]]>
Has your organisation integrated environmental issues into its commercial decision-making and business-planning process?
]]>Guidance
To respond positively, your organisation must have a procedure/policy in place (or supporting documentation) to demonstrate that the environment is considered when making strategic business decisions. This may be through a formal due-diligence process, conducting a risk assessment, life-cycle assessment, social impact assessment, etc.
Operational decisions are classified as those that concern your day-to-day ability to run the organisation effectively.
Long-term, strategic decisions are classified as those that concern a period of greater than three years into the future and/or have a potentially significant impact on your organisation’s success.
Examples of supporting evidence
- Risk evaluation headings highlighting the key issues identified
- Board meeting agenda
- Certification to BS 8900/Sustainability Standard
2a. Leadership responsibilities
At what level of seniority have you allocated specific responsibility for the environment?
]]>Guidance
Organisations have different board structures; however, environmental management is most effective when a senior employee has been specifically allocated responsibility and is accountable for performance.
]]>Are environmental reports provided regularly for discussion at senior level (eg, senior management team/board level)?
]]>Examples of supporting evidence
Board agenda and/or minutes
Scope of responsibility for board member/senior non-executive board member
Description of the process for reporting issues to the board and list of recent reporting dates
Job description of board members, indicating roles and responsibilities
]]>
Have you successfully encouraged other organisations to take part in the 2023 Northern Ireland Environmental Benchmarking Survey, with at least one having taken part in the 2023 Survey for the first time?
If you answer YES, please email environment@bitcni.org.uk with the organisation name and contact details by Friday 16 June 2023
If you would like to encourge another business to particiapte in the 2023 Survey please download the template here
]]>The Bring a Business initiative asks Survey participants to encourage one of their key suppliers or contractors to take part in the NI Environmental Benchmarking Survey, in an effort to challenge participants to work with their supply chains to improve their environmental impacts. Organisations who ‘Bring a Business’ will gain extra marks in their own submission.
Things you must do:
- Inform Business in the Community of the nominated company and contact details. Email the details to environment@bitcni.org.uk before 17 June (to allow the nominated organisation time to compete the Survey)
- Ensure that the company completes the Survey before the deadline (this is important for you, so that you can avail of extra marks within the Survey)
By reporting publicly on environmental performance, an organisation is holding itself accountable for its environmental impacts. It shows responsibility and commitment to transparency and improvement. Reporting on performance can also help an organisation to engage its stakeholders more effectively and improve perceptions of the organisation.
Guidance
Public environmental reporting can be carried out as part of a wider Annual Report or as a more specific Sustainability Report. Robust reporting of environmental issues should include quantifiable targets and reporting of progress towards these. Data recorded should be reported honestly; if current trends suggest the targets will not be met, the report should state what changes will be made in order to achieve the targets.
]]>Creating a step-change towards a circular economy will require organisations to take a leading position on not only reducing their environmental impacts but eliminating them and having an overall positive impact on the environment.
Guidance
Responses should reflect the commitments the organisation has made with regards to its environmental objectives, which are in the public domain.
Examples of supporting evidence
- A public environmental sustainability report or annual report with an environmental section
3a. Employee engagement
What does your organisation do to engage with employees?
]]>- Changing employee behaviour at work so that it supports environmental targets
- Increasing morale
- Attracting and retaining a workforce that is becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues
- Developing your employees as positive ambassadors of your business' environmental activities
Guidance
Employees with environmental responsibilities should include line management in all operational business units. Employees in corporate functions who might have environmental responsibilities include the following:
- Purchasing (environmental issues in the supply chain)
- Facilities management (utilities conservation)
- Communications (environmental/internal communications)
- Human resources (integrating environment into staff training)
- Information technology (environmental issues in equipment specification)
- Transport (fleet managers)
- Finance (environmental data collection, reporting investment criteria)
- Marketing and sales (environmental issues in customer communications)
- Research and development (new product development)
- Audit (auditing systems related to environmental management)
How does your organisation engage with customers?
]]>Examples of supporting evidence
Results of risk and opportunity assessments
Summaries of approaches used to engage with customers
Examples of sustainable marketing materials, engagement programmes, and sustainable innovation
Sales figures for sustainable products/services
Key performance indicators highlighting impact of sustainable products/services to the business (eg enhanced brand image or improved customer retention) or materials recovery initiatives (eg Kg of used product recovered from customers for recycling/reuse)
]]>
Does your organisation have a procurement policy that. . .
- specifically includes environmental criteria (or an environment policy that specifically covers supply-chain issues)
- is approved by the board/senior management
- is reviewed at least annually
See WRAP’s guidance on helping you procure more sustainably by clicking here
Examples of supporting evidence
Environmental supply chain policies
Criteria for prioritisation of suppliers
Supplier audit schedule
List of suppliers engaged with on sustainability issues, and how you engaged
Does your organisation engage with regulatory bodies on environmental issues?
]]>Depending on the nature of your business, these are likely to include the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, other government departments and agencies, and local councils.
While responding to requests from regulatory bodies should be a minimum requirement (and may, in many cases, be mandatory), actively seeking advice and guidance in order to ensure effective compliance demonstrates a positive approach.
Going beyond this and engaging in dialogue with appropriate regulatory bodies is likely to represent responsible business practice, for example, consulting with regulators when developing new approaches to reducing environmental impacts with the aim of exceeding compliance requirements.
]]>Does your organisation have an Environmental Management System (EMS) in place?
]]>External certification does not need to take place annually but should be periodic and should provide a level of confidence that the internal audit process is robust, independent, and objective.
See NetRegs guideline on implementing an Environmental Management System click here.
Why is this important?
An EMS can help an organisation improve its environmental performance, and it demonstrates their commitment to incorporate environmental issues in its key business practices.
An EMS can also help an organisation improve its information management systems, to better understand and manage the impacts of its operations and to increase efficiencies.
Benefits can therefore include increased compliance with environmental legislation and regulation, improved risk management, reduced liability costs, increased competitive advantage, more employee involvement, and improved public image.
Please Note: If you selected that you have an externally certified EMS, you will NOT be required to answer any further questions within the Environmental Management Section and will move automatically to the next section.
]]>Please Note: because you have an externally certified EMS, you did not need to answer any other questions within the Environmental Management Section and will move automatically to the next section
]]>Does your organisation have a formal environmental policy?
]]>An environmental policy is a detailed statement of commitment and intent regarding an organisation's performance on environmental issues, and it gives merit to the organisation's objectives and targets in this area. It should describe how environmental matters are managed and who is responsible.
Why is this important?
Policies reflect an organisation's commitment to environmental responsibility and set out the framework for the management of relevant environmental issues. Policies help an organisation to communicate its vision and principles to both internal and external stakeholders. It provides the foundation to set environmental targets and objectives.
Guidance
An environmental policy should link the values and corporate responsibility principles of the organisation, should address all relevant environmental activities, and should enable control of the key environmental issues and risks.
Examples of supporting evidence
- Copy of environmental policy
- Details of web address for environmental policy
]]>
How does your organisation determine its environmental issues?
]]>Identification of Issues
Determining an organisation's key environmental impacts is the critical first step in managing them effectively.
Guidance
The type of environmental issues important to your organisation will be dependent upon the nature of your organisation's business activities, its impacts, and the geographic location of your markets. Business in the Community suggests that you consider both the local and global environmental impacts of your business activities.
Organisations will not be scored on the list of key environmental issues they have identified but on how they have determined that list. If issues have been evaluated as part of an ad-hoc review carried out for the purpose of completing the Survey, then this will score less than if issues have been evaluated as part of a regular, independent review process built into an organisation's strategic decision-making, risk-management, or management system review process.
Example of supporting evidence
- Brief description of how the key environmental issues were identified for the business, eg aspects and impacts review
]]>
Does your organisation have a formal register of relevant environmental legislation?
]]>Does your organisation have a formal system to identify emerging legislation that affects your business?
]]>Does your organisation have environmental objectives?
]]>Environmental objectives are the overall goals arising from the environmental policy that an organisation sets itself and that are quantifiable [Source: BS EN ISO 14001/EMAS].
Why is this important?
Objectives and targets help an organisation to translate policies into focused action—in this case, to reduce negative environmental impacts. Internally, objectives and targets also help to prioritise workloads and review progress. Externally, they demonstrate commitment to continual improvement and transparency.
Guidance
Objectives should be documented, reviewed, and updated (at least annually) to be considered 'regular'. The objectives should reflect the areas of significant environmental impact. Organisations use different methods to assess significance, but the process might include the following:
- A formal environmental impact review/assessment
- Compiling a register of relevant legislation
- Compiling a register of aspects and impacts
- Assessing liability/cost
- Identifying significant indirect impacts, eg, product impacts, the results of lending decisions, etc
- Considering reputational risk, eg, media interest
Examples of supporting evidence
- Summary of environmental objectives
- Description of the process by which the organisation has identified the key environmental issues for its business (eg brainstorming, or a structured risk-assessment process for the whole, or part of, the business)
- An Aspects Register and an impacts review for the business
- Documentation on how the organisation has assessed its significant impacts
Has your organisation set environmental targets that relate to the objectives covered in question 9?
]]>Do you measure and monitor your consumption/usage across the following impact areas:
]]>Reporting on performance can help an organisation to engage its stakeholders more effectively and improve their perception of the organisation. It shows responsibility and commitment to transparency and improvement.
Examples of supporting evidence
Record sheet showing environmental issues being recorded
Internal reports showing all environmental data
Reference to where information is publicly available
]]>
How much of your business operations in Northern Ireland does your performance data cover?
]]>Describe the quality of environmental data you collect
]]>Guidance
Information on commuting and business travel can be collected through staff questionnaires or site audits.
- Verifiable data collection is defined as any data collection process that has an audit trail.
- Verified data is any data that has been independently verified by a third party. Independent verification may include a formal review by the company’s internal audit department or by external verifiers.
Example of supporting evidence
Summary of verification statement (either internal statement, or provided by independent third-party)
]]>Is your organisation currently undertaking any improvement projects to reduce waste production? (eg through prevention, resuse, and recycling, diverting waste from landfill)
]]>
This section is an opportunity to gain marks for such projects beyond the scope of the questions covered in the rest of the Survey.
]]>How is your organisation addressing the environmental impacts of its products or services?
]]>Companies that provide products must consider the environmental impact of products they produce throughout their entire lifecycle: how they are designed, the manufacturing process, what they are used for (and how) and, finally, how they are disposed of, reused, or recycled. It might mean that some products are discontinued, that an alternative is found, or that they are significantly altered to reduce their environmental impact.
For service companies or organisations (including Health Trusts and Local Councils), consider the lifecycle of products purchased and used.
]]>Do you measure and monitor your consumption/usage across this impact area?
]]>|
Examples of supporting evidence
|
How much of your business operations in Northern Ireland does your performance data for this impact area cover?
]]>Describe the quality of environmental data you collect for this impact area:
]]>Information on commuting and business travel can be collected through staff questionnaires or site audits.
- Verifiable data collection is defined as any data-collection process that has an audit trail
- Verified data is any data that has been independently verified by a third party. Independent verification may include a formal review by the company's internal audit department or by external verifiers.
Example of supporting evidence
Summary of verification statement (either internal statement, or provided by independent third party)
]]>Does your organisation have a current environmental improvement project underway that addresses this imapct area?
]]>This section is an opportunity to gain marks for such projects beyond the scope of the questions covered in the rest of the Survey.
]]>Can you demonstrate performance improvement in each of the impact areas?
Please use the table below to record data in each of the impact areas noted below, for the baseline year and the most recent year.
We ask that you “normalise” the data if possible ie divide it by a relevant factor, such as: turnover/sales (£); profit (£); employees (headcount or FTE/hours worked); quantity of production (eg tonnage produced, customers, etc); number of sites/buildings.
Please note N/A if the data is absolute/not normalised and include detail if another normalising metric has been used. Normalising data is especially important if you have noticed a significant change in performance data caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Please see the guidance notes for further information.
]]>Performance improvements should relate to your KPI(s) specified for this impact area and to the scope of information measured and reported on. If you have stated that you measure and report on your energy impact for greater than 75% of your business, then any performance improvements indicated in this question should also relate to greater than 75% of your business.
By measuring participants based on the SUM of the total % performance improvement over the past three years, we are lessening the impact of a bad year, recognising the overall performance improvement an organisation has made.
Normalised Figures
In order to best reflect performance, we ask participants to normalise data wherever possible. For example:
• Turnover/sales (£)
• Profit (£)
• Employees (headcount)
• Employees (FTE/hours worked)
• Quantity of production (e.g. tonnage produced, customers, etc.)
• Number of sites/buildings
Reporting Period (Year) Column
Each reporting period must be 12 months long, this can be calendar year, financial year etc. with Year 4 being the most recent. Your performance will be assessed against your base year (Year 1).
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Column
This column is for the total overall GHG emissions used across your organisation including electricity, gas, oil, transport and supply chain emissions (where this information is available) etc.
Individual types of energy use will need to be converted into one unit (for example kWh / GWh / kgCO¬2e / tCO2e / kJ / gJ) so that they can be combined. The Survey Scoring Methodology will reward a decrease in the energy used compared with the base year. Providing normalised data will help avoid discrepancies based on changing scales of production.
Waste Generated Column
This column is to show the total amount of waste generated by your organisation. This includes both waste sent to landfill and waste diverted from landfill. This data should be expressed as a normalised figure where possible. The Survey Scoring Methodology will reward a decrease in the annual waste generated. Providing normalised data will help avoid discrepancies based on changing scales of production. Examples of units which can be used include: Kg / tonnes (t) / m3 / lbs.
Waste Diverted from Landfill Column
In this column we are looking for percentage of waste which has been diverted from landfill. This refers to any waste materials which has been extracted for a specific next use – this may include internal or external re-use of discarded items, recycling of materials, use of appropriate materials in processes such as anaerobic digestion or composting, or recovery of energy from materials through processes such as gasification or combustion. The data should be expressed as a percentage of the total waste generated. The Survey Scoring Methodology will reward an increase in the percentage of total waste generated that is diverted from landfill, compared with the base year.
Water Column
This column should contain data on water consumption. Provide normalised data where possible, eg litres, millilitres or m3 of water per unit produced. The Survey Scoring Methodology will reward a decrease in the water used. Providing normalised data will help avoid discrepancies based on changing scales of production.
In line with our drive to ensure the Survey remains credible, robust, transparent, and fair for all participants, we have added a caveat in relation to those organisations that have been successfully prosecuted by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. While we do not wish to preclude any organisation from participating in the Survey, it will not be possible to achieve Platinum status if you have been successfully prosecuted by the NIEA in the last 12 months.
]]>Please select your additional impact area from the list below. (Please select one)
]]>| Category | Examples |
| Pollution/environmental incidents | Number of complaints, spills, etc. |
| Biodiversity initiatives | Number of initiatives, area of land restored or dedicated to biodiversity, investment in biodiversity initiatives |
| Pollutant usage | Volume of harmful chemicals/oils/solvents used, or volume re-used or replaced with an environmentally friendly alternative |
| Pollutant discharge/emissions | Concentration or volume of CBOD/VOC/Nox released into the environment, refrigerant gas emissions |
| Environmental awards or recognition | Number of green flag awards, externally recognised environmental scores (e.g. Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) score, BREEAM score, etc.) |
| Material usage | Weight of product packaging, paper consumed, materials used |
| Other | Other environmental activity where you can show year on year improvement |
(Refer to the guidance notes for assistance and examples to answering this question)
]]>In order to best reflect performance, we ask participants to normalise data wherever possible eg kWh per no of employees or turnover or unit of production.
How to normalise data?
Participants are free to normalise data if they wish. Whereas an absolute figure describes a total amount produced, consumed etc. against a single unit of measurement (eg three tonnes, 100,000 kWh etc) a normalised figure describes the number of units produced, consumed etc. against a further factor (eg number of tonnes per £1m turnover, number of kWh per unit of production, etc). In this way, performance is expressed in efficiency terms and data can be compared over time whilst taking into account expanding or contracting business levels etc.
Other factors that data could be normalised against include building size, number of employees, number of products made etc.
]]>Do you measure your Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions?
]]>Reporting on performance can help an organisation to engage its stakeholders more effectively and to improve their perception of the organisation. It shows responsibility and commitment to transparency and improvement.
An organisation’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are commonly split into three categories or ‘scopes’. This has become the expected way for organisations to describe their ‘carbon footprint’.
These scopes are as follows:
- Scope 1 means any emissions that your organisation emits directly through the combustion of fossil fuel. For example, the natural gas that is used to fuel heating systems or petrol used in company cars.
- Scope 2 means any emissions that are emitted by another organisation on your behalf. Key examples of these are electricity and steam purchased.
- Scope 3 refers to all other emissions that are emitted by your suppliers, and those emissions that result from the use of your products.
Information on how to calculate GHG emissions for your organisation is published by the UK Government and can be found by clicking here.
This includes conversion factors for GHG reporting to help organisations convert their activities, such as electricity use, fuel consumption, car mileage or waste generated into the equivalent GHG emissions (in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents, CO2e). The conversion factors are updated annually at the end of May each year.
]]>
What GHG emissions data do you collect?
]]>This question asks about the extent to which your organisation understands its carbon footprint and the relevant data that is collected in relation to scope 1, 2 and some 3 emissions.
]]>
Describe the quality of GHG data you collect
]]>Verifiable data collection is defined as any data collection process that has an audit trail.
Verified data is any data that has been independently verified by a third party. Independent verification may include a formal review by the company's internal audit department or by external verifiers.
]]>
Does your organisation have any current GHG emission reduction projects underway?
]]>This section is an opportunity to gain marks for environmental improvement projects beyond the scope of the questions covered in the rest of the Survey.
]]>Does your organisation use renewable energy?
(Please indicate what percentage of your overall energy consumption is provided by this source)
]]>
Renewable energy is defined as energy generated from wind, solar, wave and tidal, geothermal, biomass and hydroelectric sources. This is in line with the UK government's definition.
'Assets owned by our organisation' is defined as renewable capacity (as described above) that is owned by your organisation and from which renewable energy is directly used.
'Assets owned by a third party with direct purchase agreements in place' is defined as a direct one-to-one arrangement to use renewable energy from a specified generation source (ie, a wind or solar farm). This includes power purchase agreements (PPA) that are long-term contracts between two parties—one that generates electricity (the seller) and one that is looking to purchase electricity (the buyer) from a specific site.
Purchased from energy supplier relates to buying electricity from an energy supplier that is distinct from the “standard” offering. Often called ‘green tariffs’, these must be supported by energy attribute certificates or other contracts, including energy attribute certificates (RECs).
]]>Have you identified the potential risks from climate change for your organisation?
]]>This question asks whether companies have identified and then quantified the risks to their business from climate change. These risks may, for example, relate to operational disruptions, difficultly sourcing products and services, or increased costs from the requirements of new regulations.
On this basis, a risk-mitigation plan can be developed and implemented to limit the potential impact of significant business risks. This plan should be approved at senior levels within the organisation.
]]>Have you developed GHG emissions reduction targets that align with science?
]]>
Targets are considered science-based if they align with what the latest climate science says is necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement - to limit global warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.
The Science-based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and one of the We Mean Business Coalition commitments. The initiative develops guidance, tools, and technical assistance to facilitate the adoption of science-based targets and incentivises companies to set meaningful targets.
More information on the SBTi, as well as how to set an SBT and see formal approval of an SBT, can be found at https://sciencebasedtargets.org
]]>
Has your organisation considered investing in energy storage, such as batteries or thermal stores that allow you to capture heat or electricity? ]]>
While arguably in its infancy, energy storage is one of the technologies that has a vital role to place in tackling climate change over the coming years. This question seeks to understand if organisations in Northern Ireland are considering this technology
]]>Does your organisation invest in carbon offsets as part of your GHG emissions reduction strategy?]]>
The types of offset projects that are implemented are diverse. They range from forestry sequestration projects (in which ‘credits’ are gained for the GHG removed from the atmosphere when trees grow) to energy efficiency and renewable energy projects (which prevent GHG emissions into the atmosphere).
This question seeks to find out whether organisations in Northern Ireland are using carbon offsets as part of their approach to GHG reduction.
]]>What proportion of your generated waste is recycled?
(Waste recycled does not include waste that is incinerated and/or sent for energy recovery)
]]>[Select up to three options]
]]>Has your business made any capital investments in areas that will allow it to transform its approach to the Circular Economy, or do you plan to make any such investments in the next two years? (unscored)
]]>Please also provide details of the initiatives that you are investing in, or planning on investing in.
]]>Does your organisation currently have any commitments, policies or actions in place to maintain, enhance and/or conserve biodiversity?
Select all that apply
]]>
Biodiversity conservation is an area of work that is still unfamiliar to many businesses, this question allows BITC to find out more about how businesses in Northern Ireland are engaging with biodiversity, and what the challenges may be.
]]>Do you have a management process to provide you with assurance that your environmental information is accurate, relevant, and reliable?
Note: Participation in the NI Environmental Benchmarking Survey (and the verification process that this entails) does not constitute 3rd-party verification
]]>Why is this important?
This is important to ensure accuracy, relevance, and reliability of any information provided within this Survey. The Survey is a self-assessment process, but the organisation should be assured that its responses can be justified both internally and, if there are external enquiries, in its positioning within the Survey.
]]>]]>
*For example, providing monetary support for renewable energy projects, training and activities to raise awareness, support for green infrastructure (green walls, green roofs, sustainable urban drainage, trees) and blue infrastructure (ponds, lakes) which build climate resilience in local communities and support carbon sequestration.
Any activities undertaken should be linked to and driven by the business’s nature stewardship strategy and its core business model.
]]>