Environmental, social & governance

Our commitment to environmental management

At Royal Voluntary Service, we are committed to managing and reducing our environmental impact and embedding sustainability into the way we work. We recognise our responsibility to protect natural resources and take meaningful action today to support a healthier, more sustainable future for people, communities and the environment.

Our approach to environmental management forms an important part of our wider Environmental Strategy. We are strengthening our environmental management practices and aiming to deliver measurable year-on-year reductions in our environmental impact.

We are developing an ISO 14001:2026 Environmental Management System, providing a structured approach to identifying, managing and continually improving our environmental performance.

Our key areas of focus include:

Energy & carbon – improving the quality of our environmental data, establishing robust baselines and identifying opportunities to reduce consumption and carbon emissions.

Waste & resource use – preventing and reducing waste, encouraging reuse and recycling, improving waste segregation and ensuring waste is managed safely and responsibly.

Food waste – reducing avoidable food and packaging waste, where possible and improving recycling and composting.

Travel & transport – reducing unnecessary journeys, encouraging lower-carbon travel choices and improving the efficiency of essential travel.

A Royal Voluntary Service volunteer serving meals at a lunch club

Pollution prevention – preventing pollution to air, land and water by managing cleaning chemicals, refrigerants and other potentially harmful substances responsibly, controlling spill risks, and responding promptly to environmental incidents.

Responsible procurement – considering environmental and sustainability impacts when purchasing goods and services.

Measurement & reporting – strengthening our environmental data so that we can set meaningful targets, monitor progress and continually improve our performance.

Engagement & collaboration – supporting staff and volunteers to understand the part they can play and working with our partners, suppliers and communities to reduce our wider environmental impact.

A member of staff clearing tables at a hospital cafe

Every action counts

We know that environmental sustainability is a journey. Through strong governance, better data, practical action and continuous improvement, we are building environmental responsibility into everyday decision-making across Royal Voluntary Service.

Protecting our environment is a shared responsibility, and every action – however small – can contribute to meaningful change.