Statement
The Queen's Hall is committed to enhancing the sustainability of the organisation and to inspire others to do the same in their lives and organisations.
Guiding Principles
- Optimising the Three Pillars. Sustainability is often broken into three intertwined categories: social sustainability, economic sustainability, and environmental sustainability. Together, these three elements are known as the "three pillars of sustainability." Plans and actions should take into consideration the effects on all three pillars, with the aim of optimising the overall outcomes.
- A fundamental responsibility. We have a fundamental responsibility to our business, community, and future generations to promote sustainability.
- Risk. We recognise the risk to our business and our community of not being sustainable.
- Constraints. We need to recognise what we can control, what we can influence, and what is effectively outside our control, and also recognise the constraints of regulation, financing and timescales.
- Efficacy. We need to pursue the most efficient ways of effectively tackling the issues.
- Reporting. We will report in order to measure our progress.
Implementation
1. Organisation
a. By approving this policy, the Board is giving the lead to the whole organisation to consider the sustainability aspects of its activities.
b. The Building and Systems Working Group of the Board will oversee the formulation and implementation of modifications to buildings and systems to promote sustainability.
c. The Events Manager with the support of the CEO will co-ordinate operational actions to promote sustainability.
2. Frameworks for analysis and decisions
Frameworks for decisions and analysis must be suitable to the activities and size of the organisation. Suitable frameworks will be maintained or developed as follows:
a. Economic analysis and decision making is well established in the budgeting, approval, commitment and accounting policies. However, decisions will not be made solely on economic criteria.
b. The four social sustainability principles are quality of life, equality, diversity, and democracy and social cohesion.
c. Environmental sustainability analysis will be limited to consideration of our carbon footprint on the basis that, given the nature of our business, that is the largest pollutant. Analysis of this is on the basis of:
i. Scope 1 – those emissions we make directly – primarily by burning gas for heating.
ii. Scope 2 – those emissions we make indirectly – primarily by using electricity.
iii. Scope 3 – other emissions in our value chain – the most significant is the use of water. It is noted that there are many other emissions by parties who supply QH over which we have little direct control, but we can influence.
d. Integration and optimisation. Plans and decisions in all areas should consider their impact in relation to all three pillars of sustainability.
3. Reporting
a. Financial reporting and control of financial sustainability is to continue with the already established procedures.
b. An annual sustainability report is to be made to the Board covering:
i. Qualitative assessment of the impact of social actions and presentation of future plans.
ii. Quantitative assessment of carbon footprint, and qualitative assessment of other activities to improve environmental sustainability, along with presentation of future plans.
iii. Assessment of the overall stability of the organisation’s three pillars of sustainability, currently and in the future.
c. The Directors’ Report, as part of the Annual Consolidated Financial Statement, will include a report on Sustainability.
d. A version of the report suitable for general distribution and understanding will be prepared by the management for publishing on The Queen’s Hall website.
Approval
Approved by the Board on 22nd March 2024