ESSA's Sustainability Accreditation is an independent assessment that looks at how companies actually handle sustainability, not just what they say they do. It covers 12 different areas including energy management, waste reduction, carbon footprinting, sustainable procurement, equality and diversity, and community support.

The scoring is pretty straightforward: you submit evidence of what you're doing, independent evaluators assess it, and you get a score out of 100. There are six levels in total, and we've scored 87 to hit Level 4, which covers scores between 70-89 points. Level 5 is the top tier and starts at 90 points, so we're getting close, which gives us something clear to aim for next time round.

There's a lot of greenwashing out there, and we wanted third-party verification of our sustainability efforts because saying you care about the environment is easy, but proving it is a different thing entirely. The ESSA framework aligns with ISO standards and requires proper documentation and evidence, which means you can't just talk a good game.

Going through this process has made us look properly at what we're doing well and where we genuinely need to improve, and that clarity has been really valuable for us as a team. We're a small design agency, which means everyone plays a part in how we operate day-to-day, and getting this external perspective has helped us focus our efforts where they matter most.

Our Head of Process and Compliance, Elizabeth Leese, has led the charge on getting our sustainability practices properly embedded and documented across the business. Her work has been essential in achieving this accreditation, and we're grateful for the dedication she's brought to it.

The assessment covered everything from our energy use and waste management to how we source materials, support our community, and ensure equality across our work. Each area needed concrete evidence, not just promises or plans, but actual proof of what we're doing. It's been a thorough process, but that's exactly why the accreditation carries weight.

The accreditation is annual, which means we'll be reassessed each year, and that's actually helpful because it keeps us accountable and gives us regular checkpoints to measure our improvement over time. Scoring 87 means we're three points off Level 5, and while we're not obsessing over the number, it does give us a clear target to work towards and helps us prioritize where to focus our energy.

We're proud of what we've achieved so far, but we also know that sustainability isn't a destination. It's ongoing work that requires constant attention and improvement. This accreditation gives us a solid framework to keep building on, year after year, and we're committed to making continued progress as we go forward.