BM’s hidden sustainability heroes

What’s CSER?  We would have asked when we started BM in 2000. It wasn’t on the agenda, but as time has passed, it has quite rightly crept up our priorities.

CSER and the #bmfamily has been on an interesting journey. Not a rocky road but a progressive journey. We haven’t reached our destination yet, but we’re making an impact all the time.

I’m very proud of the #bmfamily, especially our Hidden Heroes’ achievements.  Sustainability seems to have captured both their hearts and minds.

BM’s recently published CSER report is our annual commitment to stand up and be counted. It’s important to be accountable to our team and customers. We use the UN Sustainable Development Goals to measure how we are doing. After all, what gets measured gets done! I’m proud that this isn’t PR, full of fluff and puff. This is a real report of achievements, even through difficult times.

Engaging and inspiring

Our amazing team have produced an interesting and lively report; it’s an easy-to-read explanation of what we have done. It is shared with everyone – and importantly, it’s designed to be understood by everyone. There is no point in producing a report full of corporate ‘you know what’! It wouldn’t engage anyone or ensure everyone knows where we are going. Our achievements are delivered by our team. They drive it from the shop floor to the board and vice versa.

Another first

BM has been part of a few accreditation organisations before Planet Mark. We like the Planet Mark’s rounded approach to improvement. And BM are once again leading the way. We were the first to win the SRA Food Made Good award. And we are the first contract caterer committed to measure its social value. It’s another example of our independently minded innovation.

The social value measurement will consider social, environmental, and economic activities such as people, community and volunteering, donations, procurement, and positive environmental impact.

It is the 3rd successive year we have been awarded the Planet Mark accreditation.

Highlights

• We have been especially commended on our waste, travel, procurement, water, social value, engagement and communication business impacts – supporting seven of the UN’s sustainable development goals.
• In the reporting period, we, achieved the 26% absolute carbon reduction from 2019-2020, meaning a decrease of 72.8 tCO2e total carbon footprint for our support office, which is 1.1 tCO2w total carbon footprint per employee.
• As part of our ongoing activity and commitment, we have committed to a greater than 5% reduction across our company support function on our journey to Net Zero.
• BM’s ‘Hidden Heroes’ who have dedicated personal time and resource to support the communities they operate in, as well as a clear roadmap for further ED&I (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) engagement across our business in the next 12 months.

Lower carbon on the menu

The entrepreneurial ideas our teams come up with is a sign of their commitment to sustainability.  A current example is ‘Eat With The Earth In Mind’.  This unique and inspirational lower carbon menu initiative has been developed in the kitchen by our chefs.

Pride

This report is a summary of the great work done by many F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S hidden heroes within the #BMfamily. I am very proud of their commitment to sustainability.