2 Jul 2008

Interserve’s new sustainability guide, ‘RENEWABLES’, has received high praise from the Environment Agency for its environmental leadership and commitment to sustainable development.  The guide is being used by all staff responsible for the provision of facilities and operations and addresses the priorities laid out in the government’s Strategy on Sustainable Development.

Wayne Tantrum (left), Sustainability Director at Interservefm Ltd
with Peter Quarmby (right), Area Manager, Environment Agency

Peter Quarmby, Environment Agency Area Manager, said: “I am delighted that Interserve has made this commitment to sustainable development and I encourage other companies to follow suit. Businesses need to tackle the causes of climate change by using less energy, saving water and producing far less waste. Interserve’s sustainable development guide shows real leadership in identifying and delivering good practice and I am very impressed with the way Interserve is taking this forward. Ultimately, it pays to be green and start adapting to the effects of climate change.”

The guide was launched on World Environment Day (5 June 2008) when Interserve held events for employees across the world to explain the guide and raise awareness of sustainable working practices.  Staff engagement was extremely high and ranged from presentations promoting green living to secondary schools in the UK to a raft of initiatives supporting sustainable work and living in Australia, including the creative approach of recycling shredded waste paper as bedding for a local dog shelter.

Wayne Tantrum, Sustainability Director at InterserveFM: commented: “We are delighted with the enthusiasm shown by staff on World Environment Day and the reception for our sustainability guide. To further improve the sustainability of our working practices, we need to engage people company-wide, as well as our suppliers, and the level of support for our initiatives shows a great commitment to the cause.”

Steven Dance, Interserve Executive Director with overall responsibility for sustainability, commented: “We are grateful to the Environment Agency for its support of RENEWABLES and our investment in sustainable development. Environmental, social and economic sustainability is fundamental to our progress as a business, as it is to society, and it is immensely encouraging that the launch of our new guide has been such a success.”

To help raise employee awareness, five of Interserve’s suppliers donated sustainable products for World Environment Day:

• Veolia Environmental Services (UK) Plc
• 3663
• BPI Poly
• Lyreco
• Kimberley Clark

Interserve’s sustainability guide, ‘RENEWABLES’, is an acronym of 10 sustainable priorities that staff should assess to maximise sustainability: 

• Raw (material use)
• Energy
• Noise, nuisance and dust
• Emissions
• Water
• Adapting (buildings for climate change)
• Being (health, well-being and communities)
• Land use
• Economic
• Solid and hazardous waste
 
The guide provides detailed advice against each of the 10 priorities which are supported by best-practice case studies to provide tangible solutions to environmental, social and economic challenges.

Click here to find out more about Interserve RENEWABLES >