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.
5% of my company's gross sales are donated to charities, community interest companies & non-profits - this includes offsetting and micro-finance 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 .
37 micro-finance lending loans
Using the Lend With Care scheme
TREE PLANTING total: 1,992 trees planted | my total is now part of Million Tree Pledge https://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, Ecologi, Green Earth Appeal
COOKSTOVES offsetting total: 7 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
277 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
The Co-operative Bank
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/
NET ZERO
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
Recorded on Action Plan
GIVING BACK
5% of my company's gross sales are donated to charities, community interest companies & non-profits.
INTERIOR DESIGN DECLARES FOUNDING SIGNATORY
I am a Founding Signatory and active Steering Group member of INTERIOR DESIGN DECLARES. This is part of the BUILT ENVIRONMENT DECLARES initiative to encourage change in our industry with the two main objectives being Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss.
My company and eight others joined together in March 2021 to get the interior design's declaration set and publised.
To fellow UK designers and suppliers of goods and services to the interior design industry, please join us at: www.interiordesigndeclares.co.uk
We are also helping other countries to join our Declaration. To date wife have been joined by Finland, 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.
We exist to raise awareness across the business sector of the imperative to accelerate action to address climate change, biodiversity loss and social injustice: the imperative to future proof every business by balancing profits with people and ethics, to live within planetary boundaries.
We exist to galvanise the voice from the business community advocating for regulatory change, to build a resounding voice from business to propel a greater political will for urgent action.
We convene dialogues, acting as an agitator and critical business friend, to explore the difficult challenges which we know will take collective effort to solve.
DIVERSITY IN MY INDUSTRY
SHARING KNOWLEDGE IN MY INDUSTRY
GIVING BACK 5% of my company's gross sales are donated to charities, community interest companies & non-profits
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YEARLY SUPPORTER:
