Environment

Our environment is our physical world, common to everybody – including air, water, land, flora and fauna. Our principles address the whole of the environment and our interaction directly or through our business activities with it.

Our canals are part of a working, living waterway network, used for navigation and general recreation. We must integrate the needs of those who visit and use the network with the actions needed to conserve canalside wildlife and habitats.

While complying with legislation and regulation, we aim to continually improve our performance and consistently achieve good practice. Our aim is to be the acknowledged expert in achieving the most sustainable integration of the competing needs and uses of the waterways. Where judgments have to be made between competing resources and conflicting activities, we will take the long-term and strategic view. In doing so, we presume that this will favour the conservation of the environment.

We carefully manage our environmental impact, including reducing the use of non-renewable resources, minimising waste, conserving water resources, promoting biodiversity and preventing pollution throughout our activities. We are committed to the efficient and beneficial use of our land resource, with conservation and enhancement of the unique waterway landscape and character.

We regularly review of our policies, procedures and systems to ensure that our environmental practices and performance reflect any changes in business circumstances, relevant legal requirements and customer expectations. We use the principles of environmental management systems and will measure environmental performance through objectives and targets, including those within Corporate Social Responsibility Lead Indicators. We will publicly report on progress on these Lead Indicators, ensuring our environmental performance is verifiable and auditable.

We will promote best practices amongst our employees, contractors, suppliers, customers and partners. We will seek suppliers, contractors and partners with standards consistent with our own.

See our Environment Strategy in strategy and planning

View Strategy