Sustainability statement

We all need do more to protect both people and this planet. That means going beyond basic requirements (legal and otherwise) and taking positive action to safeguard them.

As a creative business, we believe in the importance of diverse and divergent thinking to creativity, the creative process and to producing communications that successfully connect people with ideas, effecting real change.

Read on to find out more about what we believe, our sustainability goals and the steps we’re taking to achieve them.

Why we are doing this – what we believe

We already help clients across a range of sectors with their sustainability or ESG communications, creating relevant visual strategies and campaign assets.

But it is time for us to take a look at what more we could be doing on the sustainability front. So, we are in pursuit of better ways of working and are committed to being open about them, because that’s the only way we’ll learn and develop – and our experiences (both our successes and setbacks, because this isn’t going to be all plain sailing) can help others.

For our ambitions to have any value and be credible, we have to be true to who we. We’re a business creative agency that thinks creativity or creative communication is the catalyst for connecting people with ideas and effecting change.

We also believe in the importance of diverse and divergent thinking to creativity and the creative process. We say this time and again, but the the best transformative ideas are always found at the fusion point. They’re the result of collaboration, cross-pollination and co-creation.

So, we are committed to openness and to seeking feedback from specialists as well as a diverse range of stakeholders on our activities and services. We can then develop them so that they better serve our clients, enabling them to improve how they do business as a byproduct.

We want the people we work with to feel good about working with us, confident in their choice of partner, knowing that we have their interests at heart by always seeking to help them to consider and make sustainable creative choices that align with their sustainability values, commitments and wider mission.

In it for the long-term, we fully understand the need to continuously learn and seek feedback from diverse sources if we are to develop our approach.

Better ways of working – goals we aim to achieve

Our recent sustainability audit by an independent consultant is helping to guide our next steps.

As part of the audit, with input from our greatest collaborators (clients, freelance creatives and partners), we carried out a mini-materiality assessment to identify those sustainability issues that are most important to us, bringing into focus the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) we should prioritise. Choosing goals to concentrate on was no mean feat. After all, all 17 of the UN’s SDGs are of vital importance.

It will probably come as no surprise based on what we’ve already said that the three SDGs we’ve chosen to focus on are:

10 – Reduced Inequalities (or Equity, Diversity and Inclusion)
4 – Education (our own and others)
17 – Partnerships (to help achieve our ‘better ways of working’ goals)

Now, we are clearly very much at the start of our development. We are also, as a small organisation, conscious of not biting off more than we can politely chew. So, while our year one goals may look modest, our aim is always to over-deliver.

Year 1

Governance
Work through B Impact Assessment, using this recognised sustainability framework to establish our starting point, identify priority areas for development and benchmark our progress across all five areas outlined here (Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, Customers).

Using this framework as our guide will ensure that how we grow our business – our setup, who we hire, partner with, work for, our operations, outputs and impact – is based on sustainable practices.

Workers
Work with a partner to provide internal training on the latest approaches to inclusive communications and accessible design.

Community
Identify a local charity partner and explore potential activity over the next three years for greatest impact.

Environment
Identify and work with a specialist to measure our existing emissions and help us to set efficiency (and/or reduction) targets to keep these to a minimum as we grow.

Customers
Develop how we help clients to consider and make sustainable creative choices that align with their sustainability commitments and wider mission.

So, in a nutshell, that’s where we are in terms of our current thinking and what we are doing.

We can only stress that what we do in this area will never be complete. We will do everything within our power to reach and exceed the goals we have set and we’ll report on how far we’ve got at regular intervals (at least annually) as part of our commitment to openness and to maintaining momentum.

We’d love to hear from you if you have any advice to give or have a particular interest in any of the activities mentioned.

We’re all ears!

Mark and Nina
NEO Co-directors
August 2023