By Elenor Bouchet, head of marketing, business development and Engagement, Fairway Group
IN my driveway is a battered mountain bike, put together by my husband many years ago but still getting me into work and around our beautiful island, often with my kids alongside.
Not only is does it keep me fit but it is an environmentally-friendly way to explore and, given the size of Jersey, a pretty cost-effective way to do our bit for the benefit of future generations. That’s why, alongside our support of Ride, we are delighted to be adding additional focus to the sustainability agenda by supporting ecoJersey.
As a financial services provider and employer of almost 100 people, Fairway Group has a significant role to play to make a difference to our clients, our colleagues and our community to create a more sustainable future. Jersey Finance has recently launched its sustainable finance strategy that will position Jersey as a leading international centre for sustainable finance. It aims to meet its targets in line with the Government of Jersey’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2030.
The targets may seem huge and unattainable but all journeys start with a single step (or pedal) and a community making small changes together can make a big difference in the long run. It takes leaders in government, in industry, in education and in your own home to create a positive effect but we can do it together, one change at a time.
We have tried to make it as simple as possible for our colleagues to make a difference by providing recycling facilities within our headquarters as well as dedicated cycling facilities to encourage less use of cars for commuting.
If you want a perfect example of leading by example, our chief executive Louise and co-founder of Fairway Group, Alistair, both take compost home on their bikes while Louise has been known to pick up litter from the road on her way into the office.
All new joiners are given reusable tote bags to cut down on the need for single-use plastic when in town while water bottles and KeepCups are provided for when we can share a coffee again.
This is just the start of our journey to being a more sustainable business. We have much more to do and we are putting in place the foundations of our environmental strategy with initiatives like Plastic Free Jersey and Eco Active.
Later this year, we will be taking part in a parish litter pick and we would love for you to come along or organise your own. More details will be released closer to the time but, until then, perhaps have a think about what one thing you can do?
We hope that ecoJersey gives you the inspiration to help you to make small changes that will make the difference to our community. The future of Jersey is in our hands.
