1. Statement of Policy

Dyfed-Powys Police is committed to becoming a sustainable police force – it aims to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits each of the Local Policing Areas (LPAs) through the provision of a safe place to live and work, that aligns with our Strategic Organisational Plan.

Dyfed-Powys Police commits to:

• Establishing a carbon footprint baseline
• Identifying mitigation potential
• Developing plans for decarbonisation
• Developing plans for sustainable goals
• Monitoring progress
• Quantifying benefits

Using the three pillars of sustainability (social, economic and environment), Dyfed-Powys Police aims to build a solid platform from which to deliver its objective outcomes.

Applies (but not limited) to: All categories of Dyfed-Powys Police employees, whether full-time, part-time, permanent, fixed term, temporary (including agency staff, associates, visitors, and contractors) or seconded staff. Any employee, visitor and contractor accessing and using Force assets and property must have due regard to the contents of this policy.

 

2. Policy Scope

This policy applies to all Dyfed-Powys Police and OPCC employees, which in this context includes police officers, members of all police staff (including staff who are temporary/working via an agency/associates/contractors/seconded), OPCC staff, special constables, volunteers, visitors, and all people who, for the time being, are placed with Dyfed-Powys Police and OPCC under the Force Work Experience, Modern Apprenticeship or Cadet schemes. The policy applies to all categories of Dyfed-Powys Police and OPCC employees, whether full-time, part-time, permanent, fixed term, temporary and to any employee accessing and using Force assets and property. It also applies to those working in shared premises, partnerships and seconded to other organisations. These situations will require co-operation between the parties involved to ensure that everyone is clear about the status of their respective policies, procedures, and arrangements.

This policy outlines Dyfed-Powys Police’s commitment towards delivering an efficient service in a consistent, sustainable manner. Dyfed-Powys Police pledges to adopt the principles of the National Emergency Services Environments and Sustainability Charter (ESESG) and the All-Wales Sustainability and Decarbonisation Strategy, which seeks to demonstrate a standardised and meaningful approach towards incorporating sustainability considerations into everyday decision-making processes and procedures.

3.  Powers and Policy/Legal Requirements

To provide sustainable benefits from our operations that positively impact our Force area communities and employees, Dyfed-Powys Police commits to the following:

• All-Wales Sustainability and Decarbonisation Strategy
• Emergency Services Environment and Sustainability Group (ESESG) Sustainability Charter
• Dyfed-Powys Police Sustainability Strategy Document
• Welsh Public Sector Net Zero Carbon Reporting Guide / Spreadsheet

 

Relevant legislation and strategies:

• Climate Change Act 2008
• Social Value Act (England) 2015
• Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
• Environment (Wales) Act 2016
• Government Clean Growth Strategy
• The Environment Act 2021
• Prosperity for All: Economic Action Plan (2015) (Welsh Government)
• Prosperity for All: A Low Carbon Wales (2019) (Welsh Government)
• Prosperity for All: A Climate Conscious Wales (2020) (Welsh Government)
• The Modern Slavery Act 2015
• United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals
• Government Procurement Policy Note (PPN 06/20)

 

4.  Options and Contingencies

Responsibilities within this policy area

Dyfed-Powys Police Sustainability Strategy Document will align with the All-Wales Sustainability Strategy document: -

• Be clear on the vision and commitment to climate change and a low carbon Wales.
• Lower carbon emissions to support the ambition of achieving net zero by 2050.
• Consistently report against the well-being indicators and framework
• Develop sustainable and efficient business practices.

Chief Constable: The Chief Constable is responsible for firmly committing to playing their part, and in developing this strategy, setting out our ambitions for decarbonisation and committing to a long term, future sustainable police service.

The Dyfed Powys Police Sustainability Group: The Sustainability Steering Group are responsible for implementing the commitments and targets stipulated in the All-Wales Sustainability Strategy. Decision making, monitoring, and reviewing targets and improvement progress.

All Employees and Volunteers: We should empower and encourage all staff — all ranks, in every location — to support Force sustainable goals, accelerate reduction efforts, and to suggest improvements. This may require a culture change that establishes sustainability priorities, including a headline mission of ‘policing net zero’ and encourages ongoing proactive suggestions for how to achieve it.

 

 

5.  Take action and review.

Governance

The Police Forces of Wales have a well-established governance structure ‘Pillars’ that will provide the governance and strategic oversight for the delivery of the Sustainability and Decarbonisation Strategy.

While the case for decarbonisation is clear, to achieve this it is essential to put in place governance, organisational structures, budgets, and targets that will ensure that carbon management is embedded across all Welsh polices forces. While certain departments of each force may be obviously involved in delivery, e.g., those who deliver corporate services such as buildings and fleet, it is essential that ownership of the sustainability and decarbonisation goal is spread across all parts of the forces.

We should empower and encourage all staff — all ranks, in every location — to support Force sustainable goals, accelerate reduction efforts and to suggest improvements. This may require a culture change that establishes sustainability priorities, including a headline mission of ‘policing net zero’ and encourages ongoing proactive suggestions for how to achieve it.

We will deliver social value through commissioning and procurement activities and to set out our priorities in relation to social value. We require the Force and our suppliers to take responsibility for what is commissioned and procured and to ethically and legally support us in delivering our Sustainability priorities.

This policy is owned by the Legal Services Department. The review process will be conducted by the Health, Safety and Sustainability Senior Manger on an annual basis to ensure the continued effectiveness of the policy, and considering any changes to strategy, legislation, and national guidance.

The effectiveness of the policy will be monitored on a regular basis over and above the one-year review period and any major concerns will be escalated as appropriate.

Effectiveness of the policy will be measured through the Dyfed Powys Police Sustainability Group

Tracking and Reporting Progress

The police forces of Wales are required to provide reports and data to several key stakeholders.

The Wales Decarbonisation & Sustainability Group will drive and deliver all legislative and local tracking and reporting, incorporating into force performance reporting frameworks.

Regular and comparable reporting is critical and will inform annual improvement plans to show where forces are on track, where any adjustments need to be made and highlighting priority areas for the year ahead.

Each year the UK Government updates its guidance for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including methodologies and conversion factors. The forces in Wales use the latest methods to keep up with best practice and when methodologies change significantly recalculate previously published figures so that all years are comparable. To report greenhouse gas emissions associated with policing activities, forces convert activity data such as distance travelled, litres of fuel used, or tonnes of waste disposed of into carbon emissions.

Methodologies align with the Welsh Public Sector Net Zero Carbon Reporting Guide published by the Welsh Government in May 2021. This approach utilises comparable and consistent methodology to estimate baseline emissions, identify priority sources and to monitor progress towards meeting targets.

Procurement requirements must include sustainable priorities and outcomes that includes Social Value requirements and Modern Slavery in line with the requirements of the Social Value Act and PPN 06/20, accounting for social value.

A Modern Slavery Statement is required to be approved and published annually along with an action plan for continuous improvement.

CODE OF ETHICS CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

This policy has been drafted in accordance with the Code of Ethics and has been reviewed on the basis of its content and the supporting evidence and it is deemed compliant with that Code and the principles underpinning it.

HUMAN RIGHTS ACT CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

This policy has been drafted in accordance with the Human Rights Act and has been reviewed on the basis of its content and the supporting evidence and it is deemed compliant with that Act and the principles underpinning it.

EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Section 4 of the Equality Act 2010 sets out the protected characteristics that qualify for protection under the Act as follows: Age; Disability; Gender Reassignment; Marriage and Civil Partnership; Pregnancy and Maternity; Race; Religion or Belief; Sex; Sexual Orientation.

The public sector equality duty places a proactive legal requirement on public bodies to have regard, in the exercise of their functions, to the need to:

• eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and any other conduct that is unlawful under the Act;
• advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;
• foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

The equality duty applies to all protected characteristics with the exception of Marriage and Civil Partnership, to which only the duty to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination applies.

Carrying out an equality impact assessment involves systematically assessing the likely or actual effects of policies on people in respect of all the protected characteristics set out above. An equality impact assessment should be carried out on any policy that is relevant to the public sector equality duty. 

EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT COMPLETED: October 2023