Environmental Policy
Our Commitment
Fathm is committed to taking responsibility for the environmental impact of our work through how we produce and consume, how we manage our resources, and the example we set for others. We are committed to addressing emissions associated with our work and reducing the environmental impact of our operations over time.
We aim to reduce emissions associated with our work over time and, from 2024, have used carbon offsetting for emissions that cannot be fully eliminated. We are working towards establishing a reliable baseline to better understand and manage our environmental impact. We aim to align our approach with broader global climate goals, including a just transition and limiting temperature rise.
We recognise that Fathm’s work necessitates some international staff travel and while our approach is to limit high emissions travel, it is important that when it is necessary we do it in the least environmentally harmful way.
Our expectations of an active commitment to environmental responsibility extend beyond our own activities to our direct suppliers. We encourage our direct suppliers to demonstrate strong environmental practices and to work towards reducing their environmental impact.
We support the long-term goal of achieving net zero emissions and will continue to develop our approach as our measurement and understanding of our impact improves
This Environmental Policy aims to give recommendations and guidelines to reduce our carbon footprint. However we are mindful that we have to balance the health and safety of employees travelling for meaningful work with the impact on the environment. Where we need to make decisions, these are assessed on a case-by-case basis
Our Process
We recognise that reducing environmental impact takes time and have made a long term commitment to this including the following steps:
Developing the tools and processes to measure our carbon footprint as accurately as possible
Off-setting our estimated carbon footprint through the use of a recognised and reliable scheme
Identifying opportunities and means to reduce our carbon footprint
Our current and target actions are identified below and we will continue to develop these over time.
Actions: Operations & Technology
Be a near-paperless organisation. Staff should only print documents if absolutely necessary and suggest alternatives to partners, clients, or suppliers when asked to print.
Implement Green IT practices, promoting the use of energy-efficient hardware and software solutions.
Encourage regular digital decluttering to reduce data storage needs and associated energy consumption.
Where possible, select digital platforms and hosting providers that use renewable energy or demonstrate strong environmental practices.
Reduce the footprint of our digital communications by taking steps such as:
Minimise attachments: whenever possible, sharing links instead of attaching files.
Unsubscribe from unnecessary mailing lists: regularly review and unsubscribe from newsletters or updates that are no longer relevant to our work.
Avoid redundant communications: before sending an email, considering if it's necessary or if the information can be consolidated with other communications.
Be concise and intentional in our use of AI to avoid unnecessary processing and storage usage.
Actions: Travel & Transportation
Fathm employees must weigh the purpose and outcomes of planned air travel against its carbon emissions; travel should always be the exception, not the rule.
Air travel should be avoided for journeys where a low-emission alternative (e.g., train, boat) will take 6 hours or less.
All travel must be booked through Fathm’s approved process to support consistency and future emissions tracking.
When flying is necessary, staff should select low-carbon routes and airlines where possible.
Fathm employees should use low-carbon options for on-the-ground travel and accommodation (e.g., hotels with environmental policies, public transport).
Actions: Suppliers & Procurement
Fathm actively seeks to select suppliers that demonstrate credible approaches to reducing their environmental impact. We have developed a Supplier Code of Conduct and screening process for this purpose.
We aim to start to actively identify the current carbon footprint status of our IT/communications and software suppliers in order to better select those that demonstrate credible approaches to reducing their environmental impact.
Actions: Energy Use
Fathm team members working from home are encouraged to use renewable energy suppliers.
Actions: Waste Reduction
In their work employees should reduce waste and choose reusable items wherever possible.
Fathm will prioritise repair and reuse of equipment and commits to a preference to purchase refurbished equipment.
End-of-life equipment will be responsibly disposed of and recycled wherever possible.
Actions: Carbon Offsetting
Since 2024, Fathm has been offsetting estimated emissions associated with our activities using a recognised scheme.
Tools and processes will be developed to measure our carbon footprint as accurately as possible.
Fathm will identify and implement measures where possible to reduce its carbon footprint.
Actions: Employee & Client Awareness
Provide regular information to educate employees about sustainable practices, such as energy conservation, waste reduction, and sustainable commuting options.
Encourage and facilitate employee participation in environmental initiatives, such as tree planting events, community clean-ups, or sustainability challenges.
Leverage Fathm's platform to advocate for broader environmental responsibility within its industry, sharing best practices and success stories.
Collaborate with clients to develop and implement sustainable practices within their projects, extending Fathm's environmental impact beyond its organisation.
Actions: Policy & Reporting
Identify how we can conduct periodic environmental audits to evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives and identify areas for improvement.
Share updates on our environmental approach, including actions taken and areas for development.