Engage Education Carbon Reduction Policy

Environmental & Carbon Reduction Policy – Engage Education

1. Policy Statement & Commitment

Engage Education Ltd, operating under Engage Partners Ltd, is committed to minimising our
environmental impact, to continuously reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and to operating sustainably in all our UK offices. Our ambitions include achieving Net-Zero emissions by 2050 (or earlier, where feasible), reducing waste, conserving water, and promoting circular economy principles in our operations and procurement.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all UK operations, offices, employees (full-time, part-time), contractors, and
suppliers working with or on behalf of Engage Education.

3. Objectives

● Reduce the use of non-renewable, non-biodegradable and single-use materials
● Minimise the generation of waste, and reduce the amount sent to landfill
● Minimise water consumption and avoid wasteful water use
● Reduce emissions associated with waste disposal and water supply/transport
● Promote reuse, recycling, refurbishment and responsible disposal of materials and equipment
● Support broader carbon emissions reduction, including through energy efficiency, sustainable
travel, procurement of low-carbon services, and use of renewable energy where possible.

4. Waste Management

Policy & Commitments
● Provide clearly labelled recycling and non-recycling bins in all offices and appropriate areas
● Adopt a paperless office policy. Printing of documents is only allowed if authorised by a senior
leader, and use must be justified for audit
● All paper procured by the company must be from recycled sources
● Where printing occurs, used printer cartridges must be disposed of via specialist recycling or
refilling schemes whenever possible
● Ban on purchase or use of CFC-based aerosol cans (e.g. in cleaning supplies)
● Ban on the purchase and use of single-use plastics for everyday business practices

Responsibilities
● Employees: Dispose of waste responsibly using the correct receptacles; report any damage or
issues with waste management equipment; comply with relevant policies to avoid excess or
harmful waste
● Managers / Decision-makers: Ensure all employees are aware of these policies; promote
awareness; maintain reporting processes for environmental concerns; incorporate environmental
policy into procurement decisions; request environmental policies from suppliers; monitor key
metrics (e.g. weight/volume of secure waste disposed); review policies regularly

5. Water Management

Policy & Commitments
● All taps within offices will use sensor-based or water-efficient controls to reduce water waste
● Toilet facilities will operate with dual-flush or automatic flush systems where possible
● Drinking water will be supplied via filtered water systems in offices to eliminate regular ordering
and transportation of bottled water
● Water usage will be a consideration in the planning of any company events (to avoid unnecessary
usage)

Responsibilities
● Employees: Use water responsibly when washing hands, cleaning, using kitchen facilities or filling
drinking receptacles; report any leaks or faults; follow policies to avoid water wastage
● Managers / Decision-makers: Ensure awareness and compliance among all staff; respond to
reports of leaks or faults; consider water usage in procurement and operations; regularly monitor
water usage across sites; review and update water-management policies annually

6. Circular Economy & Resource Use

Engage Education is committed to the principles of the circular economy: Reduce, Preserve, Regenerate.

● Reduce: Minimise use of single-use products (especially plastics), favour paperless solutions, and
preferentially lease equipment for short-term needs rather than purchase
● Preserve: All IT hardware (laptops, desktops, monitors) is inspected annually for faults. On
employee exit, equipment is returned, assessed for refurbishment, and reallocated if in working
order. Items beyond repair are disposed of via the correct recycling channels. Employees commit
to caring for their allocated equipment. Faults should be reported via internal systems
● Regenerate: Where possible, procure items that are recyclable under standard recycling systems.
If items become redundant but remain usable, seek donations to local charitable organisations
before disposal.

7. Carbon Reduction & Net Zero Commitment

Engage Education commits to achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 across UK operations. We will:
● Calculate and publish our baseline emissions (Scope 1, 2, and key Scope 3, where data allows)
● Set interim reduction targets over five-year periods and track progress annually
● Implement energy efficiency measures, consider renewable energy procurement where feasible,
and promote low-carbon business travel and commuting practices
● Monitor waste and water management, resource use, procurement, and supply-chain emissions
as part of our broader carbon reduction strategy.

8. Roles & Responsibilities (Governance)

Board / Senior Leadership: Ultimate oversight and sign-off. Approve and endorse the policy.
Ensure resources and support for environmental initiatives
● Environmental Lead / Green Working Group (or equivalent): Day-to-day management; monitor
performance; coordinate initiatives (waste, water, energy, procurement, IT-equipment reuse);
report annually to the board
● Managers / Team Leaders: Ensure staff awareness and compliance, embed policy in procurement
and operations, monitor local site performance and raise issues promptly
● All Employees: Follow policy, use resources responsibly, report issues, and support continuous
improvement

9. Monitoring, Reporting & Review

● The policy and its performance will be reviewed annually (summer policy audit)
● Key metrics will include waste generated vs recycled, water use per office, energy consumption,
IT asset lifecycle, and progress against carbon-reduction targets
● The Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) will be updated annually and published on the Engage
Education website
● Any changes in operations, office footprint, or business model will trigger an interim review of this
policy

10. Communication and Supplier Engagement

● The policy will be communicated to all employees, contractors, and suppliers
● For procurement, Engage Education will request environmental policies and evidence of
sustainable practices from suppliers and favour those aligned with our circular-economy and
net-zero objectives
● We will encourage suppliers to adopt similar or more ambitious waste, water, energy, and
carbon-reduction practices.

11. Sign Off

The Board of Engage Education approves this updated policy and takes effect from 01/04/2025

Signed:
Name: Joseph Raffell
Title: Associate Director
Date: 01/04/2025