Proforest is committed to understanding and minimising negative impacts on the environment, and to identifying and maximising opportunities to maintain or enhance the environment, through both its work with production and sourcing of agricultural and forest commodities, and through the internal management of the organisation. As a mission-driven organisation we believe that agricultural commodity production can and should deliver positive outcomes for people, nature and climate where commodities are produced.

Through our work with agricultural and forest commodity production and sourcing:

Through our work, we commit to supporting companies and other actors to implement good environmental practice in the production of agricultural and forest commodities including:

• Maintaining and enhancing biodiversity at the genetic, species and ecosystem scale within production landscapes
• Implementing commitments to the elimination of deforestation and habitat loss such as the CGF and New York Declaration, using effective and locally adapted tools including conservation planning, HCV and HCSA
• Minimising any negative impacts on water and ensuring use of water within agricultural production and primary processing is properly managed
• Managing and reducing pollution of all sorts
• Minimising emissions of greenhouse gases, and building resilience to climate change
  This will be achieved by incorporating best practice into all of our work, and regularly reviewed progress and impacts.

1. Daily office activities and operations

In the daily operations of Proforest we will aim to reduce consumption and minimise waste and, wherever possible, reuse or recycle. We will:

• Monitor, report and regularly review volumes of paper being used;
• Encourage use of reusable products (e.g. lunchboxes, cotton bags, cups);
• Recycle office materials and equipment wherever possible including: waste paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, cans, tins, printer cartridges and batteries. Where it is not possible to recycle, items will be disposed of appropriately;
• Actively encourage staff and visitors to use public transport, bicycles or walking to travel to the office including provision of clear information on options.

2. Responsible sourcing and procurement

Proforest will give preference to:

• Suppliers who actively seek to minimise the environmental impacts of their activities;
• Products that have had a minimum environmental impact and that support the sustainable use of natural resources including locally sourced food, and products certified to the standards of credible multi-stakeholder schemes.

3. Responsible travel

• Travel should be organised as far as possible in such a way to minimise international and domestic flights.
• In regions where there is a good rail infrastructure travel by train rather than plane should always be considered and encouraged, even where this is more expensive.
• Staff may offset emissions from air travel if the airline offers this service.
• When booking hotels preference should be given to those within the price range complying with international sustainability standards that minimise environmental impacts.

4. Energy use

Proforest aims to minimise our energy use and avoid any unnecessary or wasteful use of energy.

• Energy efficiency will be considered for all purchases of equipment using electricity.
• Active reduction of energy use in the office by ensuring that unused equipment and lights are switched off will be encouraged.
• Where there is an option, electricity should be purchased from a renewable energy provider.

5. Water pollution and use

• Low pollution cleaning products will be used whenever possible.
• Low solvent inks will be used whenever possible for printing Proforest stationery and published materials.