Our Commitment to Sustainability

At Cedar, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive society for all. Our mission is to support individuals and families living with disability, autism, and brain injury to live the lives they choose. We recognise that our work impacts the environment through emissions, resource consumption, water pollution, and waste generation.

Wherever possible, we strive to minimise this impact by delivering services responsibly and sustainably, ensuring that we protect natural resources for future generations. We also encourage environmentally conscious work practices and lifestyle choices that balance ecological responsibility with health and well-being benefits.

Our Approach

Our Environmental Policy applies across all areas of our organisation and aligns with Cedar’s Strategic Plan (2021-2026) and operational frameworks, including the EFQM model, ISO 9001, Investors in People, and Investing in Volunteers. Our Senior Management Team oversees its implementation, while all employees, service users, and stakeholders share responsibility for supporting our environmental goals.

Our Objectives

To continuously improve environmental performance, we align our initiatives with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our key objectives include:

• Promoting sustainable practices that encourage responsible consumption, reduce pollution, and minimise waste, including a commitment to halve carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. 
• Raising awareness of environmental issues, commitments, and aspirations within our organisation and the wider community.
• Being led by our employee-led Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Team who work in partnership with employees and service users to co-create and implement environmentally sustainable strategies.

We are dedicated to:

• Education and Training: Equipping staff and volunteers with the necessary resources, knowledge, and guidance to fulfil our sustainability goals.
• Sustainable Procurement: Sourcing goods and services that are environmentally, socially, and economically responsible.
• Resource Efficiency: Reducing waste, maximising recycling efforts, and optimising resource use.
• Energy and Emissions Reduction: Lowering our carbon footprint through responsible energy consumption and emissions management and working towards net zero.
• Ethical Investments: Ensuring our financial decisions reflect our values and commitment to sustainability.
• Proactive Environmental Management: Upholding our vision of an inclusive society while ensuring that sustainability remains a core principle.
• Legal Compliance: Adhering to all environmental laws and best practices outlined by regulatory bodies.

Monitoring and Accountability

We are committed to transparency and continuous improvement. Our environmental performance is planned, monitored, and reviewed through a structured Environmental Management System, integrated with our Balanced Scorecard framework.

Our ESG Team conduct a biennial review of this policy (or sooner if required by legislative or organisational changes) in consultation with staff, service users, and stakeholders.

By embedding environmental responsibility into our operations, we undertake proactive steps toward a more sustainable and inclusive future for all.