Sustainability

Our commitment to people and planet, not just profit

As a partner to thousands of businesses, we believe in using our influence as a force for good.

We recognise that our actions extend beyond our own operations and have a broader impact on the world. While we are dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and driving growth, we are equally committed to ensuring that economic prosperity does not come at the expense of our planet.

Our sustainability journey began with a thorough analysis of our operations to pinpoint opportunities for reducing our environmental footprint. Since then, we have been actively implementing strategies to fulfill our commitment to responsible and sustainable development. We aren't stopping there and we will continue pushing for environmental improvement.

Delivering on our commitment

  • Advocacy

    We advocate for sustainable business practices - to our employees, our customers and beyond.

  • Circularity

    We are responsible with our consumption, and nothing is sent to landfill.

  • Looking forward

    There is no finish line. We will continue pushing for environmental improvements.

  • Carbon neutral

    We have been certified as carbon neutral since 2022.

  • Our workspace

    Our workspace has been designed with sustainable working at the forefront.

Proudly certified as carbon neutral

In 2021, inspired by COP26, we recognised we needed to accelerate our sustainability journey. We made the decision to become a carbon neutral business, and in 2022, we became certified.

To achieve this, we worked with Carbon Neutral Britain, the UK's leading offsetting initiative, to measure our carbon footprint and gain a comprehensive insight into our environmental impact. Not only did this put us on the road to carbon neutrality, but also helped inform strategic decisions on how we reduce our impact.

Once we knew our impact, we offset our emissions through the Carbon Neutral Britain Woodland Fund. This fund supports reforestation, deforestation prevention and woodland management projects. These projects are all certified to the most recognised standards - Verra - Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), the Gold Standard - Voluntary Emission Reductions (VER) or the United Nations - Certified Emission Reductions (CER) programmes.

Illustration showing certification for carbon neutral.

Circularity

Circularity focuses on the four R's of waste management - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover - to reduce demand on resources. For us, this means optimising our operations and ensuring responsible consumption.

We are pleased to have already moved towards a more digital, paperless workflow, minimising our use of physical resources and decreasing our waste production. Through changes in policies, processes and the provision of our services, we are working more efficiently than ever. We have introduced a comprehensive recycling program to our offices and use a 'Go Green' option within our company formation packages. This has reduced the number of printed documents we produce annually by 48%. We also use registered waste carriers which operate 'Zero to Landfill' policies.

All of this is helping to drive us towards a circular economy, reduce our output and avoid us sending waste to landfill.

Illustration showing the three recycle arrow triangle with a plastic bottle.

Advocacy

We believe that businesses can and should be a force for good, and we take our responsibility seriously to positively influence and support the businesses we help create. In addition to offering carbon neutral and environmentally responsible services, we are committed to promoting sustainable business practices. We understand that this commitment is essential not only for the well-being of people and the planet but also for long term prosperity.

Our aim is to empower our stakeholders with the knowledge and resources they need to make informed decisions that benefit the planet. By integrating sustainability into their daily lives and core business strategies, they can drive meaningful change. Explore our collection of sustainability and corporate social responsibility blogs here.

Illustration showing carbon neutral logo.

Our workspace

Our Covent Garden office is the home of 1st Formations, and we believe this space should represent us and our core sustainability values. Our space has been created with recycled materials wherever possible, and we have invested in energy-efficient appliances and lighting.

We actively promote a culture of energy conservation amongst our employees. This includes simple actions such as a turning off equipment when not in use, and more complex strategies like optimising our electricity, heating and cooling systems for efficiency.

We aren't stopping there. We have set annual reduction targets, and we will continue to do so until we are confident that we are working to optimal efficiency.

Illustration showing reducing emissions by cycling to work.
  • Our open plan offices showing staff members from our Company Secretarial and Sales and Support Teams at work.
  • Hannah and Jodie, from our Customer Retention Team, smiling and sitting at their desks.
  • 3 members of staff in a meeting sitting on sofas and occasional chairs in our social area.
  • 4 members of our Customer Retention Team working at their desks.
  • Our open plan offices showing staff members from the Company Secretarial and Sales and Support Teams at work.
  • Peter, standing behind our black marble reception desk, wearing a blue shirt.
  • One of our office dogs, Barney, a red Chow Chow, sleeping on our office floor.
  • Liam, our Serviced Office Manager, smiling and sitting at his desk with his French Bulldog, Oscar, on his lap.

Looking forward to a green future

At 1st Formations, we are proud of the progress we've made on our sustainability journey. However, we know that this is just the beginning. We are committed to driving continuous environmental improvement and this is how:

  • Energy usage accounts for almost 10% of our carbon footprint. Our goal is to operate our London office on 100% renewable energy by 2026.
  • Through our partnership with Carbon Neutral Britain, we have developed a Carbon Reduction Plan. We aim to halve the emissions we produce by 2050.
  • We will continue to develop our partnerships and expand the resources available to our customers, so we can make sustainable practices accessible to businesses of all sizes.
Illustration showing forestation.

At the heart of 1st Formations' strategy is a commitment to sustainability, ensuring that our growth aligns with the health of our planet and the well-being of future generations.

Graeme Donnelly, CEO & Founder of 1st Formations
Graeme Donnelly, CEO & Founder of 1st Formations.

Environmental projects
we support

Through our partnership with Carbon Neutral Britain, we fund renewable energy and forest projects which absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Importantly for us, they also support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These projects not only offset our emissions but also support the eradication of rural poverty, protect local biodiversity and ecology, create local jobs and diversify local economies.

  • Image of Marston Vale Forest Creation by Carbon Neutral Britain.

    Marston Vale Forest Creation

    Via sustainable tree planting practices and management, the trees planted by the project are estimated to capture over 500,000 tones of carbon over its lifespan - a significant Climate Action project here in the UK.

  • Image of the reforestation project in Costa Rica.

    Biodiversity and Mixed Reforestation

    The reforestation project in Costa Rica combines the premium quality standards of a recognised forest carbon offset project with multiple ecological and socioeconomic benefits for local communities and the environment.

  • Blue Carbon Mangrove Restoration

    This ambitious endeavour is expected to remove approximately 142 million tonnes of CO2e from the atmosphere, marking a significant contribution to global climate mitigation efforts.

Read more