“Footprints is committed to integrating socially responsible and sustainable business practices across our operations. It is our policy to act responsibly in our day-to-day relationships with our customers, suppliers, employees, the public, and the communities where they live.” Footprints Security Patrol Inc. - Social Impact Statement.
Furthermore, “Footprints is committed to leading our industry in responsible human rights, community, environmental, and operating practices. Footprints strives to ensure that working conditions are safe, that employees are treated with respect and dignity, and that business operations are environmentally responsible and conducted ethically. Protecting the shared environment is of fundamental importance to ownership and management as it is to our employees.”
Footprints strategic approach is to:
Footprints has joined with the Business Development Bank of Canada and Climate Smart in their "Lean and Green" program, which helps businesses to measure and reduce their carbon footprint and to find ways to cut operating costs and carbon emissions. With the help of the specialized training, software and coaching, Footprints is calculating our emissions and implementing numerous emission reduction strategies.
Footprints strives to maximize our supply chain by "buying local" from local businesses in the communities we provide services in. Buying locally reduces our energy consumption as it decreases transit time and takes advantage of local delivery routes offered by our suppliers. Selecting suppliers with both an eye to both monetary efficiency but also ones that help Footprints reduce transport time for goods and also reduce commute times for vehicle servicing for example.
In every community where Footprints provides security services throughout Vancouver Island, we work to support local government and regional sustainability measures. The provision of security services has traditionally required the consumption of natural resources in several areas that Footprints has targeted to make significant changes to enhance sustainability. Footprints strategic approach to waste reduction is to:
Footprints continually identifies ways to reduce waste with a company-wide approach.
Footprints’ culture has become one where we understand we can “do more with less”. As an organization, we encourage staff to use public transportation or carpool, supply staff with laptops over a desktop as laptops are 80% more energy efficient, avoid printing documents and prefer electronic documents and continually re-think/re-evaluate office space to downsize our building demands. Footprints continuously strives to significantly reduce carbon emissions and decrease the fleet’s environmental footprint without sacrificing client expectations of mobility and reliability. We have undertaken a three-phase program to acquire more fossil fuel-efficient vehicles. Now in Phase Two, we are moving to vehicles that have a reduced reliance on fossil fuels i.e., hybrids. Phase 3 will involve a move to Fossil Fuel Free vehicles i.e., electric vehicles and alternate transport modes.
Phase one – Fossil Fuel Efficiency
Phase two – Fossil Fuel Reduction
Phase three – Fossil Fuel Free (100% renewable energy)
In addition to the changes described above to our vehicle fleet, Footprints is also working to be more energy efficient with our buildings by introducing sustainability measures, including: Measuring energy consumption, benchmarking to make greatest improvements in energy efficiency, focusing on insulation and installing proper ventilation, buying only certified equipment, and using LED lights wherever possible.