Shires Equestrian is committed to integrating environmental best practice into all its business activities. The Company fully accepts its environmental responsibilities and recognises its obligation to reduce the impact of business activities on the environment. Shires Equestrian aims to achieve this through a policy of continual improvement in environmental and social performance.
Environmental
To achieve its objectives, Shires Equestrian will:
- Adopt best practice and, wherever practicable, assist in developing innovative solutions to the environmental issues and problems facing its sector.
- Conduct its activities in full knowledge of, and compliance with, the requirements of applicable environmental legislation and Approved Codes of Practice.
- Assess the environmental impact of all past, current and likely future operations, and fully integrate environmental considerations and objectives into its business decisions.
- Minimise consumption of natural resources, including energy, water and raw materials, as far as is economically practicable;
- Prevent pollution and minimise emissions.
- Adopt the ‘waste hierarchy’ by reducing the production of waste and developing effective waste management and recycling procedures, as well as disposing of unavoidable waste in such a way as to minimise its environmental impact.
- Establish environmental objectives and targets, and measure performance against these targets.
- Raise awareness amongst members of staff through appropriate education and training, encouraging them to become more environmentally responsible.
- Encourage awareness of, and commitment to, improved environmental performance amongst suppliers and customers.
- Communicate this policy to members of staff, and consult with them to ensure that they take an active role in its implementation and review.
- Monitor and review its environmental performance and publish and communicate this performance to staff and other concerned parties.
This policy is applicable to every department within the company and the successful fulfilment of the policy is dependent of each and every member of staff taking an active role in its implementation.
Social
We expect our suppliers to ensure that working conditions in their operations meet, and preferably exceed, international labour standards:
- there is no forced labour and employment is freely chosen;
- no child labour is used;
- living wages are paid;
- no harsh treatment or discrimination;
- no forced overtime; and
- a safe and hygienic working environment is provided at all times.
We also expect our suppliers to:
- adopt appropriate systems to monitor and take responsibility for compliance with social policies;
- conduct assessments of their operations to ensure compliance and identify areas to be improved;
- develop plans to resolve any non-compliance;
- monitor non-compliance plans to ensure they are implemented effectively; and
- ensure that their own suppliers and subcontractors adopt the same standards in their operations.
Shires Equestrian’s Co Managing Director is the sponsor of, and has full responsibility for, the company’s environmental and social programme.
Each of the department heads are aware of their responsibilities within the programme and they report to the Co Managing Director who, in turn, reports directly to the Chairman of the Company.
The contents of this policy and the way in which it is being implemented will be reviewed annually.
Marcus Cridland
Co Managing Director
August 2021