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SURGE ENVIRONMENT POLICY

 

Mission Statement:

Surge is committed to monitoring and managing the environmental impact of our operations.  This will be reviewed on an annual basis.  The company will achieve this by taking action in the areas outlined below.

 

Responsibility:

Karen Veitch and Ruth Siller are responsible for ensuring the Environmental & Travel Policies are implemented.  However, all employees have a responsibility in their area to ensure that the aims and objectives of the policy are met.   All staff, freelancers and participants of projects and programmes are made aware of these policies during their induction.

 

Recording:

Surge has an evidence-led approach to reducing carbon emissions and has been recording our travel and energy emissions since 2019.  Surge has a carbon management plan that puts into place actions to reduce its carbon footprint and this is updated annually.

 

Membership and Training:

Surge is a member of the Green Arts Initiative and a member of the Springboard Cohort “Producing the future of theatre and dance in Scotland”.  Two staff members have completed Carbon Literacy Training.

 

A full outline of our Environmental policy can be requested from karen@surge.scot, below are the areas that we strive to manage and reduce our carbon output in:

 

Procurement and Purchasing

  • When procuring goods or services providers the environmental impact will be considered and where possible Surge will ask the provider for their environmental policy.

  • Buy products from recycled materials, locally sourced where possible.

 

Energy & Water

  • Surge employs a renewable energy supplier that specialises in sustainable energy.

  • Do not heat space you are not using and switch lights off when you leave a room;

  • Do not leave equipment on standby or leave on overnight; switch off when not in use;

 

Publicity

  • Use digital and online methods to communicate with audiences;

  • Programmes, posters and flyers for Surge Festival are no longer printed in accordance with our Carbon Management Plan.

 

Waste/ Recycling:

  • Surge will separate waste for recycling;

  • Reduce waste and amount going to landfill sites;

  • Repair, upgrade, recycle IT equipment before discard;

·      Electrical equipment goes to http://www.weeescotland.co.uk/about.html to get recycled. 

Focus on reuse rather than recycle:

  • Artists, staff and volunteers at Surge Festival are no longer supplied with plastic water bottles, instead they are asked to bring their own re-useable bottles.   This procedure has been rolled out to all of our events, workshops and residencies.

  • Surge has a set, costumes and props resource area where artists can borrow or use items for rehearsals and performance. 

Surge Environmental Travel Policy

  • Encourage all staff, freelancers and artists to use public transport, and where possible book this for incoming staff, freelancers and artists.  No UK based staff and freelancers will be provided with flights for UK travel, unless travel by another method would prevent them from attending the meeting/ event;

  • Reduce car journeys;

  • Encourage greater use of public transport by ensuring that venues for meetings, conferences and training events are fully accessible by all types of transport;

  • Record and measure carbon footprint of freight;

  • Plan transportation of equipment etc to ensure as few vehicles as possible are used;

  • Surge will monitor, evaluate and report on staff, freelance and artist travel via Creative Carbon Scotland tools;

·      For touring projects and residencies we are and will continue to, where possible, hire electric vans or using bus companies that have electric buses; 

  • Travel choices should be prioritized as follows, where possible:  

1.  Walking/ cycling 

2.  Bus/ train 

3.  Shared car 

4.  Taxi  

5.  Flying

  • Promote slow travel via ferries/ trains as an option for international artists travelling to Surge Festival to perform.   

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