Sustainability policy

Our commitment

Wild Fig Research is a small, Sheffield-based participatory research organisation. We recognise that the climate and nature crises are social justice issues, and that they affect the communities we work with first and hardest. We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our work.

This policy applies to directors, employees, associates, peer researchers and anyone working on our behalf. It sits alongside our Ethical research policy, AI statement and Modern slavery statement.

Our principles

  • Reduce impact. We prioritise avoiding and reducing impact before considering any other measures.
  • Proportionate changes. We are a small organisation, so we focus on the changes that make the most difference and that we can keep up.
  • Social and environmental justice together. We aim for sustainability measures that are fair, affordable and accessible, and do not exclude people from taking part in research.
  • Transparent. We report what we do and what we have not yet achieved, and we avoid greenwashing.
  • Learning with others. We share what works and learn from partners, communities and other small organisations.

Our main impacts

We have identified where our environmental footprint is most likely to arise:

  • Travel to fieldwork, workshops, meetings and events.
  • Energy and equipment used in our workspace and at home, and in the devices and digital services we use, including cloud storage, video calls and AI tools.
  • Events and fieldwork, including venues, catering, printed materials and equipment.
  • Purchasing, including printing, stationery, hardware, software and professional services.
  • Waste, including paper, packaging, event waste and electronic equipment.

We will review these every year and add to them as our work changes.

What we do

Travel

  • We plan projects to reduce unnecessary travel, for example by combining visits, working with local peer researchers and holding sessions close to where people live.
  • We meet online where that works well and does not exclude people; walk, cycle or use public transport; share journeys; and fly or drive alone only when there is no practical alternative.
  • We do not expect or incentivise flying within the UK where a reasonable rail journey is available.
  • We reimburse sustainable travel and cover participants' and peer researchers' travel costs in full, so that choosing greener options is never a cost to them. We recognise that public transport, cycling and walking are not equally accessible to everyone, and we make exceptions where access or safety requires it.

Digital and equipment

  • We buy equipment only when we need it, choose durable, repairable and refurbished options where possible, and use devices for as long as they are safe and supported.
  • We dispose of electronics through certified reuse and recycling schemes, after securely wiping all data in line with our Secure data handling and storage protocols.
  • We manage digital use sensibly by regularly deleting data we no longer need (which also supports our retention schedule), avoiding unnecessarily large files and video, and switching off or sleeping equipment when not in use.
  • We use AI tools proportionately, as set out in our AI statement, and prefer simpler approaches where they do the job.
  • We favour providers that publish credible information about renewable energy use and emissions reductions.

Events, venues and fieldwork

  • We choose accessible venues that are well served by public transport and, where possible, that have good environmental practices.
  • We offer vegetarian or plant-based food as the default at events, source locally and seasonally where we can, work with community and social enterprise caterers, and plan quantities carefully to limit waste. Food will always meet dietary, cultural and religious needs.
  • We use reusable cups, plates and equipment rather than disposables, and avoid single-use plastics and giveaways that people don't need.
  • We prefer digital materials to print. When we do print, we use recycled paper and local printers where feasible, and print only what we need.

Purchasing and partners

  • We choose suppliers that are local, independent or social enterprises where we can, and consider environmental and ethical practices alongside price and quality (see also our Modern slavery statement).
  • We ask suppliers about their environmental practices, and share our expectations with associates and partners.

Workspace and energy

  • Where we use shared or rented space, we choose providers with good energy efficiency and renewable energy where possible, and encourage practices such as switching off equipment and using energy-efficient heating.
  • We support team members working from home with guidance on reducing energy use, and ensure that colleagues are not out of pocket for doing so.
  • We ask that our banking, pensions and insurance providers' environmental and ethical investment policies be considered when we choose or review them.

Research and communities

  • We support research and evaluation that helps communities, VCFSE organisations and public bodies take action on climate, nature and environmental justice, and we involve those affected in shaping it.
  • We take care that researching environmental topics, or inviting people to take part in them, does not put unfair burdens on people already facing hardship, and we pay people fairly for their expertise.
  • We share findings in accessible formats that communities can use, in line with our Ethical research policy.

Offsetting

We treat carbon offsetting as a last resort and not as a way to avoid reducing our emissions. If we ever offset, we will say clearly what we have done and why, and choose independently verified schemes. We do not currently offset.

Targets and measurement

  • Establish a baseline of our main impacts (travel, energy and purchasing) by December 2027, and commit to reducing our travel emissions based on this.
  • Ensure that all events offer vegetarian or plant-based food by default by December 2026.
  • Include a sustainability check in the planning of every project by December 2027.

We will review progress against these goals at least once a year.

Roles and responsibilities

Sustainability Lead: Bryony Vince-Myers (Co-Director) is responsible for this policy, keeps our impact records and reports to the directors.

Directors are accountable for the policy, set targets and ensure the time and budget are available to meet them.

Everyone is expected to follow this policy, think about sustainability in their own work, and suggest ideas for improvement.

Review

We review this policy at least once a year and after any major change in how we work. Feedback, ideas and concerns from our team, partners and participants are welcome at hello@wildfigresearch.org.uk.

Last reviewed: 4th November 2026.

Next review: 4th November 2027.

Approved by the directors.