Environmental Policy

The best practices set in this policy apply to all Vu Online employees’ activities, either from home or from any other work site location.

Environmental Commitment

Our commitment is to:

• Enhance our understanding and consciousness of the climate and nature crisis, empowering both individual and collective actions to effectively address and resolve these challenges.
• Minimising Vu Online’s environmental impact and achieving the company’s environmental targets.
• Guarantee compliance with all relevant environmental laws, regulations, and voluntary commitments, particularly within the scope of our B Corp Certification.
• Continued development of Vu Online’s processes, practices, and environmental achievements, aligning them with the established objectives and targets.
• Regularly and transparently communicate and promote engagement, both internally and externally, with our environmental policy, objectives, targets, and performance to foster a shared commitment to sustainability.
• Take action to reduce the carbon footprint of our operations, offset unavoidable carbon emissions, and actively pursue opportunities to enhance our environmental performance, ensuring pollution prevention remains a top priority.
• Minimise resource consumption and improve the efficient use of those resources.
• Minimise waste generated from our activities by adhering to the principles of the waste hierarchy, emphasising reduction, re-use, and recycling practices.
• Conscientiously address environmental concerns, including biodiversity and energy efficiency, when selecting venues, appliances, and vehicles for rental and use.
• Opt for sustainable catering services whenever available, from suppliers offering local, organic, unpackaged, and vegetarian food, utilising fully reusable, biodegradable, or recyclable materials.
• Improve our services by incorporating thoughtful considerations of sustainability and environmental preservation.
• Increase client awareness of their environmental impact and offer alternative solutions wherever relevant.
• Prioritise environmental considerations, including climate change and nature protection, when procuring goods and services.
• Demonstrate an environmentally friendly approach, extending beyond our office & virtual offices to the premises of our clients and partners.
• Encourage collaboration among all Vu Online stakeholders, including partners, consultants, employees, clients, suppliers, and service providers, to advance environmental performance and collectively work towards achieving climate neutrality.

Best Practices

Office space

Vu have adopted strong working practices from home, but recognise the need to collaborate both internally and with our clients. We currently hire space on an ad hoc basis where needed.

• We will continue to use office space on an “as required” basis, prioritising shared space working or environmentally built spaces. 
• Where office space is required, consideration will be given to the venue, the environmental impact of the travel of those in attendance, or the environmental impact of the requirements of the booking ie catering supplier etc…  
• Venue hire consideration will prioritise venues demonstrating their environmental credentials.

Equipment & Use

As an office we know that we generate waste paper products and as a digital agency, we understand that energy is required to run servers and machines that enable us to undertake our work. 

• Maintain a ”paperless” virtual office as much as possible, using shared folders and files for collaboration and digital signatures for legal documents where possible.
• Promote the use of online and digital media as a core means of communication, prioritising video meetings over travel.  
• Where possible we will use recycled or ecologically friendly paper. Recycle all paper products, ink or toner cartridges.
• We will use ‘waste’ paper for notepads unless confidentiality may be compromised.
• Reduce our consumption of resources and improve the efficiency of those resources by printing double-sided where practicable
• Where necessary to provide a printing service, we will promote suppliers that print materials crafted entirely from 100% recycled paper or sourced from responsibly managed forests. 
• Prioritise low energy rated equipment where possible for decision-making about new equipment.
• Where possible Vu will finance the use of long life efficient bulbs or LED lamps on all wall, ceiling and desk mounted appliances in the home office.
• Use 100% renewable energy servers to host our services.

Energy

Vu encourages the following best practices both in booked venue spaces and at home to reduce the impact of our energy use.

• Where available, Vu Online will offset the additional cost of renewable energy supply to all employees working from home.
• All Vu team members will use an energy efficient room as a home office.
• Where possible we will utilise natural lighting and cooling techniques to minimize energy consumption. Decrease reliance on office heating and refrain from using air conditioning whenever possible. 
• When heating becomes necessary, we will set the temperature to a comfortable range between 18-20°C (66-70°F) and utilise a thermostat programmer to regulate the heating schedule efficiently.
• Employing a “task lighting” strategy, where we will illuminate the working area with higher intensity while keeping background lighting at a lower level for the remaining space to minimise the overall use of electric light.
• Turn off all office electrical items at the end of each working session (lights, computers, printers)
• Take individual responsibility for energy consumption around the home, e.g. not overfill the kettle on tea breaks, efficient use of equipment when cooking at lunchtime, install water-efficient shower heads, collect rain water for the garden.

Waste

Vu manages waste generated from business operations according to the principles of the waste hierarchy: reduction, re-use and recycling.

• Encourage all internal and external stakeholders to refrain from using plastic items such as folders, bags, boxes, bottles, cups, plates, and cutlery. Instead, prioritise reusable alternatives and materials made from environmentally friendly resources.
• Practice Upcycling & Source Sustainably: Find new uses for old items, avoid discarding, and opt for second-hand office equipment, furniture, and sustainable electronics (e.g., laptops & phones).
• Prioritise repairing or upgrading electronics instead of purchasing new ones and sell old equipment where possible.
• Dispose of e-waste properly and responsibly by recycling old electronic devices and hazardous materials. Check with local environmental health for best practice recycling options.
• Prioritise sourcing cleaning products and materials that are environmentally friendly.
• Promote effective recycling at home by separating recyclables from regular waste and using designated recycling bins, along with making mindful packaging choices when shopping.

Raise awareness

Vu has created and manages the Positive Nature Network, a network of businesses and organisations worldwide that hear from expert speakers and share environmental best practices, whilst committing to attend field events to support local green initiatives.   

• Prioritise business relationships by social, ethical and environmental credentials.
• Vu will offer employees at least one day per year paid leave for volunteering and continue to develop a repository of environmental suppliers in our internal documentation.
• Encourage engagement for internal and external stakeholders to engage with the Positive Nature Network and continue to educate themselves further to promote stronger environmental standards.
• Vu has committed a percentage of turnover to charitable causes that promote environmental values through 1% for the Planet and intends to increase its charitable contribution to exceed 1%.
• Vu will contribute financially to the training of team members in line with our environmental values, and promote initiatives like the cycle-to-work scheme.

Review & Declaration

This Environmental Policy Statement will be regularly reviewed and updated as necessary. The management team endorses these policy statements and is fully committed to their implementation.