Environment, Biodiversity & Sustainability Policy

Mentis Management are actively committed to sustainability, and accept our responsibility to operate in such a way as to enhance the quality of the local, national and global environment.

We care about the environment around us and are fully committed to protecting it in every way we can. We actively seek to prevent pollution and help address climate change by reducing harmful emissions.

That includes:

Complying with environmental legislation and regulations
Preventing pollution by using environmentally friendly processes, practices, materials and products
Using an Environmental Management System compliant with BS EN ISO 14001
Striving to become carbon neutral
Continually improving on our environmental activities and constantly reviewing our targets and objectives.
We aim to reduce our carbon usage year on year, and alongside this we have a carbon offset programme.

In January 2009, Mentis obtained certification to ISO14001 - the international Standard for Environmental Management. We are proud of this affirmation of our huge progress in substantially reducing our environmental impact in recent years. We continue to work on measures to further cut our carbon footprint in coming years.

General:

Mentis is committed to :

maintaining and improving our sustainability contribution;
promoting positive, responsible attitudes to the environment;
minimising our use of materials and energy and deploying procedures to enhance recycling and recovery of materials.

Environmental Objectives:

Our four key continuing environmental objectives are:

to reduce the proportion of our expenditure on car transport year on year;
to reduce the proportion of our expenditure on other transport year on year;
to reduce our per capita use of office consumables (paper, toners, etc) year on year;
to reduce our per capita use of gas and electricity year on year.

Performance against these objectives is monitored by our Environment Manager.

In the Office:

Mentis is not a manufacturing or distribution company, but there are many areas in whichwe can affect ourn environmet, and all staff must be aware of the environmental consequences of their actions.

In particular attention should be paid to:

Use/order of recycled stationery whenever possible.
Other supplies (e.g. toner cartridges) should be purchased in recycled form wherever practicable. All used cartridges are stored and recycled as part of our purchasing process.
We have standing arrangements for collection of all waste paper, which is recycled locally.
The company Intranet and email are to be used to reduce wasteful use of paper. Before despatching any paper document, specifically check whether an electronic copy would be acceptable.
Do not waste water - for example by leaving a tap running in the kitchen or toilet areas. When washing up, use a bowl rather than washing utensils under running water.
Do not waste energy - for example leaving lights on when not needed - and do not fill kettles or coffee-makers beyond the level needed for immediate needs.
If it’s too hot in your office, turn down the heating before opening windows.
Take care in purchasing products such as washing up liquid and soap that they are marked as environmentally friendly.

For any new office space or other facility, we will undertake an environmental impact assessment to ensure that use of energy and natural resources will be minimised. Specifically, office cooling reliant upon fossil fuels for power will not be acceptable (heat pump systems may be acceptable subject to meeting low-energy standards).

Environment and Travel:

Use public (land) transport wherever practical.
The use of car or air transport for business requires Director sanction - not given if public transport is a viable alternative.

Biodiversity:

Mentis will not work with any organisation involved in commercial logging in primary tropical rainforests or critical natural habitats meeting the criteria set by the World Conservation Union [IUCN] classifications.

We will not work with organisations that contravene any relevant international environmental agreement enacted or otherwise having the force of law in, the country in which the project is located.

For any new office space or other facility, we will ensure that materials have been drawn from sustainable resources (facilities using non-sustainable tropical hardwoods will specifically be avoided).

Conclusion:

The above principles are only examples of ways in which we can become environmentally more aware. There will be many others, and staff are requested to be alert to the possibilities for future action. Suggestions for policy improvements and additions are always welcomed.

Original Approval Date: March 2005
Latest Revision: June 2010