Sustainability at The Forum

Image of The Forum, with pink tulips in the foreground

We’re making the environment a priority in all the work we do.

Working Towards Net Zero is one of The Forum’s four strategic pillars – ensuring that it is at the centre of our mission.

We’re committed to minimising the carbon footprint of our building, events, and operations. At The Forum Trust we are working with our tenants, visitors, and other stakeholders to reduce the overall impact of running a landmark building built at the turn of the Millennium.

We’re a not-for-profit organisation, which means that we use any additional income to put on free events and invest in our building: whether that’s installing a low energy lighting scheme, refurbishing the toilets to use less water, or prioritising sustainable materials (even when that comes with an extra cost).

We’re committed to reaching Net Zero and developing an effective response to climate change. We know that it won’t be easy, and that there are more opportunities to do better – but we are continuing our journey with dedication and determination and will share this with the community.

What we’ve done so far:


Energy

  • Since 2005, we have reduced our electricity consumption by almost 45%

  • 95% of our lighting has now been upgraded to LED with the Atrium lighting being daylight reactive

  • We have reduced energy consumption in our car park by 80% by installing a smart LED lighting system

  • We use automatic lights throughout the building so they are only on when they need to be

  • We provide electric car charging points

 

Waste

  • We have recycling points available throughout the building, and also compost our office food waste

  • We use environmentally friendly cleaning products

  • Our washrooms use FSC certified paper products and our new toilet facilities help to reduce waste water

  • We work with local companies wherever possible, reducing shipping and storage and supporting our local economy

  • Wherever possible, we print our marketing materials on recycled paper, and have reduced our print runs to reduce waste

  • We print our signage on environmentally friendly and recyclable materials

  • We have built in environmental criteria in our procurement procedure

  • We’re trialling green reusable materials within our Venue Hire activity to reduce waste

  • We monitor our waste generation and recycling

  • We monitor our mains water usage, to detect leaks and help identify more efficient use of this resource

Staff

  • The Forum team works with our tenants and a sustainability advisor to champion and implement green practices, working together to make The Forum more sustainable

  • We promote sustainable travel for employees, including a Cycle to Work scheme

  • We are working with a sustainability advisor to look at further improvements to the way we run our organisation

  • We continue to encourage our staff to become more environmentally conscious by funding environmentally-focussed training and courses

  • Our Head of Finance has recently qualified in Environmental Management  

  • We give staff the option of investing their pensions in ethical funds

The Forum & Our Activity

  • On The Forum grounds there are 107 trees (mainly Himalayan Birch and a few London Plane), which we maintain and care for. This acts as a small green lung in the city centre.

  • We work with local caterers who source their food locally wherever possible. One of our key caterers is The Feed, a social enterprise business who use their profits to help people in Norwich who are facing issues like poverty, hunger, and homelessness.

  • We promote climate friendly behaviour through our own events, like Norwich Science Festival

  • We have installed bird boxes around The Forum's land

  • Our public water refilling station has saved over 122,000 plastic bottles so far

  • Any partners or hirers who use the building are expected to follow our environmental policies, including not offering single use plastics or decorating their stands with balloons

  • We communicate with our tenants to ensure they are invested in and part of our environmental journey

 

What we will do:

  • Install more electric charging points for cars

  • Encourage biodiversity throughout our site, with bird boxes, bug hotels and other initiatives

  • Ensure any equipment, machinery, and facilities upgrades are sustainable and that their environmental impact is as low as possible

  • Encourage, facilitate and participate in public discussions around environmental issues

  • Work with contractors to ensure they follow our environmental policies

 

What we hope to do: 

  • We are currently scoping solar panel installation – unfortunately our iconic glass roof is not suitable for solar panels so we will look at alternative solutions

  • Work with partner organisations to present an event which is focussed around sustainable and environmentally friendly practices

  • Investigate the possibilities of retrofitting green environments, such as a living wall or roof

  • Encourage biodiversity on our premises, whether through planting, beehives or bird-friendly adaptations such as swift boxes

 Page updated 16 January 2025