Responsible Business
We take our name from the Acacia tree, a species that flourishes in adversity, offering sustenance & shelter in the harshest climates. This ethos is central to our Responsible Business programme through which we proudly support and promote Sustainability, Diversity and Inclusion within our organisation and also with those of our Value Chain, in accordance with our Responsible Business Policy (View Here)
The Acacia Evergreen Initiative
Our new Acacia Evergreen Initiative fully addresses the expansion and measurement of our sustainability efforts. We have aligned our Responsible Business efforts with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and we have chosen those most relevant to our business and set our goals accordingly. In alignment with the UN SDGs as listed below, the four pillars of our new Acacia Evergreen Initiative are based on these and are outlined below. We have now completed, collated and assessed our achievements in our first year as Acacia Evergreen and are proud to publish our Responsible Business Report 2022 here.
People
We strive to treat our people with fairness, equality, and respect at all times, foster a culture of inclusion & diversity while encouraging all employees to lead healthier lives.
Themes
- Employee Wellbeing
- Health and Safety
- Learning and Development
Targets / KPIs / Metrics
- Integrate sustainability items into the new Safety, Health & Wellbeing Committee’s plan for 2023 Q1
- Continued promotion of Flexible and Remote Working Arrangements – Q1-4
- Roll out of Apleona Health & Wellbeing calendar
Key Actions 2023
- Safety, Health & Wellbeing Committee to conduct pulse survey to ascertain areas of interest from all employees
- Committee to devise strategy and roll out: Personal Finance & Budgeting, Physical Fitness, Fire Safety in the Home and Mental Health
- Managers to conduct 6 monthly reviews of remote working arrangements to ascertain job satisfaction and productivity with focus on retention
Planet
We seek to minimise our environmental impact by reducing carbon emissions company wide and improving our energy management practices.
Themes
- Energy Management
- Carbon Reduction
- Waste & Circular Economy
- Sustainable Transport
Targets / KPIs / Metrics
- 2022 Carbon footprint calculated by Q3
- Continue Diesel fleet swap out and upgrade – 20%
- Integrate into Apleona’s Decarbonisation Plan
- Publish Responsible Business Report
Key Actions 2023
- Continue replacement of old diesel fleet with more efficient or electric vehicles in 2023
- Updated Carbon Footprint completed
- Report on environmental issues
Value Chain
Responsible sourcing is a crucial element of Acacia’s human rights due diligence efforts and focuses on working with our suppliers.
Themes
- Responsible Sourcing of Sustainable Products and Services
Targets / KPIs / Metrics
- 70% of suppliers to sign up to Sustainability Clauses
- Select next top 5 supplier partners to develop their own responsible business programs by Q2
- Integrate with Apleona Procurement system
Key Actions 2023
- Align Apleona and Acacia procurement policies
- Continue to encourage sustainability initiatives with our supply chain
Innovation
We endeavour to use our new technologies to assist and support the working environment as an additional step in reducing our carbon footprint.
Themes
- Efficient Buildings
- Clean Technology
Targets / KPIs / Metrics
- Installation of 50 on-demand cleaning sensors by Q1
- Installation of 50 temp monitoring sensors in Q2
- Installation of 50 CO2 monitoring sensors in Q3
- Installation of 50 occupancy sensors by Q4
Key Actions 2023
- IoT tech to cut back energy usage
- Temperature Control Sensor technology roll out
- CO2 Monitoring Sensor technology roll out
- On demand cleaning efficiencies
How we align with United Nation’s SDGs
Our new Acacia Evergreen Initiative fully addresses the expansion and measurement of our sustainability goals. We have aligned our Responsible Business efforts with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and we have chosen those most relevant to our business and set our goals accordingly.
Target 3.10
Safeguard the health of our employees by ensuring physically safe environments, having zero tolerance for harassment and bullying, and by nurturing emotional and mental wellbieng.
Target 5.13
Be proactive in investigating and monitoring key practices – such as recruitment, pay structures, hiring, performance assessment and promotions – to ensure no discrimination occurs.
Target 7.1
Ensure that all energy consumed as electricity, heat or fuel – is derived from renewable energy sources.
Target 8.2
Ensure works across the value chain are not subject to bonded, slave or child labour, and can expect decent working conditions.
Target 11.7
Eliminate operational waste completely, and ensure all by-products are repurposed.
Target 12.4
Reduce and eventually eliminate any negative environmental and social impact caused by the goods and services we depend on.
Target 13.6
Ensure our business contributes fairly towards reaching global decarbonisation targets if and only if our decarbonisation trajectory aligns with best available guidance.
Evergreen’s Science Based Targets
The effects of implementing our Acacia Evergreen Initiative will mean engaging our suppliers (view our supplier code of conduct here), clients, and employees and making them aware of our decarbonisation plan. We aim to align our sustainability efforts with Science Based Targets and working towards them. Additionally, we will endeavour to creating sustainability champions within Acacia through education and participation.
Below is a selection of our recent Responsible Business articles
Acacia Evergreen: How has our sustainability strategy benefited our employees, suppliers, and clients?
Our responsible business strategy has in the last six months become more integrated into life in Acacia. Sustainability affects everyone and there is very little in an organisation that is not touched by our efforts to be more sustainable. Consequently, we discuss...
Acacia Evergreen & Wellbeing
Wellbeing at work is no longer a niche issue. Thanks to the pandemic wellbeing at work has gone mainstream and now covers a multitude of employee expectations from mental and physical health to financial wellbeing. Employees working from home over the last two years,...
World FM (Facilities Management) Day 2022: Leading a sustainable future
Misconceptions about sustainability Leading a sustainable future in facilities management is the theme of World FM Day 2022. Sustainability is a continuous process of improving how we manage our client’s facilities. As sustainability becomes a greater focus for...
Acacia Evergreen: 3 months in, what difference has it made?
The practical side of making a business more sustainable means that with the help of external experts we have completed the analysis of our carbon footprint. Subsequently, we have identified a decarbonisation strategy for implementation in 2022 and beyond. Analysing...
IWD2022: Breaking the Bias
This year, the theme of International Women’s Day is concerned with reducing and eliminating gender bias against women. According to a UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) survey from 2020, 90% of men and women are biased against women. This is a shocking...
Evergreen Project: Update
The urgency and effect of climate crisis has not been lost on Irish business. CSR or ESG (environmental, social and governance) is being given priority in organisations and the effects of this are being felt throughout. Large businesses are incorporating...
Acacia 2022: The Evergreen Project
An increased demand for sustainable goods, practices and services has been accelerated by the pandemic. While sustainability has been part of business for several years, the effects of putting sustainability measures into practice economically and strategically have...
Acacia & Sustainability
The events of recent years have transformed what is considered responsible business. In Acacia we have taken some time to consider how best to change and adapt for the future of our business so that we implement sustainable practices for ourselves, our supply chain,...
Healthy Buildings and sustainable development
Healthy Buildings: What are they & how are they part of sustainable development? A healthy building is optimised for the occupant’s health and is supported by sustainable design. Optimising the health of a building is achieved by measuring and integrating nine...
Sustainable Facilities Management and your business
The need for business to embrace sustainability continues to grow. The pandemic has seen a surge of interest from individuals and businesses in sustainability and sustainable development. As a result, there is a greater sense of urgency in organisations to improve and...
International Standards Day 2021
International Standards Day 14th October The theme for International Standards Day 2021 is a ‘Shared Vision for a Better World’. The theme is timely as the world is trying to recover from the worst of the pandemic. An increased awareness and interest in...
Procurement Services: the place of sustainability in procurement
What is it? According to Eco Vadis Sustainable procurement is ‘the implementation and integration of an organisation’s corporate social responsibility policies into the procurement process’ (ecovadis.com.) Although sustainability is often associated with environmental...