CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
Approved by the Court in September 2023; reviewed and updated November 2026
INTRODUCTION
In 2021, the Livery Companies were invited to prepare a combined response to the challenges of climate change in the form of individual Livery Company Action Plans. A Livery Climate Action Group (LCAG), chaired by Alderman Alison Gowman, was formed to support the Companies to develop these plans. This group also provided input to the Lord Mayor’s contribution to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in November 2021.
Our current representative on the Livery Climate Action Group is Past Master Adam Bennett.
CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
We support the objectives of the Livery Climate Action Group (LCAG) by seeking to reduce our carbon emissions and our wider impact on the environment. We will contribute where possible towards the pledge to achieve net zero carbon emissions across the Square Mile by 2040. We will consider all the options available to reduce our impact on the environment and will encourage our direct and indirect contacts to do the same.
OUR APPROACH
We recognise that climate change is a shared responsibility and that every organisation can contribute.
As a peripatetic Livery Company (without our own Hall), we have limited control over our direct carbon emissions. However, we can make a difference through the choices we make about our events, venues, suppliers, investments and activities.
Our aim is to reduce our environmental impact wherever it is practical and proportionate to do so. We encourage our members and the organisations with which we work to share this commitment.
Our approach is based on the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Principles and supports the wider ambition of the City of London to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040.
WHAT WE DO
Events and venues
When choosing venues for Company meetings and events, we consider their environmental policies and the steps they are taking to reduce energy use, carbon emissions and waste.
We favour venues that are accessible by public transport and other lower-emission forms of travel, while recognising the practical needs of our members and guests, including those who travel great distances and those with reduced mobility.
We encourage car sharing where appropriate.
Food and catering
When planning Company events and dinners, we work with our caterers to make sensible and practical choices that reduce environmental impact.
Where possible, we ask our caterers to:
- use seasonal and locally sourced food;
- offer lower-carbon menu choices;
- reduce food waste;
- encourage the re-use and recycling of materials; and
- support food redistribution where surplus food can be put to good use.
Suppliers and purchasing
We consider sustainability when selecting suppliers and purchasing goods and services.
Where practical, we favour products and services that:
- have a lower environmental impact;
- minimise unnecessary packaging and single-use materials;
- can be re-used or recycled; and
- are sourced locally or from within the UK where possible.
We take account of environmental considerations alongside quality, value, availability and other relevant factors.
Water and waste
We encourage the use of tap water rather than bottled water at our events, although we will provide sparkling and still bottled water where requested.
We seek to reduce waste and increase re-use and recycling, while recognising that the arrangements available to us are usually determined by the venues we use.
Investments
We ask our Investment Managers to consider climate-related risks and the environmental impact of our investments.
Where appropriate, we ask them to explain how environmental, social and governance considerations are incorporated into the management of the Company's investments, while recognising our wider investment objectives and responsibilities.
Members and knowledge sharing
Our members have a wide range of professional knowledge and experience that can help the Company improve its environmental performance.
We encourage members to share relevant experience and good practice and to identify practical opportunities for the Company to make a positive contribution.
We support appropriate opportunities to engage with other Livery Companies and organisations on climate change, sustainability and environmental issues.
Keeping the Plan under review
We keep our Climate Action Plan under review and update it as circumstances, good practice, knowledge and expectations develop.
Our focus is on practical actions that we can take, rather than targets we cannot meaningfully measure or control.
The Liveryman responsible for the Climate Action Plan maintains our connection with the Livery Climate Action Group. That person also monitors progress, identifies opportunities for improvement and reports periodically to the GPC and to the Court as requested.
Conclusion
As a peripatetic Livery Company, we concentrate our efforts on the areas where we can have the greatest influence or effect, while working constructively with the venues, suppliers and organisations on which we depend.
We recognise that climate action is a continuing process. Our objective is to make sensible, achievable decisions and to ensure that environmental considerations form part of the way the Company conducts its business.