Blog

Introduction to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

We are committed to sustainable development as a guiding principle within our work and office environment. Concern for the environment is an integral and fundamental part of this commitment. It is at the forefront of our minds. Our aim is to reduce the impact on the environment from our operations and implement best practices across the business. We are committed to reduce, reuse and recycle.

We  have used the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a framework across our CSR policies for all our business activities, and for those of our clients.

We take note of ISO standards such as ISO 26000 (closely linked to UN Sustainable Development Goals) and ISO 14000 on Environmental Management Systems.

 

Who we are and what we do

CI Group’s mission is: Making it better

Our Group principles are:  Talent development and proposition , Organic growth and development, Strategic approach and acquisitions

We make it better through: Care, Cause and Community

Leading the way through CSR and sustainability to combat climate change

We are a company of 50+ employees with offices in London and Banbury providing clients with marketing strategy, creative and digital solutions, live, virtual and hybrid events, data analytics and PR across many market sectors.

 

Looking after Employees – How we make it better

We value our employees and nurture an environment of growth and learning, while providing a safe environment, whether office based or at home, for our staff to achieve their maximum career potential. 

We make it better by:

• Reducing the need for staff to travel by supporting alternative working arrangements, including home working.
• Providing home working staff with suitable desk, chairs and equipment.
• Offering a bike to work scheme for employees and provide dedicated bicycle parking where possible.
• Operating an electric vehicle initiative for our employees
• Installing charging points for electric vehicles at our offices and at employees’ homes.
• Communicating this sustainability policy to all staff and it is reviewed annually (see process below).
• Proving staff with the tools they need to share advice on sustainable practices with external stakeholders, partners and clients (see process below).
• Providing £500 per year for training, which is selected by the employee and approved by their line manager.
• Including staff in a twice yearly PDR where their objectives are set in collaboration with their line manager and in line with the company principles.
• Providing employees with Pirkx – an online platform that provides discounts, training opportunities and support as well as the ability to share success and tips to maintain a work / life balance.
• Ensuring fresh fruit, tea and coffee, monthly lunches and team breakfasts are available in the offices
• Introducing meeting free Friday afternoons

 

How we make Travel and Meetings better: 

• We use public transport as our preferred option for business travel within the UK.
• We avoid travelling to meetings where alternatives such as video conferencing are available.
• We ensure efficient timing of face-to-face meetings to avoid multiple trips.
• When planning a meeting we identify the location that minimises the travel required by the majority of participants.
• We offset carbon footprint generated by staff flights for business travel overseas via a contribution to Climate Wise.

 

How we make events for client and our business better: 

When organising events, we follow ISO 20121, the standard for Sustainable Events.

We improve events for our clients in the following ways:

• When planning an event, we seek to minimise the materials that are used before, during and after.
• We identify suppliers who are local to the venue and provide these details to exhibitors in order to minimise transport of materials.
• We identify and communicate sustainable transport options (such as public transport) to delegates.
• We aim to offset all delegate travel via a donation to Climate Wise.
• We request that catering suppliers use sustainable, local produce as well as providing meat-free options where possible.
• We discuss with each catering supplier how to reuse and recycle food waste from the event.
• We provide recycling bins throughout the venue for both paper and plastic waste.
• We aim to donate suitable leftover materials from the event for use in local schools or community projects.
• It is our intention to provide clients with a calculator that estimates the total emissions for any  individual event and provides the ability to offset all or a percentage of the emissions via a climate sustainability provider.
• Following an event, we will provide documentation on the success of the achievement of the above with the aim to improve compliance at each successive event.

 

Consumption of resources – making it better 

It is important to commit to reducing the environment impact that your business activities may have. 

We make it better by:

• Utilising an electronic records document management system and online services initiatives to reduce the need for paper.
• Minimising the use of paper and other office consumables, and by using recycled printing paper.
• Providing dedicated paper recycling bins throughout the office.
• Arranging for the reuse or recycling of office waste, including paper, computer supplies and redundant equipment, as far as possible.
• Requiring our staff to shut down their PCs and screens before they leave the office each day.
• Ensuring lights are switched off in areas of the office when they are not in use during operational hours and at the end of each working day.
• Changing all lighting to power efficient LED.
• Planning to use green-energy suppliers and to install solar energy generation.
• Using environmentally friendly cleaning products in kitchen and toilet areas.
• Purchasing fair-trade and/or organic food and drink products.

 

Community Engagement

• Thinking ethically when it comes to gifts at Christmas by providing donations to local charities and encourage staff volunteering
• Allowing staff paid leave at MD’s discretion for community volunteering.

 

How we make it better by communicating our CSR Policy  

• Our CSR Champions meet monthly to discuss and monitor the effectiveness of this policy.
• Updates are shared at our company-wide quarterly meetings.
• This policy is incorporated within CI Group Company Values
• This policy will be included within our new employee induction pack
• This policy will be included within our Talent brochure
• A dedicated page on the company website will showcase this policy
• Our company CSR policy is reviewed and updated annually.
• Our CSR policy is provided to clients within our proposal documents

 

Measurement – how we make it better

We regularly monitor and assess whether or our measures are working within our monthly CSR meetings, in management and quarterly team meetings.

Where we have not yet met the above measures, we communicate our progress at our quarterly meetings with the aim to make it better year on year.

We report on the donations we have made to Climate wise and show the total carbon offset we have achieved at our annual meeting.

We aim make our CSR policy better by: adopting sustainable policies where possible, and decreasing our carbon footprint year on year, with the hope that we can reach zero net carbon emissions by 2030.