ESG
At Chetwoods we are committed to prioritising Environmental, Social and Governance principles throughout our value chain; in our studios, in our policy and in our architecture.
Environment
Environmental
Our practice has declared a climate and biodiversity emergency and is a signatory of Architects Declare and the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge.
All of our staff receive climate literacy training through induction and follow up CPD sessions from our dedicated environmental thought leadership team, Thrive. Our CEO is part of the UK Green Building Council Leaders Forum and members of our team have roles within the UK Green Building Council and Architects Climate Action Network. We are constantly looking for ways to reduce emissions in our offices without compromising our teams’ comfort.
Examples of some of our initiatives include: Partnering with incredible surplus, our local scrapestore and we’ve made use of teracycle schemes. Also, within our studios we have installed air quality monitors and ensure that there is biophilia throughout. Our office in Birmingham also sponsors circular economy club gatherings.
Social
social
At Chetwoods, our workplace, people and the communities we serve, are at the heart of what we do. It matters to us to ensure we are socially responsible and recognise the importance of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion so everyone is encouraged and able to be their completely authentic self as well as being treated fairly.
Chetwoods have a plan in place for 2024/25 to keep us on track on our journey and to ensure EDI is embedded within every part of our organisation. We understand that it is crucial to create a healthy, inclusive space for our co-workers to help them prosper and have a fulfilling work-life.
Throughout the year we take part in charity events including; GLP bike ride, RAME football tournament and Segro’s sailing day. Alongside these activities we run an annual Christmas campaign for a rotating charity to raise money and awareness.
Governance
Governance
We like to hold ourselves to account in our actions. Upholding quality and ensuring the highest standards is key to the evolution of our practice. We need to ensure that we are responsive and compliant across processes and legislations.
We hold ISO 14001: Environmental Management System and ISO 9001: Quality Assurance Certificates. We are also a Planet Mark certified business. Planet Mark review our energy, travel, waste data and calculate our carbon footprint as a practice.
We believe it is important to have a third-party verification of this data to show our commitment and authenticity.
ESG IN OUR WORK
The Thrive Design Drivers have been created to help ensure that sustainability is an integral part of any project from outset until completion.
The drivers have helped us to create tools and key performance indicators to test Chetwoods projects.
Based on themes mentioned as part of the Level(s) criteria (a scheme in development by the EU) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, these drivers are a more rigorous way of looking at sustainability that help us stay on top of new policy and regulation as a practice
oUR ACHIEVEMENTS
