TA-04: Environmental Awareness & Climate Change¶

Reference: TA-04 | Issue Date: 14/03/2026 | Review Date: Sep 2026 Applicable Standards: ISO 14001 Cl. 6.1.2, 7.3, 8.1 | ISO Amd 1:2024 Related Documents: HPOL03, HREG02, HPROC03, HREG04 (L17–L20, L24–L26)

Who Should Read This

All CRGI Solutions staff. Environmental management is everyone's responsibility, and climate change is now a formal part of our ISO certification.

Why This Matters¶

CRGI Solutions is certified to ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management). This means we've committed to understanding and reducing our environmental impact, complying with environmental law, and continually improving our environmental performance. Since 2024, ISO Amendment 1 also requires us to formally consider climate change in our management system.

As a virtual engineering consultancy, our direct environmental footprint is relatively small compared to a manufacturing business. But we still have an impact — through energy use, equipment, waste, travel, and importantly through the designs we produce for clients.

Our Environmental Aspects¶

The Environmental Aspects Register (HREG02) identifies where our activities interact with the environment. The main areas for CRGI staff:

Energy Consumption¶

Every home office consumes electricity — computers, monitors, lighting, heating. Across the team, this adds up.

What you can do:

Switch off equipment at the end of the day rather than leaving it on standby
Use energy-saving settings on your computer and monitors
Consider your energy tariff — green energy tariffs are available from most suppliers
Be mindful of heating and cooling — dress for the temperature rather than heating an entire house for one room

Electronic Waste (WEEE)¶

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (and Waste Batteries Regulations 2009) govern how we dispose of IT equipment and batteries.

What you need to know:

Never put old IT equipment, cables, or batteries in general waste
When CRGI equipment reaches end of life, return it for proper disposal through our certified e-waste handler
Old batteries (from keyboards, mice, headsets) should go to battery recycling points — most supermarkets have them
If you replace personal equipment used for work, dispose of it through your local council's WEEE collection

Paper and Printing¶

CRGI operates a digital-first approach. We avoid printing where possible.

What you can do:

Use digital documents and markup tools rather than printing for review
If you must print, use double-sided printing and recycled paper
Shred confidential documents before recycling
Consider whether you really need to print — most things can stay digital

Travel¶

Client site visits generate transport emissions. While some travel is essential, we can minimise the impact.

What you can do:

Use video calls for meetings where physical presence isn't required
When travel is necessary, consider public transport or car-sharing
Plan site visits efficiently — combine multiple tasks into fewer trips
If you drive, maintain your vehicle for fuel efficiency

Climate Change and Our IMS¶

ISO Amendment 1:2024¶

In 2024, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) issued guidance (IAF MD 4:2023) requiring all organisations certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 to determine whether climate change is a relevant issue for their management system. This isn't optional — it's a certification requirement.

CRGI has determined that climate change is relevant to our operations and has documented this in our Scope & Context document (HSQEMS02). The key areas:

Our Risk Register (HREG01, Refs 21–22) includes climate-related risks: increasing client demand for low-carbon designs, and rising energy prices affecting the systems we design
Our Aspects Register (HREG02) tracks our carbon footprint from remote working operations
Our Legal Register (HREG04) includes the UK Climate Change Act 2008 and related environmental legislation

What This Means for Your Work¶

Climate change considerations should be part of how you think about your work, particularly in design:

Design projects — Consider energy efficiency, lifecycle carbon, and climate resilience in the solutions you develop for clients
Material selection — Where you influence material choices, consider environmental impact alongside performance and cost
Client conversations — Be aware that clients increasingly expect sustainability considerations in engineering outputs
Your own footprint — The small actions above (energy, waste, travel) contribute to our organisational climate commitment

Environmental Legislation¶

Our Legal Register (HREG04) tracks the environmental laws that apply to us. The key ones you should be aware of:

Environmental Protection Act 1990 — Duty of care for waste management
WEEE Regulations 2013 — Proper disposal of electrical equipment
Waste Batteries Regulations 2009 — Battery disposal requirements
Clean Air Act 1993 — Air quality considerations (relevant to design work for client facilities)
Environmental Damage Regulations 2015 — Prevention of significant environmental harm
UK Climate Change Act 2008 — The UK's legal framework for net zero by 2050

Reporting Environmental Concerns¶

If you identify an environmental issue — a potential spill, improper waste disposal, or an opportunity to improve our environmental performance — report it to Sean Ashton. Environmental concerns can also be raised through the corrective action process (HFORM05).

Key Takeaways¶

Switch off equipment when not in use
Dispose of e-waste and batteries properly — never in general waste
Think digital-first — avoid printing where possible
Consider climate and sustainability in your design work
Report any environmental concerns or improvement ideas

CRGI Solutions HSQE Department | HSQEMS v2.0 | Classification: CRGI Information