Sustainability
As an environmental body charged with caring for a protected landscape, the Chilterns Conservation Board has a responsibility to operate to the highest environmental standards, and to encourage others to do so as well. The Board prepares an annual Sustainability Plan, to detail how it will meet these standards and to monitor the ambitious targets it has set itself to reduce its use of natural resources and its carbon emissions. The Board is aiming to be carbon neutral.
The Sustainability Plan covers the direct and indirect environmental impacts of the Conservation Board’s own operations. These impacts include those generated as a result of the activities of Board members and staff connected with their duties on behalf of the Board, the operation of the Board’s offices and the implementation of the Board’s work programme.
The Sustainability Plan looks at the following areas:
- Paper
- Waste
- Recycling
- Water
- Energy Use and Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Transport
- Purchasing and Contractors
- Local Produce
- Raising Awareness
- Carbon off-set initiatives
Green Tourism Business Scheme
The Chilterns Conservation Board, the public body which cares for the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has received a Gold award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme in recognition of its efforts to operate sustainably.
The Green Tourism Business Scheme is the UK's national scheme for assessing how 'green' tourism-related businesses are. It looks at many different aspects of business operations including energy efficiency, waste management, water use and travel. A rigorous set of criteria are used to determine whether a business can achieve a Bronze, Silver or Gold award.
The Gold award received by the Board highlights all the measures it has undertaken to reduce its carbon footprint. Solar panels have been installed on the office roof, over 80% of all waste is recycled and staff mileage has been reduced. The Board has also been planting hundreds of trees and distributing free low energy light bulbs to offset its remaining carbon emissions.
The Green Tourism Business Scheme is open to a wide range of business types including accommodation providers, visitor attractions, corporate offices and others. Businesses which join are assessed by a qualified grading advisor who awards points for the green measures being undertaken by the business and offers advice on what else they could achieve. The Scheme has been running since 1997 and now has over 1400 members in the UK. It is the largest and most established scheme of its kind in the world.
For more information on the Scheme visit www.green-business.co.uk
