Genee Retains Green Accreditation with Investors in the Environment

We’re delighted to share that Genee has achieved Green accreditation with Investors in the Environment (iiE), following our audit in March 2026. This marks our second consecutive year at this level and reflects our continued commitment to improving our environmental performance as a business.

Alongside this milestone, we’ve also recently updated our website to better showcase our internal sustainability work. You’ll now find a dedicated sustainability page featuring our Environmental Policy, Carbon Reduction Plan, and our 2025 Impact Report. We’ve also added a range of sector-specific guides, new case studies, and further information about how we deliver the Investors in the Environment programme to organisations across the North of England.

Highlights from Our Environmental Management System

Since undertaking the Investors in the Environment programme ourselves, we’ve taken a practical, hands-on approach to embedding sustainability across our operations, focusing not just on reducing our environmental impact, but also on enhancing biodiversity and influencing how we work with others. This has resulted in a number of meaningful changes across our site, our operations, and our wider business practices:

• Installation of onsite solar panels

• Transition to a green energy tariff

• Introduction of a wormery to manage food waste

• Transition of our company fleet to electric vehicles

• Migration of our newsletter and mailing list to EcoSend, a sustainable provider

• Planting of hedgerows to enhance onsite biodiversity

• Installation of six bird houses and three bug hotels

• Achievement of B Corp Certification, alongside Good Business Charter accreditation and the SHINE Advanced Award

• Launch of a monthly sustainability column in Northern Insight

  
  

These actions form part of our broader Environmental Management System, helping us reduce our impact while also contributing positively to our local environment.

Genee’s Managing Director, Jo Holmes, said:

“We’re so pleased to have retained our Green accreditation with Investors in the Environment. We really believe in the iiE programme and its ability to help organisations establish useful environmental management systems, and the process has made the team at Genee examine our impact and prioritise actions we can put in place to reduce it. Sustainability often takes a back seat within both large and small organisations, as other organisational pressures take over. We want to demonstrate that effective environmental management will work for you, regardless of the size of your organisation.”

Influencing Our Supply Chain

As a small consultancy, our direct environmental impact is relatively limited. However, we recognise that we can have a much greater influence through the choices we make - particularly when it comes to the venues we work with, the partners we collaborate with, and the suppliers we use.

This year, we’re placing a strong focus on supply chain influence. To support this, we’ve developed two guides: a Sustainable Procurement Guide, and a Sustainable Events Guide, designed to help our members make more environmentally responsible decisions when working with their suppliers.

For many organisations, the supply chain accounts for around 70% of total carbon emissions, making it one of the most significant levers for meaningful climate action. This means that the choices made about suppliers, venues, and delivery partners can often have a far greater impact than operational changes alone.

This was reinforced through our delivery of the North East Public Sector Sustainable & Social Value Supplier Event, where public sector organisations and suppliers came together to explore how sustainability expectations are evolving. A key message from the day was that progress in sustainability does not rely on perfection, but on action - starting where you are and improving over time.

The conversation highlighted how frameworks such as Investors in the Environment can support this journey by helping organisations:

• Build structured environmental management systems

• Reduce environmental impact

• Identify cost savings

• Meet public sector procurement expectations

  
  

It also reinforced the importance of collaboration between procurement teams and suppliers, and the need for open conversations about expectations and progress rather than barriers to entry.

Why the iiE Framework Matters

The Investors in the Environment framework continues to be an invaluable tool in supporting our progress. It provides a clear structure for continual improvement, helping us stay accountable and focused.

Like every small organisation, our team wears multiple hats - delivering programmes, managing communications and marketing, handling admin, and everything in between. Even though sustainability is central to what we do, it can still be challenging to dedicate time to maintaining and advancing our own Environmental Management System while supporting others with theirs.

That’s why the audit process is so important. Having an external perspective brings fresh insight and constructive challenge. It acts as a critical friend, highlighting areas for improvement, asking the right questions, and ultimately helping us move forward with greater clarity and purpose.

We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far, but we know there’s always more to do. If you’d like to learn more about our sustainability journey or explore how the Investors in the Environment programme could support your organisation, get in touch at jo@genee.org.uk.