Purpose and scope

This policy sets out how Border Crossing Media Holdings Limited, trading as Border Crossing UX, manages its environmental impacts, climate-related risks and opportunities, and commitment to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.

Border Crossing UX is a research and experience design consultancy. It does not manufacture products, operate industrial facilities, manage data centres or routinely supply physical goods as part of its services.

Its principal environmental impacts arise through:

  • office and remote-working energy use
  • purchased goods and services
  • digital and cloud services
  • IT equipment
  • business travel and commuting
  • waste and use of materials
  • suppliers and workspace providers.

Environmental controls are applied proportionately to the company’s size, activities, environmental impact and ability to influence the relevant activity or supplier.

Environmental commitments

Border Crossing UX is committed to:

  • complying with applicable environmental legislation and relevant contractual and procurement requirements
  • preventing avoidable pollution
  • reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and working towards Net Zero by 2030
  • using energy, equipment and materials efficiently
  • preventing waste and supporting reuse, repair, refurbishment and recycling
  • considering effects on biodiversity, ecosystems, water and marine resources
  • assessing physical and transition climate risks
  • considering climate-related opportunities
  • taking environmental impacts into account in procurement
  • avoiding unsupported or misleading environmental claims
  • monitoring performance and improving its approach as evidence and available options develop.

The current emissions inventory, targets, methodology and reduction actions are maintained in the company’s published Carbon Reduction Plan.

Responsibility

Company Directors

The Company Directors are responsible for approving and overseeing this policy. They are responsible for:

  • setting the company’s environmental commitments
  • approving the Carbon Reduction Plan and material environmental objectives
  • ensuring environmental and climate risks are reviewed
  • considering environmental performance when making material operational and procurement decisions
  • ensuring identified actions are assigned and completed
  • reviewing environmental performance at least annually
  • ensuring environmental claims and procurement responses are accurate and supported.

Managing Director

The Managing Director coordinates greenhouse-gas measurement and reporting, the annual environmental and climate review, progress against the Carbon Reduction Plan, supporting evidence and escalation of environmental incidents or concerns.

Everyone working for or on behalf of the company

  • use energy, equipment and materials responsibly
  • follow applicable travel, waste and purchasing arrangements
  • avoid unnecessary waste and consumption
  • report environmental incidents, concerns or avoidable waste
  • provide accurate information for environmental reporting
  • comply with relevant client and location-specific environmental requirements.

Documented environmental management approach

The company maintains a proportionate, documented environmental management approach appropriate to its consultancy activities and environmental risk profile. It comprises:

  • this Environmental Policy
  • the Carbon Reduction Plan and annual greenhouse-gas calculations
  • the Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Procurement Policy
  • environmental and climate considerations within business-continuity and operational-risk review
  • environmental objectives and actions recorded in the existing company action tracker or Carbon Reduction Plan
  • purchasing, supplier, equipment, travel, waste and incident records where relevant
  • annual review by the Company Directors, with material outcomes and decisions recorded in Directors’ or Board minutes.

The company does not maintain a separate environmental register for its current scale and risk profile. The policy, plans, operating records and formal review evidence together provide the documented system.

The company is not certified to ISO 14001 and does not claim equivalent certification.

Appropriate policies, plans, emissions information and redacted review evidence may be provided to clients on request, subject to confidentiality, security and commercial considerations.

Legal compliance and environmental incidents

The company seeks to identify and comply with environmental obligations relevant to its premises, activities, waste, equipment, purchasing and services. Many premises-related controls are managed by landlords or serviced-workspace providers. The company remains responsible for reasonable action within the areas it controls and for raising relevant concerns with the responsible provider.

A suspected environmental incident or breach must be reported promptly to either Company Director. The receiving Director will assess the matter, take any immediate protective action, decide whether a landlord, supplier, client or authority should be contacted, and record material decisions and corrective actions.

Environmental controls

Pollution prevention

The company’s direct pollution risk is low because it does not undertake manufacturing, construction, freight operations, chemical processing or other pollution-intensive activities. It nevertheless seeks to prevent avoidable pollution through:

  • using appropriate waste and recycling services
  • preventing inappropriate disposal of batteries, electrical equipment and other controlled waste
  • securely destroying confidential paper before disposal
  • reporting leaks, spills, equipment faults or inappropriate disposal
  • avoiding unnecessary printing, packaging and physical materials
  • reducing unnecessary travel and selecting lower-impact transport where reasonably practicable
  • considering pollution risks where relevant to a purchase, supplier or activity.

No hazardous substance should be introduced into company-controlled premises without an identified business need and appropriate arrangements for use, storage and disposal. At client or third-party premises, the company follows the relevant local environmental and waste arrangements.

Energy, digital operations and greenhouse-gas emissions

The company monitors and seeks to reduce energy associated with its offices, equipment and digital operations. Relevant measures include:

  • using energy-efficient lighting and equipment
  • switching off computers, monitors and office equipment outside working hours or when not required
  • using device energy-saving settings
  • considering energy efficiency when purchasing or replacing equipment
  • repairing equipment before replacement where practicable
  • considering refurbished equipment where it meets operational, accessibility and security requirements
  • reviewing renewable-electricity options when premises or energy arrangements change
  • considering the environmental reporting and energy commitments of material digital-service suppliers
  • avoiding unnecessary storage, duplication and computational processing where practical
  • considering whether the benefit of computationally intensive services, including AI, justifies their cost and environmental impact.

The company does not directly control all energy supplies within managed or shared premises. Renewable-electricity percentages are reported only where supported by suitable tariff, landlord or supplier evidence.

The company measures and reports Scope 1, Scope 2 and material Scope 3 greenhouse-gas emissions annually. The organisational boundary, reporting period, methodology, estimates and exclusions are documented in the Carbon Reduction Plan or supporting calculation records. Independent verification, SBTi validation or external assurance is claimed only where it has actually been obtained.

Waste, equipment and materials

The company applies the waste hierarchy by seeking to prevent unnecessary consumption first, followed by reuse, repair, refurbishment, recycling and responsible disposal.

Documented practices include:

  • purchasing only equipment and materials that are reasonably required
  • reducing paper use and avoiding unnecessary printing
  • reusing suitable office, research and workshop materials
  • repairing equipment before replacement where practical
  • considering refurbished devices
  • reselling, donating or repurposing equipment where appropriate
  • recycling electrical and electronic equipment through appropriate routes
  • separating recyclable waste where facilities are provided
  • reducing unnecessary packaging and disposable materials
  • considering end-of-life arrangements when purchasing equipment.

The company uses landlord and workspace-provider waste arrangements where these apply and raises concerns where facilities appear inadequate. Waste-related evidence is retained through ordinary equipment, purchasing, disposal and premises records.

Single-use plastics

The company avoids the routine purchase of single-use plastics where suitable reusable or lower-impact alternatives are reasonably available. Single-use plastics may nevertheless arise through managed premises, travel, catering, events, client locations, research or workshop materials, and supplier packaging. Where use cannot reasonably be avoided, the company seeks to minimise quantities and use available recycling arrangements.

The company does not claim to have eliminated all single-use plastic from activities it does not fully control.

Water and marine resources

The company’s direct water use is limited mainly to ordinary use within managed office, coworking and remote-working premises. It seeks to:

  • avoid unnecessary water use
  • report leaks or defective fixtures to the relevant landlord or workspace provider
  • avoid disposal of substances that could contaminate drains, watercourses or land
  • use appropriate disposal routes for waste, batteries and electrical equipment
  • consider material water consumption or marine impacts when purchasing relevant goods or services
  • consider the wider effects of environmental initiatives before supporting them.

The company does not claim that its entire supply chain has no adverse water or marine impact. It identifies and considers material impacts where information is reasonably available and the company can exercise influence.

Biodiversity and ecosystems

The company seeks to avoid or reduce adverse effects on biodiversity and ecosystems arising from its operations, consumption, travel and supply chain. Its approach includes:

  • reducing unnecessary consumption of equipment and materials
  • extending equipment life through repair and refurbishment where practicable
  • using appropriate recycling and disposal routes
  • reducing avoidable travel
  • considering land use, habitat and biodiversity where these are material to a purchasing or environmental decision
  • avoiding suppliers or initiatives known to create unacceptable environmental harm
  • assessing environmental claims before relying on them
  • considering credible local restoration, regeneration or nature-recovery initiatives where appropriate.

The company does not treat carbon offsetting as a substitute for reducing its own emissions. Any future carbon-removal, offsetting, biodiversity or regeneration arrangement will be assessed for credibility, transparency, additionality, permanence, verification and potential wider harm before approval.

Travel and commuting

The company seeks to reduce travel emissions while meeting client, participant, accessibility and delivery needs. Its approach includes:

  • using virtual meetings where they provide an effective and inclusive alternative
  • using rail and public transport where reasonably practicable
  • avoiding unnecessary flights
  • using economy travel and efficient routes where air travel is necessary
  • combining meetings or activities to reduce repeat journeys
  • considering lower-impact accommodation
  • using smaller, lower-emission vehicles where vehicle hire is necessary
  • supporting flexible and remote working
  • encouraging active travel where suitable and safe.

Travel choices remain subject to accessibility and reasonable-adjustment needs, participant and employee safety, time and operational constraints, total cost and client requirements. No person should be disadvantaged because a lower-carbon option is inaccessible or unsuitable for them.

Climate risks and opportunities

The company completes a documented assessment of climate-related risks and opportunities at least annually through its existing management and Board-review process. The outcome is recorded in the relevant Board paper or minutes, the existing action tracker and the Carbon Reduction Plan where an emissions or reduction action is affected.

The assessment is also reconsidered after a material event or change affecting premises, suppliers, travel, services, legal requirements or the company’s operating model.

Physical climate risks

The assessment considers physical risks including:

  • flooding and severe rainfall
  • storms and transport disruption
  • heatwaves and unsuitable working temperatures
  • power, internet or telecommunications interruption
  • loss of access to premises or client locations
  • effects on employees’ and associates’ ability to work safely
  • interruption to important suppliers or cloud services.

Controls may include remote-working arrangements, alternative approved work locations, secure access to cloud-based systems, business-continuity plans, alternative connectivity, flexible scheduling, travel changes and alternative supplier or support routes.

Transition climate risks

The assessment considers transition risks arising from the move towards a lower-carbon economy, including:

  • changes to environmental law and reporting expectations
  • procurement and client requirements
  • energy, technology and travel costs
  • changes to transport availability or acceptability
  • supplier transition or failure
  • changing carbon-accounting methods and increased demand for Scope 3 information
  • reputational risk from unsupported environmental claims
  • changing expectations of employees, associates, clients and research participants.

Supply-chain climate impacts and dependencies

The company considers environmental and climate risks associated with material supplier categories, including landlords and workspace providers, energy and utilities, cloud and software services, IT equipment, travel and accommodation, associates, and professional or specialist suppliers.

Assessment is proportionate to the value and duration of the relationship, operational importance, potential environmental impact, information available, the company’s ability to influence the supplier, and any client or contractual requirement. It may consider supplier environmental policies, emissions reporting, energy information, Carbon Reduction Plans, waste arrangements, business-continuity risks and credible public commitments.

The company does not require every supplier to provide a Carbon Reduction Plan.

Climate-related opportunities

The company considers opportunities including:

  • reducing unnecessary travel
  • increasing effective remote and hybrid delivery
  • improving equipment efficiency and lifespan
  • reducing energy and material costs
  • improving supplier and emissions data
  • selecting lower-impact services and equipment
  • strengthening resilience
  • supporting credible local environmental activity
  • improving competitiveness in procurements that value environmental performance
  • helping clients consider environmental consequences within research, service and experience decisions where this is within the agreed scope.

Opportunities are assessed alongside cost, accessibility, security, quality, operational need and likely impact.

Sustainable procurement

Environmental purchasing requirements are set out in the Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Procurement Policy. In summary, the company seeks to avoid unnecessary purchases, consider reuse, repair and refurbishment, assess whole-life value, consider energy, waste and emissions, review material supplier environmental information, avoid unsupported claims and apply requirements proportionately.

Objectives, monitoring and evidence

The Carbon Reduction Plan sets the company’s principal emissions targets and reduction actions. Additional actions may arise through annual environmental review, emissions reporting, business-continuity exercises, supplier review, client requirements or incidents.

Each material action must have a clear intended outcome, owner, target date or review point, appropriate evidence and recorded status. Actions are managed through the existing company action tracker, Carbon Reduction Plan or relevant operational plan.

The company maintains proportionate evidence including, as applicable:

  • greenhouse-gas calculations and supporting data
  • Carbon Reduction Plans
  • energy and tariff information
  • travel and commuting information
  • purchasing and supplier records
  • equipment purchase, repair and disposal records
  • waste and recycling evidence
  • environmental communications or training records
  • incident and corrective-action records
  • Directors’ or Board-review records.

Records are stored securely and retained in accordance with applicable legal, contractual and company requirements.

Communication and awareness

This policy is communicated to Company Directors and employees. Relevant requirements are communicated proportionately to associates and specialist suppliers where their work or purchasing decisions may affect the company’s environmental commitments.

Environmental awareness may cover energy and equipment use, waste and recycling, travel, purchasing, environmental incidents, emissions-data collection, client-specific requirements and avoiding misleading environmental claims.

Review

This policy and the company’s environmental management arrangements are reviewed at least annually by the Company Directors. They are also reviewed following a material environmental incident, climate-related disruption, identified control weakness, change to premises or working arrangements, significant supplier or service change, material change to the greenhouse-gas inventory, or relevant legal, regulatory, client or insurance change.

The review considers emissions and progress against targets, energy use, pollution risks, biodiversity, water and marine considerations, waste and single-use plastics, physical and transition climate risks, supply-chain risks, climate-related opportunities, incidents, progress against actions and whether the documented approach remains proportionate and effective.

The outcome and required actions are recorded in the relevant Directors’ or Board minutes and existing action tracker.

Last reviewed and approved

20 July 2026