As the world is focussed on climate change on a global scale, specialist Global Recruiter VIDA has fully committed to cutting its own carbon footprint, by becoming Future Net Zero accredited. This coupled with a new client solution will make it the first in the industry to deliver Carbon Neutral Recruitment moving forward.
VIDA works primarily within the Medtech and Biotech spaces accessing talent in the form of executive recruitment across global locations. The business supports innovative start-ups through to global brands, and as such has wanted to offset not only its future carbon footprint, but to also take responsibility for its past too.
VIDA was influenced by its clients’ growing requirements for sustainability policies from the businesses they partner with, and the process to become Future Net Zero began during the pandemic. This decision was inspired by the enforced new ways of working and the significant cultural changes that were created because of it. To help them on the journey, VIDA sought support from CBN expert James Staniforth to help them understand the full process and steps that were required to make the significant changes.
On helping VIDA on its net zero journey, James Staniforth, founder & director of Sustainable Business Services, said:“We’ve looked at VIDA as an entity and we’ve gone through the future Net Zero programme to create their own benchmark. They’ve quickly adapted and have already made some good changes to the business to reduce their own carbon.
“Until you’ve got the data that the benchmark allows us to create, it’s difficult to shape policy that then affects how you look forward as a business – and that’s where we’re at now.
“Now we can understand what the hotspots are and we’re now able to shape a policy with VIDA looking forward, enabling them to continue reducing their carbon emissions over the short, medium and long term.”
VIDA has calculated all the emissions for its placements made during 2019 and 2020 and plans to offset these figures by aligning with Future Net Zero’s gold standards. This will see them partner with Orange Renewable to support a wind power project in Central India. The work undertaken by the organisation will facilitate the generation of clean electricity using wind energy, which has already played an important role in reducing CO2 emissions and will continue to contribute towards the economic growth of the area by generating 180 GWh of clean electricity annually.
Also, VIDA has created its own Carbon Calculator to measure the footprints of both its own future use and that of its clients. An innovation which will support clients of the firm who may need help in offsetting their own carbon footprint and understanding the global impact that recruitment practices can have.
Andy Preston, managing director at VIDA, said: “Our journey began with us preparing a sustainability plan for VIDA. I had become increasingly aware of the carbon footprint we were creating, especially because of the global nature of our business and so I wanted to implement changes that would become part of the company culture moving forward.
“For some time, we have been using electric vehicles and sustainable energy sources in our offices, but it became increasingly important to me to make a real and visible difference in terms of our carbon footprint. I wanted to do something tangible and not just to pay lip service to the climate change crisis that we are facing. Driven by both our clients and our own desire to really own our carbon agenda, we enlisted the expertise of Net Zero Standard to help us on our journey to becoming Net Zero.
“Undoubtedly the changes to the ways we all worked during the pandemic also had a lasting effect on me and it wasn’t just the realisation that we could influence the carbon footprint of our own staff, but also how we could assist and support our clients to make changes and understand the impact that the recruitment process could have on their own.
“We are now officially and purposefully making the decision, commitment and promise to offset all carbon emissions ongoing, but our journey to net zero journey and our own carbon agenda has really just begun and will continue to evolve. Therefore, the creation of our bespoke Carbon Calculator will be invaluable to ensure that we offset our own footprint moving forwards and can also advise our clients of the best way to approach their recruitment without damaging the planet.
“Sustainability really is at the forefront of our approach and how we work. Naturalis People, part of our group of companies which has a focus on sustainably led food businesses, also works on a global scale and this approach will also be a key part of how they operate with clients who are already making an impact by driving the plant-based agenda.”