Sustainability
Sustainability and Impact
CivicActions understands that we need to prioritize a clean and sustainable environment for all.
Sustainability has been one of the consistent threads in our work over the last 20 years. Whether it is in the support of forward-thinking clients or our investment in building a distributed team to reduce the environmental impact of in-office work.
We believe
- Our ecosystem is interdependent
- Using science, we can understand environmental systems and effectively address issues
- Promoting local habitats and biodiversity, supports the global ecological systems we all depend on
- Environmental challenges have social and political impacts
- The impact of climate change will disproportionately affect disadvantaged groups
CivicActions' Sustainability Goals and Policies
CivicActions works as a distributed team. With no office or commuting workforce, this presents a significant reduction of the CO2 output of our company.
For conferences and in-person events, we encourage our team to carpool or take more sustainable modes of transportation, such as public transit. Our vendors for onsite events are chosen based on meeting environmentally responsible criteria.
Employee Responsibility
We all work from our homes. This places additional responsibilities on our team. How our homes are heated and powered is something that has an impact on the planet. We may not be driving to work, but we also need to be mindful about how we manage our e-Waste. Batteries need to be disposed of carefully, and where possible older devices should be properly disposed of.
If you are buying electronics, look for ones with a high ENERGY STAR rating.
We have several employees who have solar on their roofs and/or have switched to driving an electric car.
Environmental Sustainability
There is a #sustainability channel in Slack for discussions about sustainability issues. A big part of the focus is digital sustainability because of the nature of our work.
We often forget that our work is used by millions of people. All of whom are using devices which have an environmental footprint. Our team is working to educate ourselves and inform our clients. We have to begin measuring what matters to help provide a benchmark for our progress.
Sustainable Work Practices
As a services company, our biggest expenses are also our biggest asset, our staff. We do not purchase a lot of goods and services from external suppliers. We are beginning to have conversations with our new and existing suppliers to ensure that there is an alignment on sustainability.
e-Waste and Recycling
CivicActions understands the importance of recycling, particularly for electronics. The environmental cost of e-waste is high, and we promote recycling of digital devices. For computers provided by CivicActions we will first ensure for proper data sanitization. For working devices we prefer reuse/donation or if it isn't working that it get fixed or used for parts. If for some reason this isn't an option, staff will be instructed to deposit in a reputable e-waste recycling stream for component based recycling.
Sustainable Procurement
When engaging with a new client, we will identify their sustainability efforts. Sustainability commitments of our vendors will be recorded in a central vendor list. Additionally, on an annual basis, the vendor list is reviewed as part of the Supply-Chain Risk Management Process (A process to proactively identify and address disruptive supply chain issues). At this time, we would re-assess the vendors' sustainability commitments.
When selecting new vendors, we will strive to support those which align to Science-Based Targets.
Reporting and Metrics
We have a Sustainability Pledge that will allow us to have regular reporting and metrics for the company.
Using tools like Google Lighthouse, we assess the performance of our work. Performance has a strong correlation with energy efficiency. Energy consumption is a significant aspect of digital sustainability.
Training and Education
We have provided a Sustainability Onboarding Workshop for all staff and will continue to provide it as we hire new staff. We will also continue to build awareness through activities like Earth Day to help raise awareness within the company. This will help build on the current culture which embraces sustainability.
Communication and Feedback
Please engage in the #sustainability Slack channel.
Resources
- Comprehensive Guide: How to write an Effective Employee Sustainability Handbook
- Web Sustainability Guidelines
Conclusion
We have started the journey, but have a long way to go.
Revision and Updates
v.0.0.3
Conclusion
We have started the journey, but have a long way to go.