Environmental Policy
At Premier we recognise that everything belongs to God as the Psalm of David notes, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters” (Psalm 24:1-2).
While the earth belongs to the Lord, he has also give us a responsibility to care and tend to it, to “work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15).
Our mission is to help people live out their faith and bring Christ to the centre or our communities. As we fulfil our mission, we recognise our responsibility to do so in a way that preserves, conserves and protects the wonderful gift we have in creation.
The lines below share how we aim to do this across three main areas:
- Our people and practices we encourage among our staff
- Our activities including printed and digital communication
- Our physical facilities and the daily running of our offices
Our People
Premier is seeking to operate a hybrid model of working which allows teams to work from convenient locations and avoids excess travel of a daily commute.
When traveling is necessary, we encourage staff to use the most efficient, practical mode of transport for each journey, preferring the use of trains to cars where possible. Travel is planned around key activities to make the most out of every journey.
Staff are encouraged to keep electronic files and documents and, except for contractual, legal or financial documents, to avoid printing wherever possible. Digital procedure documents and planning documents are the norm and the expectation among teams. SharePoint is utilised as a shared space all can access.
Our Activities
Print Communications
Premier led the way in persuading our magazine printer to replace the plastic magazine wrap with a paper cover made from recycled paper. Our magazines and Voice of Hope publications are printed on PEFC certified paper, meaning that the paper is sourced from sustainably managed forests. We ensure print publications are specific page lengths to avoid paper wastage when printing, to minimise cut-offs of paper wasted.
Letters sent to our supporters also follow similar practices. Communication items use recycled paper and are carefully designed to maximize the paper size, often using extended A4 paper rather than a second sheet of A4 to ensure as little resource is used as possible.
Mailed communication will also include an opportunity to respond electronically rather than sending a reply in the post.
Promotional items are purchased in bulk to ensure Premier receives the best price possible per item, production is as efficient as possible, emissions associated with the delivery, and movement of items is reduced.
Radio and digital
We run radio stations and manage our digital output as efficiently as possible using only what equipment is necessary. We ensure we make full use of the lifecycle of all equipment before replacing and dispose of all electrical equipment using recycling companies.
Dis-used equipment will always aim to be sold to others or donated to avoid wastage.
We recognise that our many websites and digital platforms have their own CO2 outputs. Where possible Premier will consolidate and de-commission websites, so that only essential websites are supported. For example, rather than supporting a single website per radio station, we are in the process of launching a single Premier Sounds website, which will host all of our radio stations and audio listening in one place. This not only benefits listeners, it reduces the overall number of websites necessary to support and therefore CO2 outputs from our digital platforms.
Our electronic communication channels, email and phone, will also produce CO2 by use of the equipment. We manage emails on an inventory to limit the overall number of outbound emails we are sending. This also helps ensure each email sent has clear purpose and need. When placing outbound calls to our supporters, we use time gaps to ensure we are not overcalling. This not only ensures we are acting in a courtesy way with our supporters, but also reduces overall Carbon footprint from these channels.
Finally, Premier is exploring the ability to support electronic event hosting alongside of face-to-face events. This would provide flexibility for attendees, increase capacity and reduce emissions from travel and usage of a physical location.
Our Facilities
Premier has moved into a temporary office with serviced accommodation, so we are limited in our ability to reduce emissions in this building.
Premier’s second office (and currently the registered office) is in Crowborough. We have more flexibility to control our CO2 emissions from this office. In 2021 Premier replaced outdated light fixtures with energy-efficient, long-life LED bulbs.
The Crowborough office receives all post for Premier and has paper and recycling systems in place. Outbound letters, which are undeliverable and therefore returned to the office, are carefully marked in our database to avoid future mailings and wastage.
In general, Premier is committed to ensuring our offices are as environmentally friendly as possible.
Concluding Thoughts
Premier is conscious of our carbon footprint and mindful of our responsibility to care for the environment. We aim to facilitate an internal culture and ways of working that maximises resources, reduces waste, and serves our supporters.
We have lead the way in embracing environmentally friendly processes and materials with our suppliers. Across all our activities, including printed publications, radio, digital and events, we take steps to conserve cost, fuel and resources and see this as a natural part of being good stewards of what God has entrusted to us.
We seek to honour God in our actions and our supporters who also care about creation and taking caring of this great gift God has entrusted to us.