underpinned by a series of customised questionnaires covering the environment, waste and energy, and are designed to help each site document processes that establish best practice, and track and reduce resource use. This individualised approach provides an action plan unique to each site empowering staff to directly influence the impacts of the business by becoming involved with site level improvements from food waste recycling to supplier audits. In this way, our ESG strategy becomes tangible for Newable employees seeing the role they can play in their day to day work.
Find out more about our ESG commitments here.