I believe that the current climate and biodiversity crisis is the greatest challenge humankind has ever faced. I take responsibility for continuously seeking to improve the sustainability of all my activity, both as Geof Ellingham Counselling and in all other parts of my life.
I take an eco-systemic approach to my counselling; honouring my human inter-connectedness and respecting the planet and all life-forms as “stakeholders” in the counselling. I actively bring the environment into the counselling conversation, by enquiring into the ecological dimensions of every counselling topic.
I aim to make ethical and responsible choices, conserve resources, prevent pollution and build regenerative practices in everything I do. This includes IT equipment, office supplies, food and drink, cleaning and maintenance products, the suppliers I buy these from, travel, banking and energy providers.
EQUIPMENT
- I select equipment such as computers, printers etc. with high energy efficiency ratings, ethically sourced repairable / recyclable parts.
OFFICE SUPPLIES
- I use FSC accredited, recycled or reused scrap paper wherever possible
- I do not print emails, forms and other documents unless absolutely necessary and always use double sided printing.
- I provide all client resources electronically
- I recycle printer cartridges
FOOD AND DRINK
- I use fair-trade and organic tea and coffee and washable cups.
- I use plant-based milk and tap water.
- I use ethically sourced, organic, vegetarian / vegan, locally sourced and zero-waste food and drink wherever possible.
CLEANING
- I use recycled or FSC Accredited toilet paper in bathrooms
- I eco-friendly and refillable cleaning supplies
ENERGY USE
- I use power saving mode on all equipment
- I switch off all electrical items and equipment when not in use
- I use cloud storage only when necessary to avoid burdening the global data storage system
- I use low energy lighting and switch off lights when rooms are unoccupied
- I only heat rooms when they are in use and encourage movement, ventilation and adjusting clothing rather than excessive heating (or air conditioning).
WASTE AND RECYCLING
- I ensure all waste is recycled or composted where appropriate
- I dispose of electrical equipment, batteries and other non-recyclables responsibly.
TRAVEL
- I offer my services online rather than face to face to reduce the environmental impact of excessive travel
- I walk and cycle as my main modes of transport between home and office
- When travel is necessary, I use public transport and avoid private vehicles and air travel as far as possible.
- I opt in to carbon offsetting when air travel is unavoidable
BANKING
I have accounts, investments and pensions with ethical banks / funds divested from fossil fuels and only providing finance to environmentally and socially responsible organisations.
INFLUENCING OUR PROFESSION
I are committed to influencing the counselling profession by advocating for the integration of environmental issues into my practice. I participate in peer exchange groups on the issue of counselling and climate change, write articles, share materials and strive to lead by example by adopting the best environmental practices.
PREPARATION OF THIS STATEMENT
This statement was prepared on 20 Feburary 2023. It was last reviewed on 20 Feburary 2023.