Policy
This policy seeks to ensure that the International Music Council operates in an environmentally sustainable way in all that it does.

Purpose
Its purpose is to define how the International Music Council will operate in an environmentally sustainable way

Scope
It applies to all of the International Music Council’s work.

Governance
This policy will be reviewed every 2 years, is overseen by the International Music Council’s Board and will be implemented through the associated Sustainability Action Plan, managed by International Music Council’s Green Team.

Related Policies & Procedures
This policy will affect all policies and procedures, including but not limited to: (List related policies)

Responsibilities:  This policy applies to all staff, freelancers, volunteers, board members and any other person involved in activities of the IMC. All these are required to ensure that in any activities that they undertake or projects that they manage or co-manage as part of their duties, they ensure that the Environmental Policy is complied with in both letter and spirit.

Board members are required to ensure that their decisions and the work of the International Music Council and its staff comply with the Environmental Policy in both letter and spirit.

Our Environmental Approach

In respect to its values embedded in the Five Music Rights, the International Music Council acknowledges the connection between human activity and the climate crisis and commits to minimising our ecological footprint, implementing environmentally sustainable practices, and behaving as an example of good environmental practice for our members and other cultural networks.

Our focus is on environmental sustainability, which invariably has strong connections with social sustainability and to a lesser extent economic sustainability.

Accordingly, we aim to achieve very high standards of environmental sustainability throughout our work. This applies both to how we work with others and the way in which we ourselves operate, including anyone working or volunteering with us. Below we set out the key areas this policy applies to and how we will approach them. The policy is fully supported and welcomed by all employees and has been agreed by our Board.

Our Policy Actions

Governance

• Overall responsibility for the implementation of this policy lies with the International Music Council’s Secretary General and Board, who will review this policy on a bi-annual basis.
• To ensure that we are meeting the aims and the spirit of this policy we will:
  • Discuss and review how well we are implementing this policy, and adjust our practices and action plan where necessary
  • Assess any significant new or revised policies and procedures for their impact on environmental sustainability
  • Embed environmental sustainability into our work plans
  • Ensure our employment practices and procedures are consistent with the aims of this policy.
• All staff and Board members have a responsibility to ensure that their own actions are consistent with the spirit as well as the contents of this policy. We understand that this policy needs to be made understandable to, and embraced by staff, suppliers and partners.

Our Impact

We seek to understand our environmental impact so we can minimise our footprint. In order to do that, this policy seeks to identify and reduce emissions in our operations as follows:

Travel

• We will record and report our business travel paid for by the International Music Council. All employees, freelancers, volunteers and Board members (if applicable) will record all IMC-related and paid for travel and we will calculate emissions from this.
• We will plan our activities in a way that minimises our need to use carbon intensive forms of travel, for example flights.
• We will organise events that are accessible to as many of our members as possible and encourage to use travel options with lower carbon methods of travel.
• We will work with others in our sector to advocate for lower carbon and accessible transport for all.
• We will embed environmental sustainability within our travel policy.

Utilities

• We will minimise our use of energy and utilities in our work. All electronic equipment should be switched off when not in use. At the end of the working day, the last staff member to leave the office should check equipment to ensure that all computers are shut down and all printers are switched off, unless otherwise labelled.

Waste

• We will minimise printed materials and use of physical materials in our operations when possible.
• All staff and members attending our events are expected to use available recycling facilities.
• Where possible for events and meetings, we avoid the use of single use disposable items.

Procurement

• We will include a clause on environmental sustainability within our contracts with project partners.
• We will work with our suppliers and partners to encourage them to apply the same principles, using their environmental sustainability policy as a criterion for procurement or partnership where appropriate. This will impact on our choice of suppliers and partners amongst other areas.