AOP appoints sustainability steering group

The AOP has established a steering group to guide activity towards achieving long-term sustainable and environmental goals within the membership organisation.

With a focus on achieving net-zero and reducing waste, the steering group will launch a sustainability policy and strategy to underpin the AOP’s work on environmental issues.

Key priorities for the group include:

• Completing a sustainability assessment of the AOP
• Reviewing the procurement of services and products
• Continuing a move towards sustainable member services and digital products
• Raising staff and member awareness of sustainability and environmental issues.

Sustainability leads will be appointed across the organisation to “champion green issues and achieve targets,” the AOP said.

In March this year, the AOP joined with optical sector bodies to release a joint statement of intent on environmental sustainability. The statement included a commitment to reduce emissions in the industry in line with the UK target of lowering emissions by 78% by 2035.

The AOP shared that it is “committed to supporting members in their reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste, and developing sustainable ways of practice in line with this aim, and will continue to expand its education offer in this area.”

Updates from the AOP on sustainability can be found through the Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages @The_AOP.

To read more on sustainability, including how optical suppliers and practice owners are approaching implementing environmentally-friendly solutions, read OT’s sustainability features over the coming two months.