South Yorkshire Police understands that sustainability is about questioning all that we do and trying to reduce our impact to save money and help the environment. By asking ourselves "is this journey/printing/heater necessary?" or "do we need to do it this way?" we can help make a difference.  

We’re trying to get everyone involved in sustainability, asking our staff to make small changes to their routines at work. We’re trying to make sustainable ways of working our way. Why? Because sustainability makes sense, reduces costs and because little things make a big difference.

Our Force is a large organisation and we have a responsibility to reduce our impact on the environment, which in turn will help us to save money. There are seven key areas that we are tackling to meet our commitment for us to reduce our negative impact on the environment, and for each of these areas we have set ourselves commitments.

We commit to:

...save energy and improve the efficiency of our buildings to reduce our carbon footprint.

...reduce the number of unnecessary car journeys, encourage greener travel and maximize the efficiency of our fleet to reduce our carbon footprint.

... reduce, reuse and recycle as much waste as possible and dispose of all waste in an environmentally responsible manner.

...monitor the materials and products used during daily business to maximise resource efficiency. To use our procurement system to encourage manufacturers, suppliers and contractors to develop and supply goods and services which are environmentally preferable.

... monitor and conserve our water use and to promote tap water not bottled water.

... take action to prevent pollution of air, water and land by understanding legislation and by acting responsibly.

... use our IT equipment in an energy and resource efficient manner and to maximise the efficiency of our IT equipment and invest in new technologies.

 

As part of our sustainability agenda, we are committed to completing the annual BitC environment index and to improving our scores each year. In 2010 we submitted our responses for the first time and in 2011 we achieved a Significant Improver award.

 

Our data:

Our total CO₂ emissions for the 2009/10 financial year were 17,196 tonnes, a 9% reduction on the previous year.

Our CO₂ emissions from vehicle usage for the 2009/10 financial year were 1.142 tonnes per employee.

Our total waste produced for the 2011 calendar year was 910.06 tonnes and the recycling rate was 85%.

 

Sustainability for the Force is headed up by Nigel Hiller, Director of Finance. To download our full sustainability strategy, please click here. To download a summary of our Carbon Management Plan, please click this here.