Copper is delighted to have been awarded ‘Prove It’ status by Go Green, a European Green Capital initiative which aims to help guide businesses to a more sustainable future and to firmly embed the green agenda into the fibre of organisations to make a real, lasting difference that survives beyond Bristol 2015.

The Go Green ‘Prove It’ Alumni are the cohort of businesses that are doing the best for the environment, staff, suppliers and city by demonstrating that they are:

  • Committed to Bristol being the European Green Capital
  • Leading the creation of the low carbon economy across the West of England
  • Sustainability Champions
  • Responsible Employers

When signing up to the Go Green initiative, businesses are asked  to ‘Say it, Do it, Prove it’ using the free online ‘action plan’ tool which suggests steps that can be taken under five key headings – Planning & Resilience, Travel & Transport, Energy & Efficiency, Sustainable Sourcing and Happy & Healthy. In order to reach ‘Prove It’ status, a company must be able to demonstrate that it has progressed under each of these five pillars.

Copper had already undertaken many steps towards being a sustainable business, but there is always more that can be done – as well as actively recycling, proactively encouraging walking and cycling to work, and managing our procurement sourcing sustainable products wherever possible, we have also joined a car sharing club, made efforts  to reduce our energy consumption, and implemented agile working wherever possible, to name just a few sustainability steps taken.

But why ‘Go Green’ as a business?

Save money: Going green can lead to cost savings through reduced consumption (for example of electricity, water) and reduced waste, and can help save even more money by identifying where a business can be more efficient.

Improve your credentials: Demonstrating a commitment to managing your environmental impact can help improve your reputation with existing clients and other stakeholders.

Improve your resilience: Being more sustainable in the way your business behaves can have long term benefits, ensuring your organisation will still be in business in years to come.

Motivate staff: A happy and healthy team will be a more productive team. Therefore engaging and motivating your staff to be more sustainable in their behaviour, for example by walking or cycling to work, will prove very beneficial.

Save our planet: It is the responsibility of all to take care of our planet and by making small changes, every business can have an impact in helping to protect the world in which we live.

With this in mind, Copper will continue to strive to improve our sustainability credentials throughout 2016 and beyond, support the Go Green initiative along the way by encouraging others to do the same.