Our Environmental Policy

The Intellectual Property Office recognises that what we do can have a positive and negative impact on the environment. Our environmental policy addresses the impacts that we can control and influence.

We are committed to being a role model for best practice in environmental performance. We are committed to sustainable development, to reduce the impact on the environment from our operations and to maximise environmental improvement.

In order to implement this policy we will:

• Minimise waste by identifying ways to reduce, re-use and recycle. We will investigate ways of diverting more waste streams from landfill.
• Purchase in an environmentally responsible manner. We expect all suppliers to co-operate fully in the delivery of our environmental targets.
• Minimise pollution from greenhouse gas emissions which result from our energy use. We will do this through in-house energy efficiency and through the use of green IT. We will actively investigate the use of an alternative energy system for our Newport site.
• Reduce the impact of travel between our sites, internationally and from commuting.
• Identify and provide appropriate training, advice and information for all staff on environmental matters.
• Encourage all employees to reduce the environmental impacts associated with their work and encourage them to develop new ideas and initiatives.
• Promote and encourage the office’s involvement in local initiatives through our corporate social responsibility programme for the benefit of local communities and our staff.
• Comply with all relevant environmental legislation, regulation and other requirements.
• Commit appropriate resources and give managers sufficient responsibility to implement this policy.
• Manage these impacts through an environmental management system certified to the international standard ISO 14001.
• Set and monitor environmental objectives and targets and continually assess and improve the effectiveness of our environmental management system.
• Make this policy available to all interested parties and review it on an annual basis.

John Alty
Chief Executive and Comptroller General