Harmony Music School announced its commitment to The Climate Pledge to achieve net-zero annual carbon emissions by 2040...
We are currently one of just over 300 companies to join The Climate Pledge including the likes of BT, ASOS, Visa, Mercedes, HP, some amazing SME’s and little old Harmony Music School in Sheffield.
This is a massive privilege and responsibility, but we will make no excuses for our size, we may not have the resources that some of our signatory counterparts have but we are just as determined, we will honour our commitment and we will achieve carbon net zero by 2040…. 10 years ahead of The Paris Agreement.
We have just begun this journey and we know that we have a lot of work to do but as team are very committed to making our footprint a positive one. We know that climate change demands urgent and universal action. SME’s make up 52% of the employers in the UK and whilst we know the challenge in front of us is huge we know that SME’s must join together to achieve real impact. Harmony Music School is proud to sign The Climate Pledge, we stand with Amazon, Global Optimism and the other 300 + worldwide signatories of The Climate Pledge.
We have already achieved a great deal toward this commitment:-
- We have moved to a 100% renewables energy provider saving 6.9 tonnes of carbon emissions
- We have replaced 88 halogen bulbs to LED fittings at our own cost
- We recycle paper, card, metal, plastic, glass and packaging
- All electronics are recycled, resold or gifted to charitable organisation through approved suppliers
- We have removed single use plastics
- Paperless internal communications
- Use a green hosting company for our website and emails
- We have joined the Sheffield and Rotherham wildlife trust so that we can offer practical help in our local environment
What we are working towards:-
- We are in the process of generating an official energy audit
- Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on an annual basis
- We are going to host local litter picks and have already obtained the equipment
- We aim to install electric charging points
- We are looking to install an onsite composting bin
- Zero waste to landfill goal
Our Goals
As we move to create a positive impact on the environment, we have a number of overarching goals
- Buy local – Our aim where possible is to buy items that are manufactured within the UK and ideally produced within a 50-mile radius
- Future large items that are used in the school will dealt with the following considerations:-
- The preferred option will be to purchase furniture and equipment from 2nd hand resellers
- Our furniture and equipment that is no longer needed will be resold, upcycled, gifted to charity organisations or disposed of in the environmentally efficient way possible
- Plant based alternatives
- We will look at plant based alternatives as our preferred buying option
Abby the school director has been the driving force behind signing The Climate Pledge.
“We started with a simple spreadsheet to track everything we use (this spreadsheet is now a complete beast!!!). We listed everything we use, buy, throw away ….and so now have noted everything from post it notes, computers, carpets, cleaning products to photo frames and even the paint on the walls. If it’s in our building it has a footprint, so the job we are now undertaking is looking at what that footprint is (in many cases this is a ridiculously huge task on its own) and then we look at what we can change now and what we will work towards. The spreadsheet looks at alternatives, the costs and reality of it happening. We have to be realistic – there is not an unlimited pot of cash to make the changes, we are going to have to be clever about this, but we are also completely committed to it.
We have made this pledge alongside companies like Pepsi, Microsoft, Hermes and Uber. These companies have departments dedicated to sustainability and environmental change and all we had at the start was me with a bit between my teeth…sometimes it feels like the odds are stacked against you, but it’s moments like this that make me think about a quote that many attribute to Margret Mead ….Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has. I know this might sound like delusions of grandeur and I don’t expect to change the world, but it is the idea that a difference is made by individuals.
The big difference between Harmony Music School and the Blue Chip enterprises of the world is that we can effect change in our environment almost instantly. We don’t have to wait for anyone else, we can see the problem and find a solution. Day one, we don’t want any more single use plastic. Day two ….there aren’t any! There is no board, or department or procedure to sort, it just gets done. We have the ability to make instant changes and that is a massive plus for all small businesses.
Obviously, I know it’s not that simple. Together, we are really energised about the process and, with every week that passes, we find out new things that are going to make it work."
