Environmental policy statement

Last updated: June 2024

1. Introduction

Our purpose at Forest Holidays, is to help people experience and reconnect with forests, with each other and with rural communities. We are privileged to be situated in the heart of UK forests and take that responsibility seriously. For us, this means designing our locations to be in harmony with the forest, managing them in an eco-friendly way, taking active steps to protect and enhance the forest, and educating our teams, guests and visitors so that they can play their part too. It also means supporting local communities, local suppliers and local charities.

As the appreciation and enjoyment of this environment are central to the Forest Holidays experience, we see protecting and restoring the environment in which we operate as a central part of our business responsibility. 

2. Purpose

This environmental policy (the ‘Policy’) sets out Forest Holiday’s position on environmental topics, to inform operational processes and guide decision making in our wider community.

3. Commitment

This policy statement embraces our commitment to fulfilling all legal requirements including, adoption of appropriate pollution controls, and continual improvement of environmental management and performance at Forest Holidays.

4. Responsibility

The CEO is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of this Policy and reviewing the implementation of it on a regular basis.

The Board of Forest Holidays is responsible for putting in place any operational processes and projects required to improve implementation of the environmental principles in this Policy.

The effectiveness of this policy will be monitored on a regular basis, any revisions will be published annually and made accessible to all team members.

All Forest Holidays directors, employees and contractors are expected to do business in accordance with this Policy and with Forest Holidays’ general environmental and ethical values.

Directors are responsible for ensuring all team members have understood and agreed to this Policy. Managers are expected at all levels to lead by example. Team members are encouraged to support stakeholders around them in embracing and adopting these principles.

Third parties should be managed to the requirements in this Policy by relevant department leads and performance against this Policy included in the evaluation of contractual relationships.

Specifically, our suppliers and business partners understand and support our Environmental policy and sign our Supplier Code of Conduct which includes a commitment to adhere to environmental standards we have outlined for their own businesses. 

5. Scope

We are not only responsible for how we conduct business within our forests and outside of them, but also for preserving the environment for our guests, visitors, employees, and neighbours to enjoy for years to come.

6. Aim and Principles

• To positively enhance and protect the wildlife, the landscape, and natural resources in which our business is located, so that ultimately it benefits from our business presence
• To provide our guests the opportunity to share their holiday locations with interesting flora and fauna
• To reduce our energy and resource consumption wherever possible, specifically focusing on the procurement or generation of 100% renewable energy by 2030 for both operations and our holiday lodge locations
• To seek ways in which we can reduce water use and conserve water throughout our business operations
• To work towards becoming a zero waste business by increasing our provision of recycling and reducing the overall volume of the waste we generate
• To provide information and education to our team, guests, neighbours, and business partners to understand the natural environment and foster an active commitment to its improvement
• To reduce our use of energy throughout our operations including implementing our Environmental Management Plan and Green Travel Policy which aims to minimise our business travel wherever feasible. For example, we aim to: 
  • Conduct virtual meetings, wherever possible
  • Reduce frequency of business travel by combining meetings into one trip
  • Plan ahead to encourage and facilitate car sharing
  • Select rail over air travel where practical and economically viable June 2024
  • Provide sufficient charging points for EV company car and personal car users at 100% of our locations
  • To implement our Sustainable Procurement Policy which actively gives preference to suppliers who meet certain specified Environmental criteria
  • To accurately record, monitor, review and publish our environmental performance and our progress against our corporate environmental goals

7. Monitoring and Review

Forest Holidays will evaluate the effectiveness of this Policy and the implementation of it on an ongoing basis, to ensure that it remains effective and reflects best practice.

The content in this Policy will be monitored with third parties via the implementation of our Supplier and Partner Code of Conduct and our Sustainable Procurement Policy.

We will regularly assess internal processes and encourage team to feedback improvements. 

8. Reporting

Forest Holidays will include information on compliance to and continuous improvement of this Policy in interim and annual business reports to ensure transparency of operational practices.

Bruce McKendrick
Chief Executive Officer