Get Nature Positive! Anne Veck Limited’s Nature Positive Business Plan.
We thought it would be a good idea to share our plans to reduce our impact on biodiversity. Both for transparency and to encourage others if they would like to take action but are unsure of what to do. So this is quite rough and ready but we hope it will help you and your business to be kinder to nature! For many more ideas do check out our sustainable hairdressing toolkit Salon RE:Source !
1. Commitment
Anne Veck Limited (AVL) has signed up to the Nature Positive Business Pledge. AVL aims, as much as a micro business can, to contribute to The Global Goal for Nature – to halt and reverse nature loss from a baseline of 2020, achieve net positive by 2030 and full recovery by 2025.
We shall report on progress annually (1streport due May 2024, after end of 23/24 trading year 30/4/24).
2. How can a hairdressing business be nature positive?
As a service provider (hairdressing, presentations, shows, training courses, campaigning, consultancy), AVL’s impact is mainly about indirect impact drivers rather than direct impact. E.g. reducing amount of paper used is a driver for reducing deforestation which is a driver for reducing biodiversity loss. Reducing colour chemical waste is a driver for reducing ocean and freshwater pollution which is a driver for reducing aquatic wildlife loss.
Or another way of addressing this, is that sustainability, climate and biodiversity are interacting, holistic, part of a whole global crisis, with negative and positive circularity and feedback loops. Biodiversity and climate change need to be tackled together. Arguably the biggest positive impact on biodiversity the business will have, will come from reducing its CO2 emissions.
(Anne Veck Limited has also signed up to the U.N..Race to Net Zero and has a Carbon Emissions Reduction Plan).
3. Baseline.
AVL has attempted to identify the impacts it has on nature and biodiversity, in order to set baselines from which progress can be measured..
Anne Veck Limited operates from Kelly’s Hair Oxford (KHO) and 77 Barton Road, Headington, Oxford (77BR).
Direct impacts on site:
KHO is a ground floor retail unit. There are no opportunities to change legacy direct impacts.(e.g. destruction of nature when site built on) or do anything significant new.
77BR is a residential bungalow with a 500sq/m back garden and 100sq.m front garden. Front and back are gardened mainly for wildlife with no artificial inputs to soil for at least 30 years. However there is no additional positive action for nature and biodiversity by AVL, because this would take place anyway by the householders (who are the directors of AVL).
Indirect impacts from site:
KHO
Water from roof drains to general sewage.
Water use in salon involves chemical waste from hairdressing products into sewage. Most but not all chemicals are organic.
Grey and black water to sewage.
Water used by AV whilst hairdressing at KHO, estimated at 20m3 p.a.(salontotal 276m3).
Chemicals waste generated by AV whilst hairdressing at KHO = approximately 310g per day.(measured using Vish software).
Energy consumption by Anne Veck (AV) whilst hairdressing at KHO, generates CO2 emissions estimated at 1.5 tonnes p.a. (10% of estimated total salon emissions of 15 tonnes, based on worst case of 2 X 2019/20 emissions when ceramic fuel cell was operating, resulting in low emissions.)
77BR
Grey and black water (inc. business use for refreshments and washing towels etc.) goes to sewage.
Water used by AV whilst hairdressing at 77BR, estimated at 3m3 maximum p.a.(house total 136m3).
No paper used for communications with customers, education materials, brochures, etc., except Salon RE:Source/Green Salon Collective flier. 100% recycled paper, non toxic ink. Approx.100 left.
Paper based system for books and accounts.
AVL both sites and other
Travel by foot, bicycle, public transport whenever possible. Several long distance and short haul air flights each year. Business travel @ around 2.3 tonnes CO2 emissions p.a. of which 1.7 is air travel.
B2B awareness raising: Campaigning, educating, presentations, toolkit (SalonRE:Source) may have some positive effect. 80% users of toolkit report positive benefit (surveys 2021, 2022) but small sample (10 each time ).
AVL campaigns continuously for sustainable hairdressing including nature positive actions.
Including sustainable hairdressing training course which will be delivered minimum 5 times in 2023.
Website & social media features UK Business & Biodiversity Forum, Nature Positive Business Pledge, Oxfordshire Nature Recovery Network and rewilding.
B2C awareness raising: customers’ awareness, understanding and engagement with nature not assessed but conversations with clients about nature and sustainability are frequent. Also impact of website & social media.
The value chain: supply chain/upstream
This data is missing for now.
4. Plan
AVL believes that taking action on nature makes business sense. In particular for a service based micro business, being seen as nature positive (integrated with sustainable and ethical values) attracts and retains customers both B2C and B2B.
The Mitigation Hierarchy and Smart Targets
Action will follow the mitigation hierarchy,in other words, in order of importance:
Avoid negative impact/ Reduce negative impac t/ Restore nature/ Compensate and offset residua limpacts.
Targets are Smart, that is they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound.
Direct impacts
Direct impacts on site.
Actions: continue as currently doing at 77BR.
Indirect impacts.
Actions:
Reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by Anne Veck (AV) whilst hairdressing at KHO. Anne to review personal practice e.g. turn equipment off, switch off lights, hot water use) and identify opportunities for action, then implement.
Target: from estimated 1.5 tonnes to 1 tonne CO2 emissions by 31/4/24 .
Continue to source electricity and gas from renewable suppliers. (Ecotricity at SHO, Good Energy at 77BR.
Offset carbon emissions annually (May, after year end measurement).
Reduce chemicals waste generated by AV whilst hairdressing at KHO. Use Vish software to measure reduction.
Target: 50% reduction(from10.6 to5.3%wasteby31/4/24).
Reduce amount of water used by AV whilst hairdressing at KHO. Anne to review personal practice e.g. turn taps off,use of ecoheads, and identify other opportunities for action, then implement.
Target: from to 20m3 to15m3 by31/4/24.
Water use at 77 BR at 3m3 is insignificant but action as at KHO.
Reduce all business travel CO2 emissions.
Target from 2.3tonnes (2020/21) to1.5tonnes by 31/4/24
Avoid UK air travel and travel by train instead.
Target:avoid 100% by31/4/24
Avoid Europe air travel where rail alternative e.g.Eurostar.
Target:avoid 100% by31/4/24.
Reduce long haul air travel. Avoid unless business opportunity is compelling. Target:2 trips/year maximum (in total both directors) by 31/4/24.
Fly economy.
Target 100%all flights by 31/4/24.
Avoid paper communications with customers,education materials, brochures, etc.
Target: zero paper used by 31/4/24 including all existing fliers used up.
Avoid paper book keeping and accounts. Change to software e.g. Xero.
Target: in place for 2024/25.
Deliver sustainable hairdressing courses to salon owners and hairdressers.
Targets: 5 in 2023/24; 7 in 2024/25.
Action in the value chain: supply chain/upstream
Investigate if our suppliers take nature positive action. Do our suppliers compensate for/off sett the residual, unavoidable impacts on biodiversity caused by operations, to ensure at least a no net loss of biodiversity and, where possible, a net gain.
(Can we use their data? Do they hold nature positive certifications,such as RSPO for palm oil,FSC for card and timber) To what extent are these certifications credible?)
Investigation to include indirect impacts such as product content, packaging, cruelty,human rights, energy use, compensation/offsetting and direct action to restore nature.
Depending on results of investigation, AVL will retain or change to other more nature positive suppliers.
Target: Investigation complete by31/12/23.Any changes required by 30/4/24.
NB results of this investigation may need to be confidential
Action in the value chain: services/customers/downstream
What impacts are there by our customers when using our products and services? Work out what this means and what we can do. Target 31/12/23
Compensate and/or offset residual impacts
Investigate what is possible, e.g.buy CO2 offsets with certified biodiversity positive or biodiversity credits? If possible to be targeted to locations from which the raw materials are sourced. Target 30/9/23
Done 11/10/23
According to a research paper in Plants People Planet July 2023 called “Towards a co-crediting system for carbon and biodiversity”, there is currently NO co-crediting system available. The paper argues in favour of them.
However, there are several (numerous?) CO2 offsetting products available which emphasise their nature friendly nature. (in contrast for example to CO2 offsetting schemes which involve planting trees in plantations with chemical fertilisers).
Examples of “nature friendly” CO2 offset products are offered by
Carbon Footprint Ltd, EcoOffset, Ecologi , to give just 3 examples.
HOWEVER many offsetting products involve “afforestation” which means planting trees on land without trees. Unfortunately some times this land can be more valuable for CO2 sequestration before the tree planting than after AND the process of tree planting can damage biodiversity. So it is important to take great care when choosing how and where to offset. Most of the websites of consultancies offering CO2 services provide very little detail on exactly where and how they offset. AVL used Carbon Footprint Limited 2019-22 and they continue to provide clear and comprehensive information on their offsetting options.
Awareness raising to contribute to nature positive action in society
AVL will use our company network and wider sphere of influence to support and acceleratenature positive action in society. AVL encourages other SMEs in our network to join us by taking the Nature Positive Business Pledge.
Target: promote at events, www.anneveckhair.com, social media, Salon RE:Source tool kit & e- newsletter at least 6 x p.a. by 30/4/24
Collaborate with other businesses .Action:Keith Mellen is active (director) in the UK Business & Biodiversity Forum CIC. Target: continue this until end of director term (October 2025) at least.
Engage with government and NGO programmes such as the Oxfordshire Local Nature Recovery Network. Target: participate in 100% events organised by its business group during 2023/24.
Share our story by getting recognized for our work and by inspiring other SMEs by sharing our examples of nature positive success in the media and awards.Target::3 features about business & nature in hair & beauty media and 1 award final in 2023.
Investing in nature
AVL Directors have invested dividends in a nature positive project (rewilding NGO in Portugal).Invest further as required and requested, subject to affordability by 30/4/24.
Nb for tax purposes it is better to invest personally rather than through the company.
AVL has previously sponsored BBOWT, the local wild life trust. Considerdoing again. Encourage SHO to organise volunteering day(s) for BBOWT.
Keith Mellen Director Anne Veck Limited 17/8/23
