Canu is an association of people who come together to deliver projects in a fluid form. We recognise that times are tight and clients need to pay for people not buildings, but more than that we owe it to the environment to reduce our impact on the planet.

Our Social Policy is totally inclusive. Working for Canu, you are a person who has needs. Need flexible hours to fit round childcare, no problem. Infact we actively encourage our Mums and Macs network. There is a huge untapped resource of parents with superb skills who are blocked from returning to work due to inflexible hours.

Because we work remotely, you can fit your working life and requirements into our pattern.

Canu actively seeks to reduce its Carbon footprint in many ways. We travel by public transport as much as possible. To this aim we are investigating a new park and ride system.

We shred our paper – it goes in the compost at Heather’s allotment.

All our light bulbs are energy efficient.

What is a Carbon Footprint?
1. Your primary footprint is a measure of your direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels including domestic energy consumption and transportation (e.g. car and plane).

2. Your secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products you use – those associated with their manufacture and eventual breakdown.

What we are doing to reduce our Primary Footprint
1. Holidays, where possible we are staying in the UK this year. We have a wide experience of global travel but know very little about the UK.

2. Electricity, We are investigating signing up to renewable energy supplier

3. Gas, Likewise we are investigating solar water heating – this can reduce your gas bill by up to 70% over a year.
4. Travelling around, we use pedal power and public transport where possible.

Tips to Reduce Your Secondary Footprint
When you buy goods – consider where they have been made and the materials and processes used to make them. Items that have high emissions in the manufacture or delivery should be avoided when ever possible. Things such as:-
1. Bottled water, stare down the scowls from waiters. Thames Water is fine.
Tap water is safe to drink in most European and North American countries, yet people still insist on buying bottled water. If the bottle is labelled as being from volcanic springs – you can bet that it has probably been imported from some distance. Imagine the carbon footprint of the flight / shipping of the water! And that’s before adding in the emissions due to making the bottle and / or recycling it.
2. Food and drink from far distances

When you go to the supermarket, look at the label to identify which country the food is from. There is no need to buy New Zealand apples in the UK in the autumn – but people do! Heather also has an allotment which provides in-season produce (beware the courgette glut!)

Think twice about buying a bottle of wine from the other side of the world – you may be able to find much more local wine, which will have travelled far fewer miles. Better still, visit the Three Choirs Vineyard

Better still try growing your own fruit and vegetables in your own garden. Planting an apple tree will not only provide you with lots of fruit, with zero carbon footprint, but the tree itself with breathe in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – making these fruit effectively carbon negative! No garden, try Abel and Cole food deliveries.

3. Meat eating
Reduce your consumption of meat, especially red meat.

4. Clothes from far off lands
Check the clothes labels before you buy. If they come from more than 1000 miles away, keep looking!

5. High packaged items
Avoid goods and services that have unnecessary packaging! Need we say more?