Sustainability Policy

Version: 2

Date: August 2026

Author: Michelle Miles, Founder & CEO

Next review: Annual, as part of our continuous improvement cycle

Purpose & Values

The Sustainable Wedding Alliance’s mission is to drive change to create a more sustainable wedding industry. Raising awareness and tackling climate change and attitudes, by proactively encouraging businesses to develop future thinking strategies and make responsible decisions.

We believe that we are trustees of this planet and it’s our duty to not only make sure it survives but thrives. We respect not only the planet in our care but all those that live on it.

As a purpose driven business, our values are such an important part of who we are and what we do.

• We act with integrity at all times
• We respect our planet and all that live on it
• We promote collaboration over competition
• We are open and honest in our communication
• We embrace change, new ideas and approaches
• We are continuously learning and improving
• We empower our communities, giving them the confidence and support they need to thrive

We acknowledge the three pillars of sustainability — social, economic and environmental — and ensure all business decisions take all three into consideration. Sustainability is at the core of every action and decision we make.

In practice, this means we will:

• Promote sustainable practices and encourage businesses to adopt them
• Educate our members about sustainability and help them make informed choices
• Be transparent about our own sustainability practices and strive to be a role model for other businesses
• Work with other organisations to create a more sustainable wedding industry

Specific examples of how we uphold these principles include providing resources such as templates, checklists and workbooks to help wedding businesses reduce their environmental impact; offering training and an accreditation programme for businesses that want to become more sustainable; hosting events and workshops to raise awareness; partnering with other organisations to promote sustainable wedding practices; and advocating for policies that support sustainable businesses.

Scope

Sustainability is at the heart of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance. The business is purpose-driven, and the aim is for the business and all its activities to contribute to keeping global warming well below 1.5°C, working towards Net Zero by 2030 across Scopes 1, 2 and 3.

In addition to our environmental commitments, we pay the living wage as a minimum, hold open discussions with our team about wellbeing, measure our carbon emissions annually, and contribute to carbon capture and nature-based projects so that we put more back into the environment than we take. We also give back by supporting local, national and global initiatives to rewild, increase biodiversity and protect the planet, including through partnerships with organisations such as Client Earth, Greenpeace and Get Nature Positive.

As well as managing our own footprint, we strive to influence and lobby for change across the UK, working with organisations such as Business Declares and the National Emergency Briefing to raise awareness and tackle climate change.

Sustainable Objectives

In line with our purpose and values, and to give ourselves the best possible chance of achieving our commitment to sustainable development across all aspects of the business, we will:

• Integrate sustainability considerations into all our business decisions
• Move towards working with businesses that have a sustainability policy in place
• Ensure that products and services are responsibly sourced
• Comply with, and exceed where practicable, all applicable legislation, regulations and codes of practice
• Encourage our contractors and collaborators to be advocates of sustainability

Our day-to-day actions sit under seven sustainable themes: Carbon, Energy, Supply Chain & Procurement, Team & Community, Transport, Waste and Water. These are set out in detail in our annual Impact Report and reviewed each year.

Climate Action Plan

This section sets out our climate action plan. It has been approved by me, Michelle Miles, Founder and CEO, and will be reviewed at least annually, with input from our Advisory Board (established July 2026).

Our commitment

We commit to supporting the global ambition to limit warming to 1.5°C, in line with the Paris Agreement. As a small organisation, our direct footprint is modest, but we take it seriously because we exist to lead by example and because the choices we make send a signal to the whole industry we serve. We measure our emissions annually, reduce what we can, and offset what we can’t yet avoid — while prioritising reduction over offsetting.

How we measure

We calculate our carbon footprint each year using the SME Climate Hub recommended calculator, which covers Scopes 1, 2 and 3. Using one consistent tool keeps our year-on-year figures comparable. We record our footprint in our annual Impact Report.

Our footprint grew as we scaled membership, training and events, then fell in 2025 despite continued growth — a result of the efficiency measures below. We expect the footprint to rise again as activity grows, and our focus is on decoupling growth from emissions.

Our main emission sources

Based on our Scope 3 breakdown, our largest sources are professional services and training (the biggest single category), followed by media/marketing, subscriptions and memberships, business travel, banking and financial services, and waste. Scope 1 is effectively zero (home office, no company-owned combustion fuel), and Scope 2 is very low because our electricity is 100% renewable via Octopus Energy.

Targets and actions

Targets are time-bound and SMART. Where we already have data, we use it; where we don’t, we track progress qualitatively and build up the baseline.

• Reduce business travel emissions

Action: Continue to favour video calls, phone and email over unnecessary travel; when travel is essential, choose rail over flying for longer distances and use electric vehicles for road journeys.

Target: Maintain or reduce the share of our total footprint attributable to land transport each year.

Responsible: Michelle, supported by the team.

• Keep purchased energy fully renewable

Action: Maintain 100% renewable electricity supply for the home office and any business premises, and switch any new services or suppliers to renewable-powered options where available.

Target: 100% renewable electricity maintained throughout the period.

Responsible: Michelle.

• Choose lower-carbon suppliers and services

Action: Factor carbon and environmental performance into procurement decisions, prioritise local suppliers, and prefer providers with credible sustainability credentials. This applies particularly to our largest cost categories — professional services, marketing and technology.

Target: Apply a documented sustainability question to all new supplier engagements from January 2027.

Responsible: Michelle, with Emily on marketing/creative suppliers.

• Manage digital and operational efficiency

Action: Keep our websites lightweight and low-carbon (the 2026 rebuild is being built as a low-carbon showpiece), avoid wasteful digital processes, and buy refurbished devices where sensible.

Target: Ongoing; reviewed annually.

Responsible: Michelle / Nick Lewis.

• Offset what we can’t yet avoid, and invest in nature

Action: Offset residual unavoidable emissions through verified carbon avoidance and removal projects via Ecologi, and plant one traceable native UK tree for every new member via Future Forest Company. Offsetting is a bridge, not a substitute for reduction.

Target: 100% of residual emissions offset each year; tree planting per new member continued.

Responsible: Michelle.

• Amplify impact beyond our own footprint

Action: Continue delivering Carbon Literacy Training for Wedding Professionals and Event Pros, which generates pledged reductions far exceeding our own footprint, and keep the training available to the wider industry, not just members.

Target: Grow the number of professionals trained and the estimated pledged reductions year on year.

Responsible: Michelle, with Alice on Ambassador programme delivery.

Resources and responsibility

As a small team, climate action is owned by me personally, with Emma, Alice and Emily contributing within their roles. Our Advisory Board provides strategic oversight and challenges our assumptions from its first meeting in October 2026. Costs associated with offsetting, tree planting and measurement are budgeted annually.

Working with stakeholders

We engage members, trainees, suppliers and partners on climate through our training, events, surveys and the resources we publish. We also participate in collective action — Business Declares, the Better Business Act, Client Earth, 1% for the Planet and the UK Wedding Association — to push for change beyond our own walls.

Tracking progress

We report our footprint, offsetting totals and progress against these targets in our annual Impact Report, which is published publicly. We revisit this plan each year, updating targets as our data improves and our capacity grows.

Being a sustainability advocate

Part of our mission is to raise awareness and tackle climate change and attitudes by proactively encouraging businesses to develop future-thinking strategies and make responsible decisions. To do this, we work with stakeholders who are advocates of sustainability and lead by example. Examples of our advocacy (past and present) include:

• Serving as a Board Advisor for the UK Wedding Association and the SME Climate Hub and engaging with the relevant All Party Parliamentary Group
• Speaking at industry events to raise awareness of sustainability
• Working with partners to showcase businesses working sustainably, and encouraging supplier directories to add filters so couples can find sustainable suppliers more easily
• Signing petitions on environmentally damaging policies, including the Global Ocean Treaty and opposition to new oil exploration
• Supporting Business Declares, the Better Business Act and Client Earth
• Donating monthly to Client Earth, which holds governments to account over climate inaction, takes big polluters to court and stands up for people affected by climate change

Advancing social and environmental performance

We love working with others to bring about change and believe collaboration is key to unlocking behaviour change. Recent examples include developing tools with partners to help wedding businesses reduce their carbon emissions and track progress; giving feedback on new carbon-footprinting software; publishing regular advice and guidance for couples and businesses, including our free Sustainable Policy workbook; maintaining a dedicated online membership platform full of tools, resources and training; and publishing our public survey results so other organisations researching the wedding industry can access them freely. We also take part in panels, podcasts and public forums on social and environmental topics, and provide commentary and quotes to national press.

Who does this policy apply to?

This policy applies to all staff, contractors and temporary staff.

Policy compliance

We expect the business to be able to fully comply with the policy within six months of the date of publishing, so that the actions required to enable compliance are completed.

Policy administration

The Director is responsible for maintaining and updating this policy. The policy is reviewed annually as part of the continuous improvement cycle, with input from the Advisory Board.