Environmental Policy

Wise Children’s Environmental Policy is founded on, and fired by, a core commitment to placing sustainability at the centre of the company’s culture. This means that environmental concerns are part of our decision-making, and that all staff members understand and actively contribute to achieving our environmental goals.The scale and reach of Wise Children’s work means that we have a responsibility to be an industry leader. We are keen to grow Wise Children with an active commitment to best practice in environmental sustainability across all areas of the work. This best practice will evolve in tandem with the company as it develops.

Wise Children recognises the need to take action...

Because Climate change and resource consumption are threats to our planet and our future.
Because Wise Children is a cultural leader with a responsibility to promote cultural change.
Because we recognise the need to be responsible for our actions and impact.
Because we have a platform to bring about positive environmental change.
To protect and improve the company’s reputation.
To balance company’s financial sustainability with environmental sustainability.
To uphold the company’s values.

In 2022 we started working towards the baseline standard of the Theatre Green Book. The Theatre Green Book offers guidance on best practice, with the aim of sustainability becoming integral to production processes.

In committing to reducing our environmental impact and starting the transition to net-zero, we aim to:

Embed the Theatre Green Book approach.
Suport a Green Team within the organisation to help promote the TGB approach, contribute toachieving the organisations environmental goals and make sure the aims are understood by allemployees.
Set concepts, budgets and schedules to support sustainable practice.
Eliminate the use of unsustainable and harmful materials and chemicals.
Ensure all new materials are sustainably sourced.
100% of plastics being reusable, recyclable or compostable.
50% or more of materials used in a production (set, props, costumes etc) having had a previouslife.
65% of production materials are re-used or recycled post-production.
To reduce the impact of our activity across all technical departments.
Minimise deliveries and opt for sustainable transport options.

The Key Environmental Impacts of Wise Children are -

Audience:

• Audience travel 

Touring:

• Company travel

• Haulage 

Production:

• Construction materials & methods

• Production practices

• Production energy use

• Production waste

Office Running and administrative:

• Energy use

• Waste

• Printing

• Consumables

Action Plan

• Show power 

• Freight
• Marketing
• Consumables

• Resources & services 

• Business travel
• Staff travel

This Policy is supported by an accompanying Action Plan which is reviewed and revised each year in consultation with our core team, environmental champions and key production team. The Plan details and explores how the company’s aims will be actioned and measured in order to evaluate, review and improve our impact and practices.

The Action Plan is structured towards, and aims to see, Wise Children achieving the baseline standard of sustainable working practice by 2025, based on The Theatre Green Book guidance on sustainable working.

Monitoring and Reporting

A system of monitoring is vital in allowing us to clearly and productively capture the environmental impact of our activity. Using Julie’s Bicycle Creative Green Tools - carbon and environmental calculator, we will capture and record this activity and impact. As the company develops, this framework will enable us to track our progress and, furthermore, review our actions and strategies towards reducing our footprint. Our overall goal is to see a year on year reduction in our carbon footprint. The solid baseline established within the initial years of Wise Children’s reporting will allow us to set further, and more detailed, goals. Capturing and recording impact data will be ongoing in line with company activity, and reported annually.

This policy and the supporting Action Plan will be reviewed regularly and updated as necessary in line with a company developments and/or legislation. The policy and Action Plan will be included in the agenda of, and reviewed by, the Trustees at Board level.

Wise Children will report data to ACE & Julie’s Bicycle on annual basis.