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Environmental Policy

1. Statement

Our mission is to design and deliver projects through a collaborative and responsible working culture, that encourages staff, clients and end-users alike to create solutions towards more positive and sustainable ways of life.

Through our core principles, our environmental policy and our own design delivery process, we express our commitment to the Quattro mission. By working collaboratively with clients and end-users through our processes, we aim to engage them in sustainable "learning-by-doing" and encourage them to reduce the adverse impacts of their activities.

2. Environmental Impacts

We recognise that within the overall scope of our operations and services there are both adverse impacts and positive opportunities within the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development. The most significant adverse environmental impacts of our operations are:

Internal operations:

• CO2 emissions to atmosphere through use of carbon-based energy and transport fuel
• Resource consumption in the provision and maintenance of office-based set-up
• Waste production from the non-permanent use of materials
• Emissions, consumption and waste of suppliers through our procurement of services and products

Design Services:

• Land take or re-use for developments
• Effect on natural systems and biodiversity of developments
• Emission, consumption and waste implications of the designs and specifications we create for developments
• Emission, consumption and waste impacts of construction operations on site
• Emission, consumption and waste impacts of the users and operations of developments in use.

3. Objectives

• Comply with current and relevant environmental legislation and implement best practice guidance
• Continue to develop our collaborative working processes with specialist consultants in the design team to mitigate the adverse impacts of designs
• Assess ways to reduce and/or offset CO2 emissions associated with energy consumption and transport fuel
• Assess pollution and other environmental risks on a project-by-project basis and identify action to minimise or eradicate potential negative impacts
• Minimise resource consumption associated with internal operations and design services
• Purchase and specify materials, goods, consumables and equipment with least environmental impact wherever possible, and encourage purchasers and specifiers to research new opportunities to minimise environmental impact
• Obtain environmental performance information from suppliers, especially for construction operations on site
• Establish expertise in designing out construction waste at the “drawing board” stage
• Seek client sign-up on a project-by-project basis to include specified requirement for construction waste minimisation and measurement methods within operations on site
• Seek client sign-up on a project-by-project basis to deliver carbon neutral or lowest energy development solutions
• Seek client sign-up on a project-by-project basis to optimise the specification of re-cycled and/ or re-usable materials for construction projects
• Research, acquire and disseminate latest up-to-date knowledge, skills and expertise on a continual basis
• Actively appraise new staff members of our policy and encourage their involvement in the regular review of its implementation and effectiveness
• Establish simple and effective measurement of our internal annual performance and progress to enable transparent communication of our impacts with staff and clients

4. Commitments:

• To support Hugh Nettelfield to carry out his responsibilities as the company ‘steward” for environmental policy and its implementation
• Involve staff in a regular and creative “review and refresh” brainstorm about the sustainable implications of our policy and our activities
• Engage and encourage staff and consultants to creatively deliver continuous improvements in our environmental performance in all aspects of our activities
• Support staff to use web-based and hard copy information, guidance and expert advice to ensure compliance with current environmental legislation
• Carry out sustainability risk assessments at the appropriate stage of design development for each project and prioritise solutions that reduce or eradicate adverse impacts
• Continually develop best practice techniques and improve our technical excellence within our design processes and service delivery
• Establish a simple annual summary report of environmental performance

5. Active Development Of Commitments:

We recognise that keeping fresh and inventive in our commitments to sustainable development can be productively supported by networking and sharing learning with others on the same track. In view of this, we actively participate in a number of networks, three of which are described below:

Gloucester Round Table For Sustainable Development

Quattro Design is one of 18 members of the Gloucestershire Round Table for Sustainable Development, which meets four times a year to network and progress strategic opportunities for sustainable development at county level.

SWRDA FUTURE FOUNDATIONS CHARTER

SWRDA Future Foundations Charter

Quattro Design is signed up at the highest - Ambassador Pledge - level to the South West Regional Development Agency's (SWRDA) sustainable construction charter "Future Foundations". The charter promotes sustainable construction through the following:

• Where It’s At - Site Appraisal
• The Sense of Place - Landscape, Biodiversity, Cultural Heritage and Recreation
• Make The Connection - Movement and Communication
• All Together Now - Sharing Information
• Projects Are For People - Community Engagement
• In Expert Hands - Training and Skills Development
• Work It Out - Using Local Labour in Construction
• Neighbourhoods of Distinction - Use of Local Materials
• Time And Time Again - Recyclability and Renewability of Building Materials
• Save Your Energy - Energy Efficiency in Construction and Operation
• Lighten Up - Natural Light and Darkness
• Good Vibrations - Noise
• Every Drop Counts - Water Resources
• Waste Not, Want Not - Saving Money and Minimising Waste
• Safe And Sound - Safe Developments
• Breath Easy - Health Benefits from Sustainable Design and Materials
• Forecast Changeable - Responding to Climate Change and 'Future proofing'

Association Of Environment Conscious Building

Quattro Design is also a long-standing member of the Association of Energy Conscious Building (AECB):

The AECB Charter

The objective and aims of the AECB is to facilitate environmentally responsible practices within building.

Specifically the AECB aims to:

• promote the use of products and materials which are safe, healthy and sustainable
• encourage members projects that respect, protect and enhance the environment
• make available comprehensive information and guidance about products, methods and projects
• support the interests and endeavours of members in achieving these aims

We acknowledge agreement with the stated Charter of the Association. We understand the need for the construction industry to protect the environment while continuing to offer high-quality and essential services.