Sustainability Pledge
Here’s our pledge and the projects we’re undertaking which reduce our impact on the planet.
“RMP is at the pinnacle of climate ambitiousness in terms of your climate commitment - it’s so impressive to see, well done!”
The quote above was feedback from Supercritical in June 2022, our net zero consultancy partner who have inspired us on our sustainability journey.
In 2021, we officially woke up to the importance of sustainability & caring for the future of our planet. It was Supercritical who helped us go from ‘green and keen’ enthusiasts to proactive market-leading activists.
We’re far from being able to say we’ve ‘completed it ’, but this shift has transformed RMP.
We’re excited to share our sustainability commitments (below)… We are pledging to reduce our impact on the planet and hope to inspire you to join us on this journey.
Our journey and goals
The first step was understanding our reality - what was our carbon footprint? We discovered in 2021 this was 124 tonnes CO2e, or 2.3 tonnes per person.
Since learning this, we purchased permanent biochar carbon removal to remove 100% of our 2021 emissions - this permanently removes the carbon we've emitted into the atmosphere. We're proud that our carbon emissions are no longer warming the atmosphere, and that through Supercritical we are supporting the vital early scaling of the carbon removal industry.
Carbon removal offsets are typically 10x the price of conventional offsets, so in conjunction with our ambitious reduction goals, we feel confident that we're really walking the walk when it comes to climate commitment... and are continuing our (e)mission to reduce the carbon we produce through various initiatives across the business.
In 2022, we were proudly able to call ourselves Net Zero for the first time.
The graph shows our ambitious path to reduce carbon emissions by 10% each year and become carbon negative by 2024.
• Net zero refers to achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere
• To be carbon negative means to offset more carbon, via carbon offsetting projects, than you contribute to the environment
So, how are we going to achieve this?
Creative
Campaigns
Like many companies over the past few years, we’ve been on a journey to an increasingly digital service offering.
COVID accelerated this and our sustainability ambitions have helped to build our digital-first portfolio.
View our workGreen Brand Ambassadors
We’re excited to be running our FIRST EVER green Brand Ambassador campaign with Clifford Chance this year.
No freebies, sustainable hoodies, 100% digital promotion and all unpreventable emissions tracked and offset to ensure the campaign is Net Zero.
Sustainable Attraction Campaigns
Sustainability is at the beating green heart of multiple campaigns. From Bank of America and Allen & Overy offering weekly sustainability prizes and eco luxury getaways, to Unilever tasking students to suggest how they could make their products more sustainable.
Events
We’ve facilitated two national Awards each year for the best part of a decade, with over 1,000 attendees travelling from across the UK to London for the celebrations.
We’ve reduced travel by over 40% and have used our platform to inspire sustainability across early careers recruitment.
National Undergraduate Employability Awards 2022
Sustainability was the theme for this years’ event. Hannah Mills OBE, British Olympian & Environmentalist was the guest speaker, inspiring everyone about her ‘Big Plastic pledge’ to eradicate single-use plastic in sport.
Through ticket donations, £500 was invested in the National Trust planting 1,000 square metres of woodland.
View certificate
RateMyApprenticeship Awards
Previously a face-to-face event, this is now a virtual event going forward.
In July 2022, over 200 attendees joined us from the comfort of their own home with minimal impact upon the environment.
Watch four key trends videoWe’ve printed 40,000 copies of two separate publications with 200+ pages each for a decade.
Despite great feedback from students and careers/placement staff, we’ve committed to reducing down our university-focused guide to a mini-guide of just 20 pages.
The NEW RateMyPlacement Guide to Paid Internships & Placements is a 76% reduction in paper usage and we are exploring how we can do similar for our schools-focused publication in the future.
After reviewing suppliers, both are printed on carbon neutral paper, manufactured in FSC approved mills and suppliers.
• 100% use of vegetable-based inks
• 100% recycling of wet and dry waste
• Reduction in water consumption
• Electricity usage generated from renewable sources, i.e. Solar powered printing
• Chemical-free and alcohol-free printing plates and presses
• Carbon neutral paper - Carbon footprint offset through Tree Budding scheme
Download guide to paid internships and placementsOffice
As of May 2022, we’ve committed to no meat or dairy in the office. Whether this is part of the free breakfast perk or any team lunches, we’re now exclusively plant-based and are sourcing local suppliers to minimise any footprint.
In June, 2022 we had a guest speaker join us for a ‘Lunch & Learn’. Kate Strong, World Champion Triathlete & Plant-based Adventurer gave us all daily tips for living more sustainably.
She inspired us all with her ambition for 2023 - cycling 3,000 miles on a bamboo bike and engaging communities, companies and councils in the conversation around climate change en route!
Donate to our causeSupply
Chain
The Sustainable Recruitment Alliance’s recent Impact Report highlights textiles as generating 64% of all merchandise carbon emissions.
Over 250 Brand Ambassadors each year each receive a hoodie. After requesting the sustainability commitments of our incumbent supplier and receiving no response… We got to researching!
Our new chosen supplier idressmyself is a climate positive business, using:
• Organic cotton
• Water based inks
• Plastic free embroidery
• Plastic free packaging
As you can imagine, they had no problem sharing their sustainability credentials with us. Switching suppliers will cost us an extra £3,000 per year, however we’re committed to change and this extra investment is empowering further supplier discussions.
Sustainability credentialsOur
Partners
Here’s a range of trusted and recommended partners who are educating, challenging, inspiring and supporting us become as green as we can be:
Supercritical
They analysed and shared this footprint report with our team and have invested in carbon removal projects to offset our carbon emissions - view our removal certificate here.
idressmyself
RMP’s new sustainable hoodie supplier. You can visit their website here.
Summit Print
Our FSC approved paper supplier. You can visit their website here.
Future projects
Renewable Energy
24% of our total emissions were generated by remote working. With 50+ people working from home four days per week, how do we know if all energy supplied is renewable?
Some of the team rent - like we do the office - and aren’t in control of their energy supplier, and even those that own their homes - are they using renewable energy?
In Autumn 2022 we’ll be sharing our research as to how to ensure we can reduce this!
Green-listing our supply chain
The impact from changing hoodie suppliers has opened many an eye internally. We will continue to challenge our suppliers to ensure we can add them to our ‘green list’.
Stakeholder rewards / incentives
We’re researching Ecologi & TreeNation to see how they can support us in our engagement with students
The RMP heroes driving change…
Over the last five year, both Culture Champions & D&I Champions within the business have been super successful at driving change… So, we’ve created a team of Sustainability Champions.
Monthly meetings have helped share research, suggestions and innovations we can make across the business to progress towards our sustainability goals.
Sharing the responsibility has democratised the ‘top down’ decision-making and empowered everyone to ensure all teams and levels throughout the business have sustainability top of their agenda.
A perfect example here is our Placement Student creating our first ever Sustainability Newsletter which was sent around the whole business.
Read our newsletterThank
You
Thank you all for reading, we’re very much on a journey and if you’ve any further improvements to help us, do post us a letter send an email with any thoughts!
Huge thank you to all partners supporting us, all RMPers involved in making the above a reality and of course all Sustainability Champions for being the driving force for a greener future.
Contact us