Environmental Policy statement (ISO 14001 certified)

Contents

1. Overview
2. Company vision
3. Green vision
4. Our commitment
5. Our objectives

Overview

We provide housing and support services to local communities in the borough of South Tyneside managing about 17,000 housing units and employing over 600 people.

Scope

The management, maintenance, planned improvements and construction of domestic social housing, commercial operating premises and all associated services.

Achieved through education and the delivery of environmental excellence, striving towards a sustainable South Tyneside.

Company vision

Providing excellent services and quality homes where customers feel safe and supported.

Green vision

To reduce the impact we have on the environment through our operations and activities for a sustainable South Tyneside.

Our commitment

We are committed to:

• compliance with legislation,
• commitment to the protection of the environment, including prevention of pollution and other specific commitment(s) relevant to the context of the organisation,
• the continual improvement of environmental performance throughout our operations, services, and activities. This includes a commitment to conform to our compliance obligations.

Our objectives

We recognise that we cannot achieve our environmental aims and objectives alone, so we work closely with a wide range of partners, including our customers to deliver environmental improvements and drive environmental excellence.

We will draw in additional resources and funding to help achieve our goals.

We have established a programme to review and monitor our significant environmental aspects and to allow us to reduce those impacts we have adopted a set of objectives that will provide the focus for improvement.

These objectives include:

1. Promote the use of sustainable and low carbon solutions into new housing developments, where possible
2. Promote our Asset Management and Sustainability Principles Plan, through education and Planned Investment Programmes, ensuring our housing stock is maintained to the Governments Decent Homes Standard and as thermally efficient as possible using supplementary energy efficiency measures
3. Reduce energy use and carbon emissions in our offices and housing stock
4. Reduce waste from our business operations
5. Promote the use of sustainable transport policies, with the aim of reducing the level of carbon emissions and car mileage spend through our grey fleet and promotion and implementation of a Green fleet across the business
6. Educate and improve on energy and environmental awareness amongst our employees, customers, and partners
7. Monitor and review the environmental awareness of our contractors and suppliers
8. Reduce the level of environmental risk from business activities
9. Successfully manage and maintain our ISO 14001 certification

Copies of this policy statement will be made freely available to all interested parties and its existence will be promoted to employees, tenants and representatives of the local communities in which we operate.

Signed: 

Paul Mains
Managing Director 

Signed:

Cllr Ed Malcolm
Chair of the Board

Date: 4 August 2022

What is the IS0 14001 certification?

IS014001 is the internationally recognised standard for environmental management proficiency.

It is known as the 'Gold Standard' by a wide range of audiences including Government and individual customers.

The benefits of an Environmental Management System include:

• assuring customers of commitment to environmental management
• satisfying investor criteria and improving access to capital
• improving cost control through waste reduction
• reducing incidents that result in liability
• conserving input materials and energy
• ensuring compliance with legislation
• enhancing corporate image and environmental stewardship
• reduction in risks

View our ISO 14001 certificate.