ECHO achieves 'Green' verdict on it's policies and accreditation from the United Nations Global Compact |
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"Echo is committed to the UNGC as both an exemplar to our clients and a matter of leadership and encouragement for our colleagues. As a small professional services firm, our foot print may be limited across many of the principles, nevertheless we believe that even small actions and notably simple policies and values that translate into behaviour are powerful indicators of an organisation committed to reponsible development. We know we have only just begun this important and
long journey, and are all committed to this path."Sandra Macleod, CEO |
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Echo in all its offices adheres to principles of sound environmental management, sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). We belong to the United Nations Global Compact, which seeks support for ten principles of human rights, labor and environmental sustainability as they apply to business practices and public policy. Echo reports annually to the UN on its social and environmental initiatives in support of UN principles.
Echo Policy:
- Minimize waste through the 3R's (reduce, reuse, recycle)
- Ensure compliance with the relevant environmental legislation, published codes of conduct and best practice
- Reduce consumption of energy based on 2001 benchmarks
- Confirm our commitment to ethical investment as a choice for employees
- Sustain our commitment to corporate community investment through company donations, employee volunteering, ethical working practices
- Ensure that procurement is carried out responsibly
- Work towards sustainable development
Charities and Fundraising
We support a range of charities and initiatives. Echo's official local charity is Working Families and our global charity is WaterAid.
Working Families.
By working with parents and carers and organisations alike, Working Families helps children, working parents and carers and their employers find a better balance between responsibilities at home and work. click here.
WaterAid.
WaterAid is an international charity dedicated to helping people escape the stranglehold of poverty and disease caused by living without safe water and sanitation. click here
Responsible Procurement
Where possible, Echo uses sustainable products and supports local suppliers to minimize the environmental impact of delivering goods over long distances.
We ask all our suppliers to tell us about any environmental/ethical policies they have adopted. This is usually done when we renew a contract or place new orders.
In particular, we request our stationery and furniture suppliers to be pro-active in recommending more sustainable products to us, such as materials with a recycled content.
Sustainable Transportation
We aim to reduce our CO2 emissions in business travel by using public transportation, traveling by car only when necessary, and car pooling and traveling by train to our offices and clients instead of flying whenever possible.
Ethical Working Practices
The company allows staff members to choose not to work on projects/clients to which they have a reasonable and ethical objection.
Waste/Recycling
We are committed to reducing our use of paper per business project. Wherever possible, we recycle plastic, glass, newspapers, mobile phones and electrical goods.
Working in the Local Community
We encourage members of our staff to be involved in activities benefiting their local communities. Some of them volunteer in community centers, schools, libraries, hospitals and remedial reading programs. Others raise funds for orphanages and homes for disabled children.