Sustainability Policy

The Breakthrough Office is committed to conducting its operations in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner. We recognise that our business activities have an impact on the environment and the communities in which we operate, and we accept our responsibility to minimise that impact.

This Sustainability Policy outlines our commitment to integrating sustainable practices across all areas of our operations, reducing our environmental footprint, and fostering a culture of environmental awareness among our team members, clients, and stakeholders. By embedding sustainability into our decision-making processes, we aim to contribute to a healthier planet while ensuring the long-term success and resilience of our business.

 

Definitions

B Corp/Social Enterprise means a business verified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, or any other business that exists to create a public or community benefit.

Circular Economy means products and materials are kept at their highest utility for as long as possible. Once a product reaches the end of its life, its materials are salvaged, repaired, refurbished, or recycled to become something new, closing the loop.

Emissions means greenhouse gases and air pollutants being released into the atmosphere, which is harmful to humans, animals, and the planet.

Environmental Footprint means a measure of the impact human activities have on the planet, and can include ecological footprints, carbon footprints, or water footprints.

Greenwashing means the deceptive marketing practice of making false, exaggerated, or unsubstantiated claims about the environmental benefits of a product, service, or company.

Modern Slavery means severe forms of exploitation where a person is controlled, coerced, or deceived into labour, services, or marriage, stripping them of their freedom and ability to refuse or leave.

Single-Use Products means an item designed to be used exactly once and then discarded or recycled.

Supply Chain means the interconnected network of people, organisations, resources, and processes involved in creating a product and getting it from its original source to the final customer.

Sustainability means the practice of using, living on, and managing resources in a way that meets current human needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

 

 

Climate Action

The Breakthrough Office recognises that climate change is real and is affecting many weather and climate extremes across the globe. It is committed to giving further consideration to its individual, collective and systemic practices in order to respond to the challenges posed by climate change to the environment.

The Breakthrough Office has implemented the below Climate Action Plan in its commitment to support the global ambition to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

 

Climate Action Plan

Action/Target	Timeframe	Allocated Resources	Stakeholders	Success Measurement
Reduced paper usage	3-6 months	Appropriate digital technologies for electronic documentation management.	1.        Employees 2.       Software Providers 3.       Regulatory Bodies	Paper usage reduced to an as-needed basis, either by law or otherwise.
Promotion of the circular economy	9-12 months	Procurement policies and procedures updated.	1.        Suppliers 2.       Employees	Preferred suppliers in the circular economy identified and utilised for at least 80% of applicable procurement decisions.
Reduction in business travel	12-18 months	Appropriate video conferencing technology; travel policies reviewed and updated if necessary.	1.        Employees 2.       Clients 3.       Software Providers	Where practical, at least 90% of meetings are conducted online or at an employee’s usual place of work.
Incentivisation of emission reductions	12-18 months	Appropriate end-of-trip facilities and other  workplace facilities.	1.        Employees 2.       Suppliers	Where practical, at least 80% of employees do not use personal vehicles to commute to work.

 

This Action Plan will be updated at least every 3 years.

 

Human Rights

The Breakthrough Office commits to respect human rights in its operations and practices. Namely, it commits to:

• UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: the authoritative global framework to prevent, address, and remedy human rights abuses in business operations.
• The International Bill of Rights or the rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: two binding UN Covenants covering civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, setting universal, inalienable rights such a freedom from slavery, torture, and right to life.
• The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work: committing ILO member states to respect five core labour standards, including freedom of association, and elimination of forced labour, child labour, and discrimination.
• UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: establishing minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of Indigenous peoples, recognising rights to self-determination, culture, identity, land, and resources.

Procurement

The Breakthrough Office is committed to fostering responsible, sustainable and climate-conscious decisions at an organisational level, including among management, staff, stakeholders, and suppliers.

When making a procurement decision at any level, The Breakthrough Office will consider whether it is possible to:

• Procure locally;
• Procure second-hand;
• Procure from companies with impactful alternative business models (e.g., social enterprises, worker cooperatives, producer cooperatives);
• Procure from companies with sustainability and environmental certifications (e.g., B Corp, Fairtrade, energy efficient labels, animal welfare certifications); and
• Opt for renewable materials from sustainable sources, or reused or recycled materials for products and packaging (and avoid virgin non-renewable materials and single-use products and packaging).

In addition to supplier categories, The Breakthrough Office will:

• Research risks linked to certain companies, products, source countries, and raw materials; and
• For any formal supplier relationships:
  • talk to suppliers to understand how they consider human rights and environmental impacts;
  • establish a responsible procurement policy with an emphasis on social and environmental impact;
  • incentivise existing suppliers to improve their sustainability performance; and
  • prioritise social and environmental credentials in supplier selection.

Marketing & Public Relations

The following principles govern The Breakthrough Office’s marketing and public relations practices:

1. The company makes precise, verifiable, and substantiated claims based on reliable or scientific data.
2. The company is truthful, transparent, and accountable about the social and environmental impacts of the company’s operations, both positive and negative.
3. The company follows ethical guidelines when using sensitive marketing and public relations channels and practices.

The Breakthrough Office implements these principles in the following ways, among others:

Principle 1

• Providing data sources along with claims;
• Avoiding overstating claims about unproven technology;
• Using consistent calculation methods and data sources when comparing two or more products or services; and
• Being realistic about claims that depend on specific conditions, meaning the company evaluates the likelihood of certain conditions and makes a claim only if the conditions are widely met.

Principle 2

• Ensuring claims about the company’s social and environmental impacts are relevant;
• Being truthful and transparent about the company’s progress on its social and environmental strategies; and
• Communicating clearly about the social and environmental impacts of the company’s products and services.

Principle 3

• Addressing the risks and impacts associated with overconsuming the company’s products or services and driving sustainable consumer engagement with those products or services;
• Identifying and reducing the risks that marketing and public relations practices may pose to vulnerable stakeholders (e.g. children or teenagers);
• Assessing the potential negative social and environmental impacts of working with potential clients or projects;
• Safeguarding consumer data (e.g. respecting consumer consent and practicing secure data collection, third-party handling, and data retention); and
• Ruling out a list of manipulative marketing and public relations behaviours that are deceptive or misleading (e.g. undisclosed paid messages or promotion by influencers, use of fake accounts or bot-driven amplification).

 

Lobbying & Government Action

The Breakthrough Office is committed to conducting its business with integrity and does not engage in lobbying activities. We do not attempt to influence government officials, legislative bodies, or regulatory agencies, directly or indirectly through industry associations, to advance our corporate interests. Employees and representatives are prohibited from using company resources for political lobbying, advocating for specific legislation, or making payments for the purpose of influencing governmental decisions.

 

 

Published: June 2026

Version 1

This policy will be reviewed every 3 years, or as required.