We are committed to taking responsibility for reducing our carbon footprint as a charity through a targeted action plan for 2021-2030. As the earth’s temperature rises and our environment is under threat we will positively commit to reducing our emissions to net zero before 2025.

Strategic Principles

Our collective approach to achieving net zero is underpinned by seven principles:

Principle	Actions
1. Well maintained buildings and facilities	Undertake an environmental building survey for each office Reduce heat loss by completing basic maintenance and ensuring the building is wind and watertight. Maintain the building through reporting repairs to landlords to prevent water from entering the building and warm air escaping. Ensure any broken windowpanes are repaired/replaced and make sure opening windows shut tightly. Only use heating where staff are attending offices. Where heating is operated, restrict temperature to balance comfort and climate emission footprint. Encourage employees to wear layers during colder periods. Avoid leasing offices which include central air conditioning or heating units. Turn lights off when not in use.
2. Buy renewable energy and promote virtual working	Promote use of renewable electricity and carbon offset gas in POhWER’s offices. Measure and encourage workforce to adopt renewable/carbon-offset energy at home offices. Whilst this does not reduce the energy POhWER uses, it means it comes from a cleaner source. Encourage use of Zoom and Microsoft Teams to avoid unnecessary travel to face-to-face meetings.
3. Recycle, Re-use and Repair	Work with neighbouring businesses exchange goods and services. Buy second-hand furniture and office fittings where possible. Re-cycle mobile phones and laptops or donate them for re-use to extend life and reduce consumption. Repair equipment before considering disposal or replacement.
4. Promoting public transport, walking & cycling	Encourage employee bicycle usage through the Bike to Work scheme. Where possible encourage staff to travel between meetings on foot or bicycle and support time allotted to achieve this. Only allow air travel if no viable public transport options exist. Encourage use of public transport and car sharing. Incentivise use of bicycle, electric or hybrid cars within expense reimbursement policies.
5. Reduce Waste and Consumption	Waste less electricity, waste less gas/oil, tackle any food waste, reduce leaks and wasting water, and avoid unnecessary purchases. We will analyse our waste and seek to reduce waste to landfill. Recycle food waste and dry goods in our office where local authority allows. Work with our supply chain partners to reduce emissions through charity expenditure and favour suppliers who share our commitment to reducing carbon emissions. We will use our purchasing power to influence positive environmental policies of our supply chain.
6. Electricity not Oil	‘Decarbonise’ our heating, where possible by moving to electric heating and using electricity that comes from 100% renewable sources. We will move away from burning oil and gas to heat our buildings, which contributes greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere; alternatives include heat pumps, pew heaters, and infrared panel heaters and chandeliers.
7. Offsetting	Once we have made real reductions in our carbon footprint, POhWER will offset the small remaining amount through Climate Stewards or other reputable schemes to become ‘net zero’ from 2025 or earlier should a local partner or commissioner wish to accelerate our net zero plan. Continue to monitor our remaining carbon footprint in the context of new green technologies and continue to promote the use of renewable or carbon offset energy.

Measuring POhWER’s carbon footprint

POhWER has undertaken an independent carbon footprint analysis using Carbon 360, a collaborative, web-based carbon measurement tool designed specifically for charities. This has provided a baseline measurement of our current charity carbon footprint:

* ‘Expenditure’ includes emissions generated by our supply chain.

Targets to achieve net zero

We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and emissions to achieve a net zero position before 2025. We are working through policy changes, incentive plans for staff and investments to help us to reduce and neutralise our impact on the environment. Our approach will be to spend the next four years optimising, improving and changing behaviours and mind-sets through our charitable work. From 2025 we will adopt a full offsetting policy-driven investment which will reduce any remaining footprint to net zero.

Our extensive work to reduce our climate carbon footprint to date between 2018 and 2021 has resulted in a lower than average starting point (1.14 tCO2 per capita). POhWER’s charity average is significantly lower than the national UK average per person (5.8), global average (4.8) and US average per person (17).

Should a funder or partner want to accelerate carbon offsetting we would welcome a conversation to share investment together in offsetting programmes to achieve our target at an earlier date.

Measure	2021 Current Position	2022-2023	2023-2025	2025-2030
Average carbon footprint per employee	1.14 tCO2	0.92 tCO2	0.76 tCO2	Net Zero*
Offices using carbon offset gas	0%	25%	50%	75%*
Offices using renewable electricity	0%	25%	50%	75%*
% home-based workers staff using carbon offset gas	25.8%	30%	35%	50%*
% home-based workers staff using renewable electricity	32.6%	35%	40%	50%*
Energy Emissions (Head Office)	3.42 tCO2	3 tCO2	2.8 tCO2	Net Zero*
Travel Emissions	292.16 tCO2	270 tCO2	225 tCO2	Net Zero*
Work from Home Emissions	169.46 tCO2	150 tCO2	140 tCO2	Net Zero*
Food Emissions	1.08 tCO2	1 tCO2	1 tCO2	Net Zero*
Expenditure supply chain emissions	17.41 tCO2	15 tCO2	13 tCO2	Net Zero*
Waste Emissions	1.08 tCO2	1 tCO2	1 tCO2	Net Zero*
Total Charity Emissions	484.62 tCO2	440 tCO2	382 tCO2	Net Zero*

*Once CO2 emissions have been reduced as far as possible the remaining emissions will be offset to achieve Net Zero

Reporting & Tracking

POhWER will measure and analyse its carbon footprint twice per annum using Carbon 360 and a staff and volunteer survey to measure consumption at individual level by our home workers. The results will be reported at Executive and Board level. This ensures high-level leadership and that we will continue to progress against our net zero plan and adjust our actions should the plan not be delivering against strategic objectives or targets.

Our baseline emissions reading was first taken in October 2021 and will be updated every 6 months which will include commentary as to why the deviation from baseline report occurred and how it occurred.

We will also use the Carbon 360 tool to measure the environmental impact of each new contract or project.

Carbon Reduction Projects & Certification Schemes

We will pursue carbon reducing changes in our workplace and explore adoption of environmental management measures such as certification schemes like ISO14001 or PAS 2060, signing up to SBTI or other specific measures.

As the majority of our emissions arise from travel, we seek to engage in proactive discussions with our partners to eliminate unnecessary travel arising from POhWER’s charitable work. We commit to further investing in digital technology measures to promote virtual working and home-based working wherever possible. Promoting low/zero carbon travel such as walking, bicycles, electric cars will be our near-term priority.

POhWER achieved the Carbon Charter - Bronze in March 2022