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Environment and sustainability

We are committed to being socially and environmentally responsible, delivering value for money, working efficiently and reducing waste in every aspect of our business. We are working hard to integrate sustainability across every part of our organisation and manage the impact we have on the environment and society.

Our activity

Some of our most recent sustainability activity includes:

  • 20 electric vehicles joined our fleet in 2021/22, reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 88 tonnes a year. Additional planned investment in 13 electric vehicles this year will reduce emissions further
  • Organisation-wide engagement with Neighbourhood and Partnerships, People and Organisational Development, IT and Operational Support to help them understand where their activities can contribute to our sustainability objectives
  • We moved to a 100% green electricity tariff
  • Continued ongoing work with our cleaning and catering supplier to reduce packaging and food waste
  • Ongoing collaborative work with Devon and Cornwall and Gloucestershire Constabularies to implement a new regional Sustainable Procurement Policy to coherently embed whole life costs in buying decisions

Our Sustainability Plan

Our 2021-2026 Sustainability Plan outlines our commitment to sustainability and sets ambitious targets for the future. The plan will drive improvements in how we do things, to make better use of resources, contribute to improving the lives of local people and further reduce our environmental impact.

We developed our Sustainability Plan using the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and identified four priority goals in our current five-year plan:

  • Climate Action
  • Responsible Consumption and Production
  • Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • Partnerships for the Goals

Annual Sustainability Report

Our latest Annual Sustainability Report provides performance headlines, shares progress updates and highlights risks. The 2021/22 report performance headlines include:

  • The Constabulary’s total carbon emissions fell by a further 5.1% to 11,308 tonnes with emissions from buildings falling the most
  • The reduction in emissions from buildings can be solely attributed to a 20% reduction in electricity use. Gas use saw a small increase over the same period
  • Emissions from fleet increased by 5.1% with a corresponding 27.1% increase in fuel consumption. The impact of this increase is mitigated through the continued transition to unleaded petrol and EV over time
  • Total waste volumes continue to fall based on a rolling 12-month average

Sustainability Charter

Additionally, we have signed up to the Emergency Services Environment and Sustainability Charter, which was developed for members to pledge their support to:

  • Work towards a common set of goals
  • Embed sustainability within their own organisation
  • Achieve sustainability objectives

Contact us

If you want to find out more about our sustainability programme, contact Hannah Watts, Head of Business Services using our general enquiry form

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