Ethics statement
Being ethical in business is important to me....
I have been really fortunate to experience the workings of an ethical business and I have tried to incorporate those learnings into my own.
NET ZERO by 2030
Net zero
Company aim: to be net zero by 2030 by reducing emissions and impact on biodiversity, covering Scope 1 & 2. Consider and discuss material Scope 3 impacts of your business.
Target is in line with Business Declares and UN Race To Zero
"Net-zero means that a certain activity releases no greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere. It is a little different from carbon neutral, because net-zero involves eliminating the indirect emissions across the whole value chain. For example, a company will have to consider the GHG emissions of all its suppliers and customers. Under net-zero, any residual emissions must also be eliminated through GHG removals of the equivalent amount. " Defnition taken from Green Queen HK
GHG: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
In progress, recorded on Action Plan
- Set target
- Make plan
- Measure
- Monitor
- Assess
FOOTPRINT: Operation of the company
In progress, recorded on Action Plan
- Set target
- Make plan
- Measure
- Monitor
- Assess
FOOTPRINT: Clients' projects
In progress, recorded on Action Plan
- Set target
- Make plan
- Measure
- Monitor
- Assess
FOOTPRINT: Influence my industry
- BIID Code Of Conduct
- BIID Sustainability Strategy
- BIID Sustainable Specifying Guide
- BIID Company carbon footprint guide
- BIID Reduce and offset company carbon emissions guide
All achieved by September 2021
Ongoing - articles, interviews, panel discussions, mentoring, writing book for RIBA on Sustainable Interior Design due for release early 2024.
Recorded on Action Plan
HANDPRINT: GIVING BACK
5% of my company's gross sales are donated to charities, community interest companies & non-profits.
Volunteering: Minimum 40 hours a year donated.
CHALLENGES:
Scope 3 is the largest part of company's footprint and the hardest to influence and improve.
- Limited amount of suppliers providing carbon footprint calculations per item, per m2
- Software needed to monitor and calculate. Action: Current provider has been contacted requesting it 7/12/22.
- Clients are not always engaged in reducing carbon footprint in their designs
- How to calculate Reused items?
Summary
GIVING BACK 5% of my company's gross sales are donated to charities, community interest companies & non-profits - this includes offsetting and microfinance lending in developing countries (treeplanting, Lend With Care and Gold Standard projects)
Homeless and refugee charities, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA Business Friend), WaterAid, Marine Conservation Society, Kit Tarka Foundation, League Agains Cruel Sports, Friends Of The Earth, Surfers Against Sewage, Rowdy Girl Animal Sanctuary, The Green Centre, the RNLI. See list at foot of page. All overseen by ethical acccountants Ozkan .
MICROFINANCE LENDING total: 45 loans
Using the Lend With Care scheme
TREE PLANTING total: 3,112 trees planted | this total now includes MANGROVE PLANTING my total is now part of Million Tree Pledge www.milliontreepledge.org |
25 trees are planted for each new full project - and 25 more upon completion | 25 trees are planted for every successful client referral |
10 trees are planted each consultation
Schemes used :
- OneTree Planted (now mangroves planting * and previously trees) ,
- Ecologi (https://ecologi.com/glowinnovationlimited/chloebullock) part of Million Tree Pledge,
- previously trees were donated through the Green Earth Appeal
*MANGROVE PLANTING protects coastlines and river banks, restoring biodiversity in ecosystems - and stores 5 to 10 times more carbon than land ecosystems. Total: 125
One oak planted at Broughton Hall - thanks to Jarvis Smith of My Green Pod!
Trees planted at Spanglewood, Sussex.
COOKSTOVES offsetting total: 11 tonnes CO2, through providing locally-produced cookstoves which are more efficient and safer too use - and decrease the use of wood by around 70%. This reduces carbon emissions by around 2 tonnes per family per year and also leads to reduced smoke & an improved living environment. In this way, forest areas are protected and women spend less time & energy collecting wood.
Projects: Gold Standard - Fairtrade Project: Improved cookstoves for women, India
473 hours donated: pro bono work for charities, volunteering, charity and fundraising projects, running of Interior Design Declares and mentoring
Two days a month are on offer. If you are a charity in need of design help, please contact me.
To date: School Bus Project, Mile Oak School Science Bus project, Cycling UK, Changing Streams CIC, volunteering on the Professional Practice Commitee of professional body the British Institute of Interior Design
Ethical banking since day one
Starling Bank, previously The Co-operative Bank
Mentoring: support for designers who are new to the industry with an interest in sustainability
I currently have the pleasure of mentoring two brilliant women - a Masters student and also a designer who is new to the industry.
Involved in local sustainability and Circular Economy groups
Circular Brighton and Hove, Sustainable Business Network, Clean Growth Platform
Electrical waste - computers, old phones, cables and small electricals donated to TechTakeback
https://www.techtakeback.com/
FOOTPRINT: Influence my industry
INTERIOR DESIGN DECLARES FOUNDING SIGNATORY
I am a Founding Signatory and active Steering Group member of INTERIOR DESIGN DECLARES. Set up in March '21, this is part of the BUILT ENVIRONMENT DECLARES movement (previously known as Construction Declares). The initiative encourages change in our industry with the two main objectives being Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss.
Our objective: COLABORATE - INSPIRE - EDUCATE - CAMPAIGN
My company and eight others joined together to get the interior design's declaration set and publised.
IN THE UK Fellow UK designers and suppliers of goods and services to the interior design industry, please join us at: www.interiordesigndeclares.co.uk
DECLARATIONS IN OTHER COUNTRIES We are also helping other countries to join our Declaration. To date we have been joined by Finland, who will hopefully be closely followed by Egypt, Australia and the United States.
If fellow designers would like to set up a Declaration for their country, please join us at: www.interiordesigndeclares.com
Our declaration. I will seek to:
Raise awareness of the climate and biodiversity emergencies and the urgent need for action amongst our clients and supply chains.
Advocate for faster change in our industry towards regenerative design practices and a higher Governmental funding priority to support this.
Share knowledge and research to that end on an open source basis.
Evaluate all new projects against the aspiration to contribute positively to mitigating climate breakdown, and encourage our clients to adopt this approach.
Work towards including life cycle costing, whole life carbon modelling and post-occupancy evaluation as part of our basic scope of work, to reduce both embodied and operational resource use.
Work with others in the construction industry to upgrade existing buildings for extended use as a more carbon-efficient alternative to demolition and new build whenever there is a viable choice.
Act to address the disproportionate impact of these crises on disadvantaged communities and ensure that all mitigation and adaptation efforts address the needs of all people.
Ensure diverse and inclusive principles are implemented in hiring and retaining staff so that people of all backgrounds can participate in decision-making about the future of the designed environment
Request 3rd party certification or similar demonstration of environmental provenance and impact for each product specified.
Adopt more regenerative design principles in our studios, with the aim of designing spaces which go beyond the standard of net-zero carbon, including the specification of ultra low energy appliances.
Accelerate the shift to low embodied carbon materials in all our work. Seek to reuse and recycle products and materials at every available opportunity.
Minimise wasteful use of resources in interior design, both in quantum and in detail. Collaborate with all members of the industry to further reduce construction and packaging waste.
BUSINESS DECLARES MEMBER
Business Declares is a not-for-profit organisation formed by senior leaders with a range of experience from the SME, B Corp and FTSE100 sectors. We are official members of the UN Race to Zero team for COP26. We believe that business has a major part to play in tackling the climate, ecological and social emergency.
DESIGN DECLARES MEMBER
Design Declares is a multi-disciplinary Declaration from the design community, to:
1. SOUND THE ALARM Acknowledge and raise awareness of the climate and ecological crisis - including its roots in systems of oppression - in our organisations and our practice.
2. START THE JOURNEY Invest in educating ourselves and our teams on methods of sustainable and regenerative design, and show leadership by making measurable change to our practice. The Design Declares Toolkit is a great place to start.
3. BRING CLIENTS WITH US Meaningfully consider environmental and social impacts as part of every pitch, proposal and production process. Not every design output will be carbon neutral or fully climate friendly, but every project is an opportunity to make real progress.
4. MEASURE WHAT WE MAKE Measure the environmental and social impact of our work and design projects, and hold ourselves to account for what we find out.
5. REDEFINE ‘GOOD’ Encourage, recognise and reward sustainable and regenerative design excellence in our industry through media and awards.
6. EDUCATE, ACCELERATE Build and foster intra- and cross-discipline knowledge networks to share tools, resources and best practice to accelerate progress in our industry.
7. DESIGN FOR JUSTICE Create with and for the people who are disproportionately affected both by climate change and by the transition to a lower-carbon world.
8. AMPLIFY VOICES FOR CHANGE Enable systemic change by working alongside policymakers, campaigners, ecologists, scientists, activists and others to strengthen local and national movements for change.
DIVERSITY IN MY INDUSTRY - pledge commitments
SHARING KNOWLEDGE IN MY INDUSTRY
HANDPRINT: GIVING BACK
5% of company's gross sales are donated to charities, community interest companies & non-profits
MONTHLY SUPPORTER:
YEARLY SUPPORTER:
