Pharmalink Group Environmental Policy Statement

1 Introduction

1.1 Scope of this Policy Statement

This Group Environmental Policy Statement:

• sets out the Pharmalink Consulting Board's ("the Pharmalink Board") high level requirements for the environmental framework across Pharmalink Consulting ("the Group");
• defines the environmental policy of the Group;
• is recommended, reviewed and approved by the Pharmalink Board;
• applies to all Group operations within the United Kingdom;
• applies to all Group operations outside the United Kingdom, unless:
  - local standards are more rigorous (in which case they will apply), or it would be illegal under local law to apply the standards set out in this Policy Statement.
  - adherence to Group standards, outside the UK, would place the Group at a serious competitive disadvantage. Businesses should then make a case to the Pharmalink Board who may approve standards that apply under local law;
• If the local standards are below those set by United Kingdom legislation, the Group will apply its own Group standards.

Any environmental procedures or processes issued within the Group are required to be consistent with the high level principles and standards established by this Policy Statement.

1.2 Review and update of this Statement

This Policy Statement is reviewed at least annually by the Board to ensure alignment to appropriate legal and regulatory environmental requirements.

1.3 Transitional Arrangements

It is envisaged that there will be a transitional period for the Businesses in terms of their compliance with this policy.

2 Group Environmental Policy

The Group recognises that it has a responsibility to the environment and we will take positive steps to address the environmental impacts of our business operations.

These impacts are both direct and indirect, and include our operational impacts and the impacts associated with our business activities.

We will seek to minimise our adverse impacts through good management, aiming for continuous improvement in our environmental performance.

The Group is committed to the prevention of environmental pollution, and we regard compliance with the relevant environmental laws in the countries in which we operate, as a minimum standard.

Furthermore, we will seek to implement good practice wherever practicable.

Responsibilities for environmental management are delegated to the Management Team with the Group.

Recognising our responsibilities and commitment to the environment, the Pharmalink Group undertakes to:

• Understand and address the direct and indirect environmental impacts of our operations.
• Continue to measure our most significant environmental impacts, set realistic targets for improvement, and monitor progress, using formal auditing procedures where appropriate.
• Support the integration of environmental considerations and objectives into our business decisions.
• Make efficient use of natural resources and adopt effective waste management procedures.
• Ensure that our employees have an awareness of environmental issues, and that those with particular environmental responsibilities are provided with appropriate training.
• Continue to ensure that environmental considerations are included in our risk assessment procedures for commercial and retail customers.
• Demonstrate to customers through our business decisions, our attitudes to risk, and day-to-day operations in our markets, that we support sound environmental principles.
• Integrate environmental considerations into our procurement of goods and services.
• Regularly review this policy and make it available to all our employees.
• Publish information about our environmental performance for the benefit of our employees.

The Group supports the principles of sustainable development. We will manage risks effectively and seek to realise the opportunities arising from proactive management of our environmental, economic, and social responsibilities, to create long-term shareholder value.

3 Corporate Environmental Objectives

To ensure that the Group meets the commitments set out in this environmental policy, we have set out a number of long term objectives for the environment programme over the next five years. They are reviewed annually, and published on the Group website - www.pharmalinkconsulting.com

The Group Corporate Objectives are to:

• Maintain a comprehensive environmental management system (EMS) throughout the organisation.
• Review the direct environmental impacts of our business to identify and, where practicable, measure adverse impacts, setting appropriate environmental improvement targets and monitoring progress
• Use energy and water efficiently and optimise our use of natural resources.
• Minimise the volume of waste deposited to landfill by re-using and recycling materials wherever possible, or by identifying the best practicable environmental options for disposal.
• Ensure that our colleagues are aware of relevant environmental issues, and of their own roles and responsibilities in delivering the overall programme, providing training for those with particular responsibilities.
• Continue to consider environmental factors and risks in our commercial and retail lending decisions, alert our customers to the importance of these issues, and direct them to specialist sources of advice.
• Encourage the development of products and services that will help our customers to adopt sound environmental principles and practices.
• Ensure that our key suppliers and contractors are aware of our policy, and that wherever possible, they operate to similar standards, as a minimum.
• Continue to provide support for sustainability initiatives that contribute towards the preservation or enhancement of the quality of life in the communities in which we operate.
• Review and monitor our environmental programme on an annual basis, including the relevance of our policy and objectives, and identify examples of best practice that may be shared throughout the Group.
• Collate and publish relevant information about our environmental performance on an annual basis, in print and web-based formats.

3.1 Targets

The Group acknowledges the commitment expected of businesses to reduce their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in support of the UK Government's Climate Change Programme. Following establishment of adequate baseline data, the Group will seek to establish appropriate environmental targets for its most significant environmental impacts.

3.2 Monitoring and measurement

The Board will support line managers in monitoring and measuring the key environmental impacts of their respective business units

Wherever it is practical to do so, we monitor our progress using key performance indicators (KPIs) that relate to some of the Group's environmental aspects. These are reviewed and reported annually and allow us to make comparisons between different parts of the Group and analyse year-on-year trends.