All Mariah Carey wants for Christmas is you, but at IEC all we want for our birthday is to give back to the community.
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give” – Winston Chruchill
Here at IEC we believe in supporting others and helping protect and preserve our planet. Our ethos aligns with that of 1% for the Planet, which is why to celebrate our second birthday, we signed the 1% for the Planet pledge.
One Percent for the Planet is a global movement inspiring businesses to support environmental solutions through annual membership. By joining them we are committing to donating the equivalent of 1% of our gross annual sales through a combination of monetary, in-kind and approved promotional support directly to their Environmental Partners.
This year we have chosen 4 organisations to support. Each team member has chosen a cause close to their heart to support.
Sustans’ is a national charity with a mission is to make cycling and walking easier. As engineers, educators, experts and advocates they connect people and places to create safer, happier and healthier communities.
As a keen cyclist myself I am passionate about the freedom to cycle safely. Providing better and safer infrastructure will make cycling accessible to more members of our society, including children. Swapping from commuting by car to commuting by bike is a great way to reduce air pollution and improve health. Sadly, it is not always possible for us to recommend to our clients that they encourage their employees to cycle or walk to work as there are no safe paths. So I have chosen to support Sustrans to help make cycling or walking a safe and accessible option across the UK.
Future Scientist is a charity based in Panama that helps communities in Panama and other Latin American countries. This charity caught my eye as I am a Chemical Engineering student with a passion for sustainability, and Future Scientist helps develop practical solutions to environmental challenges. Specifically:
The programme has had a tangible impact on the community, for example:
I’ve chosen the Hubbub Foundation because it aims to get everyone on board with the mission to reduce our collective environmental impact. This aim aligns with both IEC’s philosophy and my own. The world of sustainability can sometimes be daunting but you don’t need to know the exact science and technical terms to get involved and make a difference. The Hubbub Foundations empowers all members of a community to act more sustainably and equips them with the tools they need to make the day-to-day changes that add together to make a real impact.
Just like us, Hubbub believes in offering practical and realistic solutions to help reduce environmental impact, save money, contribute to creating cleaner spaces and bring people together! Hubbub also have an ambitious community lead programme – ‘In Our Nature’ – that engages and empowers people across IEC’s home town of Manchester to take impactful and actionable steps on climate change. We can donate money, our time or both to this charity.
Heal Rewilding is a British wildlife charity which aims to restore habitats and species to better levels of diversity and abundance. Environmental restoration and rewilding inspired my studies into environmental law and policies and led me to following Heal’s work. Heal’s ecosystem restoration not only follows expert scientific advice, but also has a strong focus on building close links with local communities and surrounding landowners. This gives individuals and businesses the opportunity to take urgent, practical action on the biodiversity crisis in an informed manner.
Heal’s work with local councils and community groups include volunteering opportunities, school visits and scientific studies. Like us, Heal promotes collaboration towards being the solution that we need for a better planet and implementing impactful actions. Heal also works with young volunteers across England through their Heal Future Network, thus actively working with young people to ensure that their work reflects the views and interests of the next generation.
In June 2023, the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products, or EUDR, was written into law. From December 30th, 2024 businesses selling commodities linked to deforestation will be required by this law to prove that they have not contributed to new deforestation or forest degradation. Read on to find out if your business needs to comply with EUDR.
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