Environmental Policy

Last updated April 2026

1. Purpose and commitment

Innovate Social Ltd works with organisations on sustainability, social impact and capacity building. It would be inconsistent to advise others on environmental practice without holding ourselves to the same standard.

This policy sets out how we minimise the environmental impact of our own operations. It applies to all work carried out by the company, including work delivered by associates on our behalf.

We commit to reducing our impact in the environment where possible, and making sustainable choices at every opportunity. As a small organisation, we are lean and green in our ethos and values.

2. Our operating context

Innovate Social is a small consultancy operating from shared desk space within a repurposed community building in east Belfast, supported by home-based working. We own no vehicles, occupy no dedicated premises, operate no plant or machinery, and hold no physical stock. Our environmental impact is therefore concentrated in three areas: travel, energy use, and the goods and services we buy.

3. Travel

Travel is our single largest source of emissions, so it receives the most attention.

Hierarchy of choice. For every journey we ask, in order: can this be done remotely; can it be done by walking or cycling; can it be done by public transport; and only then, is a private vehicle necessary.
Public transport by default. Client work in Belfast and across Northern Ireland is undertaken by bus, rail or on foot. We hold no company vehicle.
No domestic air travel. We do not fly for journeys within the island of Ireland.
Journey consolidation. Where in-person attendance is required, we combine site visits, planning meetings and delivery into single trips rather than repeat journeys.
Remote-first planning. Design, drafting and review stages of a project are conducted remotely as standard, reserving in-person time for delivery and facilitation where physical presence adds genuine value.

4. Energy and workspace

We work from shared and home-based workspace rather than taking on dedicated premises, avoiding the emissions associated with heating and lighting an under-occupied office.
Equipment is bought to last and kept in service for its full useful life, with circular suppliers used where possible. Devices are repaired where repair is viable, and retired equipment is passed on for reuse or taken to certified WEEE recycling rather than disposed of.
Lights, screens and equipment are switched off rather than left on standby.

5. Digital and physical materials

Digital by default. Proposals, reports, agendas and workshop materials are produced and shared digitally. We do not print as a matter of course.
Printing exceptions. Where printed materials genuinely improve a workshop — activity cards, worksheets, accessible large-print handouts — we print only the quantity required, double-sided, on recycled or FSC-certified stock, using a local printer.
Reusable facilitation kit. We maintain a reusable set of facilitation materials (whiteboards, refillable pens, fabric banners, cloth bags) in place of single-use printed or plastic equivalents.
No single-use giveaways. We do not produce branded promotional items or delegate freebies unless specifically requested by clients. If requested, we work to provide sustainable options.

6. Procurement and suppliers

We buy local first. Suppliers within Northern Ireland are preferred, both to reduce transport emissions and to keep spend in the local economy.
We favour small businesses, social enterprises and co-operatives where they can meet the requirement.
Where we engage associates or subcontractors, we share this policy with them and ask that they work within it for the duration of the engagement.
We ask suppliers about their own environmental practice for any purchase of material significance, and we do not knowingly buy from suppliers whose practices conflict with this policy.

7. Measurement, reporting and offsetting

We are working to develop our own reporting using commercially available tools and software.
Residual emissions that cannot reasonably be avoided are not yet offset however we are working with Earthly to explore options for how this may develop.

8. Responsibility and review

As a sole-director company, responsibility for this policy rests with the Director, Josh Watts. There is no delegation and no ambiguity about who is accountable.

This policy is reviewed annually, or sooner if the nature or scale of our operations changes materially. Progress against the commitments in section 1 is recorded at each review.

Innovate Social Ltd · Company registered in Northern Ireland

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