Maslow Foundation Sustainability Statement

Current context

Maslow’s Sustainability Statement will be broken down into interconnected ‘programmes of work’ along with strategic elements. The Governance Structure surrounding this, and an outline of the broader context is summarised in this paper.

Our Ambition & Vision

At Maslow our commitment to care for the environment is an essential element of our overarching responsibility to safeguard the wellbeing of our service users, client’s staff, and community stakeholders. What’s needed now is meaningful action to make good on admirable intentions.

We have just 8 years to achieve net zero across our core emissions footprint.

To embed sustainability and achieve the Foundations climate action goals will require concerted, coordinated effort across the breadth and depth of the Foundation. We are committed to “Sustainability and meaningful outcomes” whilst embarking on a movement of transformation guided by those with lived experience detailed below.

Why now?

It’s time for a “Sustainability Reset”. Why?

• Credibility. It increasingly undermines our purpose and our reputation if we profess to care about Service users, Clients, Stakeholders and environmental action but fail to move with the necessary pro-active response and impact.
• Expectations. Expectations for sustainability performance and deep emissions reductions are only increasing from government and society at-large. Doing our part to address the climate crisis is increasingly a requirement and a matter of compliance (e.g., NHS Net Zero 2040 targets, UK Net Zero 2050 targets). Sustainability is not voluntary anymore.
• Are we losing ground? Maslow is exemplary in many ways but are we losing ground to our peers with respect to sustainability. The Foundation is committed to do more if we are to be looked at as a leader in this field, with the profile and opportunities that entails.
• We’re running out of time. In line with other organisation, we are holding ourselves accountable, in just 8 years to reach net zero across our core carbon footprint by 2030.

Sustainability is a Maslow Foundation Strategic Objective and priority for our Stakeholders

In addition to responding to these key risks, progress on sustainability and emissions reduction should be looked at as a major contributor to the achievement of our operation strategy priorities.

The Maslow Foundation sustainability statement will be guided by the following perspectives. These should be common threads running through our functional delivery models and fully include Lived experience at all Strategic and Operational levels.

1. Reaching Out. Maslow is not an island. We are an anchor Foundation, a member of multiple communities, and a centre of excellence for criminal justice, health and social care, research, innovation and teaching. We recognise that our impact is greater when we step up and step out beyond our four walls. We understand that we can go both further and faster when we share what we know, speak up for what we believe in, support others, stay humble, and learn from our peers. Through our sustainability efforts, we will connect with our local community, with other change making charity’s other organisations on a similar sustainability journey. We will be effective advocates, willing partners, and embody compassionate and progressive leadership adopting a system leadership approach that is fully inclusive of those with Lived Experience.

2. Self-Mastery. Maslow has a long way to go. Sustainability must not be ad-hoc, optional, or extraneous. Credible leadership requires sincere and concrete action. Through our sustainability efforts, we will identify and consciously seize opportunities to embed cultures, policies, processes, documentation, training, and governance structures in-house. We will be self-critical and aim for impact. We will integrate sustainability as a lived core value, making it everyone’s job. Lived experience will inform “where we are and where we want to be” 

3. Health and Well-Being. Maslow is a health and social care, criminal justice Foundation. Our unique mission, unique capabilities, and unique opportunities will not be lost in how we tackle sustainability and climate action. We will strive to be a leader in sustainable health and social care, criminal justice. Through our sustainability efforts, we will endeavour to make holistic win-win links back to criminal justice, health and well-being for the benefit of service users, clients, children, families, community members, staff other stakeholders.

2. Travel & Transport

This workstream is concerned with reducing the environmental impact arising from travel (of people) and transport (of goods and services; logistics). Areas of related work include efforts to increase active and sustainable travel (business and commuting, service users, clients and families), investment in zero-emission vehicles (and/or engagement with suppliers to reduce fleet emissions), and maximising transport efficiencies. Key partners will include procurement, internal communications. Maslow is aware due to its national localities, partners, geography, the use of cars will remain essential for Foundation staff. Maslow are committed to support all staff to secure carbon Zero cars when financially viable.

3. Food & Nutrition

This workstream considers ways to reduce the environmental impact (including carbon emissions) of the food that is purchased, prepared, processed, and served within Maslow Foundation projects. This could include reducing overall food waste and ensuring provision of healthier, locally sourced and seasonal menus high in fruits and vegetables. Opportunities exist to reach out to improve community access to healthy food, as well as local growing.

4. Our People

This workstream covers efforts to engage, educate and develop our workforce in defining and delivering carbon reduction initiatives and the achievement of our broader sustainability goals. It includes the operation of working groups and committees, employee engagement efforts, training and education, and investment in staff, alongside broader efforts to create an organisational culture of sustainability. Key partners will include HR & Learning, research and innovation, workforce development and those with Lived experience.