MDUK outlines its climate change principles

Muscular Dystrophy UK has today shared a set of climate change principles that we will use to benchmark our efforts in reducing our carbon footprint.  

The principles were developed by our climate change working group that we formed earlier this year. The group meets regularly to discuss climate change policy within MDUK.  

We hope these principles will encourage staff and supporters to think twice about their own attitudes towards climate change and approaches to reducing their carbon footprint. 

The following set of policies has been split into three sub-groups: travel, printing of formal publications and office culture. They’ve been agreed in accordance with the ACEVO climate and environmental leadership guidelines for best practice in the sector.  

Travel: 

• Encourage staff to adopt more carbon neutral forms of travel to work whenever possible to offset their individual carbon footprint, such as utilising our ride to work scheme 

• Switch to a hybrid model of meetings with in-person and virtual options available to staff and other meeting attendees 

• Hold at least 50% of Trustee meetings virtually and/or in a hybrid manner 

Publishing our documents: 

• Explore switching to an external printing company to encourage a ‘print on demand’ culture. This would mean printing specific numbers of formal publications to avoid waste 

• Encourage using recycled paper where possible  

• Publish an online directory of charity publications that supporters and staff can access and download via QR codes 

Office culture: 

• Email recycling reminders to office-based staff 

• Email energy consumption reminders to home-based staff  

• Promote energy reduction via office signposting 

• Review paper and paper towel providers 

• Ensure that any external companies we work with embody similar environmental policies and values 

The climate change working group has implemented numerous measures already. Waste bins have been removed from individual desks to encourage full recycling within the office, our events team employs re-usable cable ties at functions, and our facilities team recycles old furniture. 

In addition to an ethical responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint, Professor Sanjay Sisodiya – a consultant neurologist we work closely alongside – is investigating the impact of climate change on people living with neurological conditions. You can read more about his important work here.  

Finally, our CEO Catherine Woodhead will sign up ACEVO’s working principles to reinforce our commitment to tackling climate change.