Policies

Introduction

This policy is intended to inform the way that SCAPE does business and to ensure that we operate ethically and in a transparent and accountable manner.

The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy Statement is supported by specific policies on Social Value and Economic Sustainability, Environmental Sustainability and Modern Slavery.

The policy reflects the requirement of Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act for SCAPE, as a large employer, to produce an annual slavery and human trafficking statement, a matter that is entirely in accordance with the principles of our business.

SCAPE fully acknowledges that in common with all organisations, our operations will impact upon the environment, the economy, society and our employees. SCAPE is committed to ensuring that we have considered and understood the nature of those effects to maximise the positive impacts and minimise the negatives so that we run the business responsibly and in a sustainable manner.

Any business that damages the societal, economic and environmental systems upon which it depends will ultimately become unsustainable therefore as a matter of principle, a genuine focus upon CSR is vital. This is in the interests of our credibility as a company and in ensuring that we retain the confidence of our customers, stakeholders, employees and the community.

The benefits to the organisation that flow from a proper regard for CSR include enhanced efficiency and reduced waste, protection of the SCAPE organisation and reputation, building and maintaining trust and relationships and improved employee morale, engagement and retention.

This policy is therefore a core strand of our business and to be effective its principles must run throughout our business strategy and practice.

Sustainability

We are committed to delivering projects, which provide (a) environmental (b) social and (c) economic benefits to customers. In the design and delivery of projects, we will seek at all times to work in ways which integrate those objectives so that benefits in all three are maximised and progress in one area is not achieved at the expense of another.

We will also seek to ensure that benefits to customers are not achieved at a cost which is unacceptable in terms of:

• The global environment
• Social conditions elsewhere in the world
• Reserves of finite natural resources as a result of disproportionate consumption

To this end SCAPE will use our policies, procurement activity and our influence to also encourage others to adopt similar principles. This will include our work with:

• Our partners in the joint delivery of projects and frameworks
• Suppliers of goods through our procurement activity
• Other organisations and businesses with which we have contact
• With our own employees

Business Ethics

We will conduct every aspect of our business with honesty and the highest standards of integrity.

We will respect the legitimate interests of others with whom we have dealings in the course of conducting our business.

In accordance with the principles set out within our employment policies we will maintain a safe, healthy and informed working environment for our staff in which there is mutual trust and respect, and which facilitates development and the realisation of potential.

We will develop and maintain strong relationships with, partners, suppliers, stakeholders and others with whom we have dealings based upon mutual trust, understanding and respect.

In accordance with the principles of Sustainability, SCAPE is committed to continuous improvement in the management of our environmental impact, and we will work with our partners and stakeholders to promote the interests of environmental care relevant to our business and to increase understanding of the issues.

We will proactively seek to support the communities we serve through projects and investments approved by the Board. (current examples include Reinvest and Abcul)

We will also seek to ensure that:

• Stakeholders are enabled to participate in the making of decisions that affect them
• Our actions do not have an adverse impact upon the community and future generations
• In considering options and in decision making we will not just consider the financial implications but also the short and long-term social and environmental factors in order to achieve the best overall value
• In the event that the environmental impact of our actions is uncertain and the risk of negative impact is considered to be significant, we will take a precautionary approach to minimise irreversible damage to the environment.

Slavery & Human Trafficking

At the end of each financial year, we will produce a statement on our public website, which will indicate the measures we have adopted to ensure that within our supply and contractor chain through our due diligence processes, slavery and human trafficking are not factors present within the conduct of our business.

Within the statement we will be clear about the people and employment related standards we expect, not only in SCAPE, but also from our own suppliers and contractors.

We will describe the nature of our relationships with our supply chain and with our contractors.

We will confirm how we factor full labour costs into our sourcing to help avoid the risk of any form of slave or bonded labour within the supply chain.

We will confirm what action SCAPE will take in the event that a supplier should be suspected of having been in breach of our requirements and expectations with regard to the use of slave or bonded labour.

The annual statement will also confirm that the overall responsibility for the monitoring and maintenance of the standards relating to these provisions rests with the Group Chief Executive.

Responsibility and Accountability

The Group Chief Executive is responsible to the Board for the implementation of the whole CSR policy and all managers and employees are required to be familiar with the principles set out within it and to ensure that those principles remain at the forefront of their conduct of the business of SCAPE.

CSR is at the heart of the business risk plan and the CSR action plan will be reviewed as part of ongoing risk management to ensure continuous improvement in the implementation of the CSR principles.