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The RSPB's environmental policy statement
18 November 2008
The RSPB exists to secure a healthy environment for birds and wildlife, helping to create a better world for us all. We are a charity with more than one million members, over 12,500 volunteers and 1,500 staff, more than 200 nature reserves, 10 regional offices, four country offices, and one vision – to work for a better environment that is rich in birds and other wildlife.
To help achieve this vision, we champion birds and the environment to decision-makers, protect, restore and manage habitats for birds and wildlife, and research the problems facing birds and the environment. This research underpins all our work and helps us find practical solutions that we can implement and promote to others.
We manage our nature reserves so that wildlife can flourish and people can get closer to nature. We also share our knowledge and enthusiasm to help people of all ages enjoy the natural world. This includes an extensive education programme to enable young people to learn more about the environment.
We recognise that in delivering these positive conservation benefits our work also has some adverse impacts on the environment. With this in mind, we are committed to continual improvement in our own environmental performance, to meeting our statutory environmental obligations and to reducing our environmental impacts.
Our main environmental impacts arise from: greenhouse gas emissions from energy use and travel; waste generation; water use; and the use of non-renewable resources. To minimise our impacts on the environment, we have set ourselves the following objectives:
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Advocate sustainability and, through our example and achievements, inspire and encourage others.
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Develop and implement environmental action plans to minimise our impacts, and set appropriate targets to achieve continuous improvement.
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Annually review our environmental performance.
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Raise awareness of environmental issues among staff and encourage them to observe best practice.
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Incorporate environmental responsibilities into job descriptions, staff training and appraisals.
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Select and work with corporate partners and suppliers towards achieving compliance with this policy.
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Promote the value of sustainability to our members and supporters.
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Manage RSPB investments in a manner that supports the principles of socially responsible investing (SRI).
This policy has been endorsed by the RSPB Management Board. Responsibility for its implementation lies with the management structure and every member of staff. The Green Management Team will advise on implementation and monitor progress. The policy and supporting management systems will be subject to regular review.