Ambius: a sustainable journey

• Ambius' Carbon Footprint
• Ambius' Carbon Action Plan
• Regular Sustainably Green updates
• What Ambius has done to move forward

During 2009, Ambius started on a journey to a more sustainable future. We have long recognized and promoted the environmental benefits of the services we offer, especially interior plants, and we are confident that they will feature in many more green building management programs in the near future.

This is all well and good, but if Ambius doesn’t manage itself in a sustainable fashion, then the benefits of our services are compromised or negated by our own practices. That is why Ambius has measured its carbon footprint in North America, the British Isles and our Pacific region (we’ll be measuring our continental European and South African carbon footprints in 2010) and will be implementing a comprehensive carbon action plan.

Ambius' Carbon Footprint

The total carbon footprint of Ambius in the six countries we measured during 2009 was a little under 22,000 tonnes CO2e. This figure was calculated using international standards by our London-based carbon management partners, dcarbon8. As expected, the bulk of our greenhouse gas emissions came from our vehicle fleet and the energy used to heat, illuminate and cool our buildings. Waste, paper and corporate travel were also important contributors to our carbon footprint, but reducing these will have a relatively small impact on our overall carbon reduction plan.

Ambius' Carbon Action Plan

Working with dcarbon8, Ambius is drafting a long-term plan to reduce our carbon footprint. During 2010, we will set in motion a number of strategies to reduce our vehicle fleet fuel consumption by 10 – 15% and our building energy consumption by a broadly similar amount. We will achieve this by a combination operational changes, corporate policies, training and the employment of appropriate technology. By reinvesting savings we make from reduced fuel and energy usage into our environmental programs, we are confident that we will be able to make Ambius a sustainably green company.

Another important aspect to Sustainably Green is the development of a range of products, services and techniques that we will offer our customers that will be the ‘greenest of the green’. We will be inviting our suppliers to join us on our journey and ask them to identify their most sustainable products and to make their own companies as environmentally-responsible as possible. Our customers will have the assurance that Ambius will offer the greenest interior landscaping services available and that our supply chain is as sustainable as we can make it.

Download the Ambius Carbon Action Plan Executive Summary pdf (143kb)

Regular Sustainably Green Updates

As we progress with the Sustainably Green Program we will provide regular updates, so check back here to see how far we've got in reducing our environmental impact, which in turn will help our clients reduce their impact. There's still a fair way to go, but we've taken the first steps without compromising our range of products or high level of service.

So, what has Ambius done to move forward?

• Digital technology
• Plants, water and soil
• Containers
• Ambius Microfresh
• Replica plants & Christmas decorations
• The benefits for you

Digital technology

We have signficantly reduced the amount of paper and fuel we use in the company from the use of digital technology by introducing:

• SalesForce.com
• Digital marketing materials and an award winning website.
• Regular teleconference calls reduce the need to travel.

Plants, water and soil

• We reuse plants where possible. If we're not able to reuse them then we often donate them to schools, or they are shredded and composted.
• We use peat-free compost if requested, as peat extraction can be destructive to fragile habitats. The peat we do use is from sustainably managed sources.
• The use of irrigation systems in our containers reduces the overall amount of water needed to keep the plants healthy.
• Our nurseries use sophisticated technology to measure precisely the amount of fertilizer required by plants, reducing the overspill into rivers and streams.

Containers

• Our containers may be re-sprayed so they look like new and can be used again.
• The use of lightweight materials such as aluminium and fibre-glass can help reduce emissions during transportation.

Ambius Microfresh

• Ambius's new scenting system does not use VOCs as propellants like conventional air fresheners.
• The system uses very little energy as it can be distributed through the ventilation system.
• We have a hypo-allergenic range of fragrances.

Replica plants & Christmas decorations

• Our replica plant supplier reuses and recycles all materials during the production process, right down to the tiniest piece of plastic trimmed from a Christmas tree or plant. Nothing is wasted.
• We use low voltage and LED lighting on our Christmas trees reducing the amount of energy used.

The benefits for you

Ambius's products, services and green initiatives will help:

• Reduce your energy costs
• Improve efficiency due to increased productivity and less-stressed people
• A healthier indoor environment as plants absorb CO2 and produce oxygen
• Plants improve air quality, reducing airbourne dust.
• They can also control the internal climate through shading and evaporative cooling, as well as absorbing sound.

For more information call us at 800-581-9946, or contact us online.