ESG- Environmental, Social, Governmental policy.

As a charity with 1200+ staff and volunteers and over 90 charity retail shops, we know we have an impact on the environment and that this can be a positive one. We want to be a force for change, playing our part in the UK’s journey to meet the net zero target by 2050.

We are working hard to become a more sustainable and environment-friendly organisation in everything we do and everyone we work with. 

We have put in place an annual action plan to ensure we embed sustainability throughout our work and culture and make progress towards the ESG objectives and best practice outlined in our ESG policy.

Our aim is to reduce the impact we have on the environment and on society, ensuring the highest ethical standards and considering environmental sustainability and social responsibility in all we do.

Tony Byrne, CEO DEBRA UK

 

Read our ESG Policy

 

Our commitment

We are working hard to become a more sustainable and environment-friendly organisation in everything we do and everyone we work with.  We have put in place an annual action plan to ensure we embed sustainability throughout our work and culture and make progress towards the ESG objectives and best practice outlined in our ESG policy.

 

Contents:

• Environment
• Social 
• Governmental

  

Environment

As a charity with 1200 staff and volunteers and over 100 charity retail shops, we know we have an impact on the environment and that this can be a positive one. Our aim is to reduce the impact we have on the environment and on society, ensuring the highest ethical standards and considering environmental sustainability and social responsibility in all we do.

We aim to...

• reduce our use of energy, water, paper and other resources and seek renewable alternatives
• insist on the use of paper or board from FSC® certified forests for all print projects 
• minimise waste through reduction, re-use and recycling
• engage with contractors who share our ESG objectives
• reduce the need to travel by promoting options such as car sharing and agile working
• encourage involvement in local environmental and social initiatives
• provide training and information and promote responsibility for the environment and the implementation of our policy with our workforce
• comply with all relevant regulatory requirements.

 

Social 

Our work is centred on funding life-changing research, healthcare, advocacy and support for people living with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).  Many people with EB face not only the huge physical challenges the condition brings, but also mental health difficulties and discrimination.

Our social sustainability is focussed on considering the impact of our charitable activities and investment decisions on our EB community, our staff, volunteers, supporters, customers and the local economy.

We are committed to creating a culture where equality and diversity are embedded in our values and actions and where staff wellbeing is a priority. We strive to have a positive impact on all of the communities we work with, ensuring the highest ethical standards, and considering environmental sustainability and social responsibility in all that we do.

We aim to...

• always make a positive contribution
• provide an equal opportunity workplace where we invest in professional development and staff and volunteers are valued
• consider the possibilities for participating in community or social development programmes
• increase the development of volunteers, apprenticeship programmes and work placements
• identify potential risks and impact of our investment choices before making an investment
• ensure our supply chain adheres to our business ethics, human rights, environmental product and safety standards.

Our leadership will lead by example both in practice and behaviour.

 

Governmental 

Our Trustee Board has a collective responsibility for everything we do and is responsible for:

 

• our overall strategic direction including evaluating progress against our strategic plans
• ensuring our financial stability
• acting in the best interests of our organisation
• ensuring that we comply with our governing documents, and any other relevant legislation from our regulators.

The Trustee Board ensures our standards and practices fully embrace the principles of the Charity Commission Charity Governance Code, the Fundraising Regulator and  GDPR data protection.

Strong corporate governance is critical to protecting our membership, supporters, employees and our reputation.  We will seek to drive compliance with the relevant laws and regulations and promote best practice in all operations and activities, considering environmental protection, public health and safety, human rights, anti-bribery and corruption, and labour and anti-slavery practices. We will also seek to ensure sustainable investments.

Our Trustee Annual Report includes commentary on several areas of ESG including EDI and our social impact.