Environment
We continuously strive to minimise any negative impact our operations might have on the environment. This approach is integral to acting as a safe and socially responsible business, a commitment that is written into our governing principles and embedded throughout our management systems.
During the year, we merged our environmental and our health and safety policies to create an integrated health, safety and environment policy statement. Our objective was to further enhance the way we manage these aspects of our business by integrating the common element in the OHSAS 18001 specification, which sets out an auditable occupational health and safety management system, and the ISO 14001 standard, which applies to environmental management.
The revised policy statement clearly defines how we expect our people to fulfil their health, safety and environmental responsibilities and explains how we monitor their compliance with internal and external regulations. We constantly review the policy to ensure it reflects the growing diversity and complexity of our business. Visit the environmental management section of our Group website for a comprehensive overview of the principles, policies and processes underpinning our approach to environmental issues.
Putting policies into practice
Serco's business activities and our commitment to sound environmental management are two sides of the same coin. Putting our environmental policies into practice on behalf of our clients and the people we serve is fundamental to bringing our services to life. The success of our working relationship with Envirowise, the UK Government-funded source of practical environmental advice for businesses, is a notable example of the two-way relationship between our environmental policies and our business activities. In America, the success of our Joint Environmental Material Management Service (JEMMS), developed jointly with the US Department of Defense, exemplifies how we collaborate with key customers to significantly enhance their environmental performance.
While we always strive to practise sound environmental management, we must also take account of the fact that over two-thirds of our contracts are based on our customers' premises, over which we have no direct control. In such cases, we work in constructive partnership with our clients to shape sound and sustainable practices.