Carbon Reduction Plan

Company name: Good Access

Here is the updated plan, reflecting the strategic adjustments to prioritize the necessity of travel, streamline the vehicle logic, and place immediate focus on establishing your new operational baseline.

Carbon Reduction and Net Zero Plan

Company: Valentina Group Ltd, trading as Good Access

Published: July 2026

Review date: July 2027

Our Commitment

Good Access is committed to reducing its environmental impact and working towards Net Zero.

Our current ambition is to achieve Net Zero operational emissions by 2030 and to work towards Net Zero emissions across our wider value chain by 2035.

We recognise that these are ambitious targets, particularly as our organisation continues to grow. Good Access now works with approximately 185 employees, workers, trainers and co-trainers, delivering services across the United Kingdom and increasingly internationally.

Our work regularly requires travel to client sites, training venues, conferences and meetings. This includes travel by car, rail and air. We understand that our growth and increased travel are likely to increase our emissions in the short term.

Our commitment is therefore not based on claiming that all travel can be avoided. Instead, we will continually assess whether there is a practical, accessible and lower-carbon alternative before travel or purchasing decisions are made.

Our Approach

Good Access will seek to reduce avoidable emissions while maintaining the quality, accessibility and effectiveness of our services.

Before arranging travel, meetings, training delivery or major purchases, we will consider:

• whether the travel is necessary to achieve the intended outcome;
• whether the activity can be delivered effectively online;
• whether several meetings or services can be combined into one journey;
• whether rail or public transport is a practical alternative;
• whether car sharing is suitable;
• whether a lower-emission vehicle can be used;
• whether a local trainer, consultant or supplier can complete the work;
• whether the location is accessible by public transport; and
• whether the environmental impact of a supplier or venue can be reduced.

We will not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach. The most environmentally friendly option must also be safe, accessible, practical and appropriate for the people involved.

Accessibility and Reasonable Adjustments

As an organisation specialising in disability, neurodiversity and accessibility, we recognise that the lowest-carbon travel option may not always be accessible.

Some employees, workers, trainers and co-trainers may need to:

• travel by car rather than public transport;
• use taxis or accessible transport;
• travel with a support worker or personal assistant;
• avoid certain routes or modes of transport;
• stay overnight to manage fatigue or disability-related needs;
• use a particular vehicle as a reasonable adjustment; or
• attend in person where remote participation would not provide an equivalent experience.

Environmental measures will not be applied in a way that disadvantages disabled people or prevents reasonable adjustments.

Our focus will be on reducing avoidable emissions while protecting access, inclusion, safety and service quality.

Business Travel

Travel remains an important part of our work. We deliver training, consultancy, audits, assessments, coaching and other services across different regions.

We will manage business travel by:

• using online meetings where there is no clear benefit to meeting in person;
• encouraging rail travel where it is practical, accessible and cost-effective;
• reducing unnecessary domestic flights;
• combining meetings, site visits and training sessions geographically;
• using local delivery teams where suitable;
• encouraging car sharing where appropriate;
• monitoring business mileage and air travel;
• selecting hotels and venues with appropriate environmental practices where possible; and
• reviewing whether international travel can be combined with multiple meetings, events or commercial activities.

International travel will continue where it is necessary for conferences, partnerships, business development, advocacy, research or the delivery of services.

Where international travel is required, we will seek to maximise the value of each journey and avoid unnecessary repeat travel.

Company Vehicles

Where Good Access provides or leases company vehicles, electric or hybrid vehicles will be the standard choice wherever this is operationally practical.

Fully electric vehicles will be considered first. Hybrid vehicles may be used where:

• charging infrastructure is not sufficiently available;
• the required travel distances make a fully electric vehicle impractical;
• the vehicle is needed in areas with limited charging access;
• an accessible or adapted electric vehicle is not available; or
• the cost or availability of a suitable electric vehicle would create a disproportionate barrier.

We will regularly review developments in electric vehicle availability, range, charging infrastructure and accessible vehicle design.

Company vehicles will be selected based on:

• emissions;
• accessibility;
• whole-life cost;
• reliability;
• range and charging requirements; and
• the needs of the employee or service.

Personal Vehicles and Business Mileage

Many trainers, co-trainers, employees and contractors use their own vehicles to travel to venues and client locations.

We will encourage lower-emission travel without requiring individuals to purchase new vehicles or disclose unnecessary personal information.

Our approach will include:

• encouraging electric and hybrid vehicle use where realistic;
• supporting car sharing where safe and appropriate;
• improving geographical planning;
• reducing unnecessary journeys;
• using trainers who are closer to the delivery location;
• avoiding repeated journeys that could reasonably be combined; and
• monitoring total business mileage where reliable information is available.

No employee, worker or contractor will be expected to make a personal financial commitment to change their vehicle solely to meet the company’s environmental objectives.

Remote and Hybrid Working

Good Access operates flexibly and uses remote working to reduce unnecessary commuting and office-based emissions.

We will continue to:

• allow remote working where suitable for the role;
• hold internal meetings online where appropriate;
• use digital collaboration systems;
• reduce unnecessary office travel;
• support hybrid delivery models where they maintain quality;
• use remote participation as a reasonable adjustment where suitable; and
• avoid requiring people to travel solely for short administrative meetings.

Some services are more effective or are required to be delivered in person. These decisions will be based on the needs of the client, delegates, trainers and co-trainers, as well as relevant service standards.

Venues and Events

When selecting venues, we will consider:

• public transport access;
• accessible parking;
• electric vehicle charging;
• proximity to delegates and delivery teams;
• energy efficiency;
• waste and recycling arrangements;
• catering practices;
• accessibility;
• available technology for hybrid participation; and
• whether the venue allows several services to be delivered during one visit.

Accessibility will remain a core requirement. We will not select a lower-carbon venue that creates avoidable barriers for disabled delegates or team members.

Suppliers and Procurement

Where proportionate, we will consider environmental performance when selecting suppliers, venues, technology providers and contractors.

This may include considering:

• the supplier’s environmental policy;
• the location of the supplier;
• product life expectancy;
• packaging;
• delivery methods;
• energy efficiency;
• repairability;
• recycling arrangements;
• use of recycled materials; and
• whether a local alternative is available.

Environmental considerations will form part of our decision-making, alongside quality, accessibility, safeguarding, value for money and operational reliability.

Technology and Equipment

we will seek to reduce the environmental impact of technology and equipment by:

• keeping equipment in use for as long as it remains secure and effective;
• repairing equipment where practical;
• reusing suitable equipment;
• purchasing energy-efficient devices;
• avoiding unnecessary replacement cycles;
• securely recycling electronic equipment;
• reducing duplicate systems and devices;
• using cloud and digital systems appropriately; and
• selecting suppliers with responsible disposal or recycling arrangements.

Data security and accessibility will remain essential requirements when selecting technology.

Paper, Printing and Materials

Good Access uses digital documents as the default wherever practical.

We will continue to:

• provide digital certificates and training materials;
• use electronic registration systems;
• reduce unnecessary printing;
• print double-sided where suitable;
• use recycled or responsibly sourced paper;
• reuse event materials where possible;
• avoid unnecessary promotional products;
• review the environmental impact of branded merchandise; and
• provide printed materials where required as an accessibility adjustment.

We recognise that some people need printed, large-print, Easy Read or alternative-format materials. Environmental policies will not prevent people from receiving accessible information.

Waste and Recycling

We will reduce waste by:

• limiting single-use products;
• reusing materials and equipment;
• improving recycling arrangements;
• separating recyclable waste where facilities allow;
• using refillable products;
• reducing unnecessary packaging;
• avoiding excessive event materials;
• donating usable equipment where appropriate; and
• using responsible disposal providers for confidential or electronic waste.

Energy Use

Where Good Access controls or selects office premises, we will seek to:

• use energy-efficient lighting;
• switch off unused equipment;
• reduce unnecessary heating and cooling;
• use smart controls where practical;
• choose renewable energy tariffs where available and commercially suitable;
• monitor energy use;
• select appropriately sized premises; and
• consider the environmental performance of buildings when reviewing office locations.

Where premises are rented or shared, we will work with landlords and building managers to encourage improvements.

Carbon Emissions Baseline

Our original carbon emissions baseline was recorded as:

These figures reflect the organisation at the time of the original assessment. They do not represent the current scale of Good Access. Since that assessment, the organisation has grown significantly, expanded its UK-wide operations and increased business travel, including international air travel.

We therefore do not present the original baseline as our current emissions total.

Updated Emissions Assessment

Good Access will undertake an updated assessment to establish a new, representative baseline year that reflects our expanded footprint.

The assessment will seek to include reliable information relating to:

• energy used at premises under our control;
• purchased electricity;
• company vehicles;
• business mileage in personal or hire vehicles;
• rail travel;
• air travel;
• taxi travel;
• hotel stays;
• employee commuting;
• homeworking (utilising standard flat-rate proxy calculations);
• waste generated through operations;
• purchased goods and services; and
• relevant supplier and transportation activities.

We will seek specialist advice where necessary to ensure that our calculations are reasonable, transparent and proportionate. Until the updated baseline assessment is complete, we will not publish an unsupported estimated current total.

Carbon Reduction Priorities

Our initial priorities over the next 12 months are to:

• establish a representative baseline year to accurately model our 2030 and 2035 Net Zero pathways;
• improve the recording of business mileage, rail travel and air travel;
• assess the environmental impact of our current growth;
• make electric or hybrid vehicles the standard for company cars;
• reduce avoidable journeys through better geographical planning;
• use online meetings where they provide an effective alternative;
• increase the use of local trainers and suppliers;
• review venue accessibility and public transport connections;
• reduce paper, waste and unnecessary purchasing; and
• include environmental considerations in procurement decisions.

Measuring Progress

We will monitor progress using information such as:

• total business mileage;
• number and distance of flights;
• rail travel;
• use of electric and hybrid company vehicles;
• energy consumption;
• waste and recycling arrangements;
• remote versus in-person meetings;
• supplier and venue assessments;
• reductions in unnecessary printing; and
• completion of updated emissions reporting.

We recognise that total emissions may increase as the company grows, even where emissions per employee, delegate or service delivered decrease. For this reason, we will seek to measure both:

• our total organisational emissions; and
• emissions intensity, such as emissions per employee, training session, delegate or unit of revenue.

This will help us understand whether the organisation is becoming more efficient as it grows.

Responsibilities

The senior leadership team is responsible for overseeing this plan and ensuring that environmental considerations are included in operational and strategic decisions.

Managers and team members are expected to:

• consider lower-carbon alternatives;
• avoid unnecessary travel;
• record relevant business travel accurately;
• reduce waste;
• use resources responsibly; and
• raise practical ideas for environmental improvement.

Responsibility for maintaining the plan may be delegated, but overall accountability remains with the senior leadership team.

Annual Review

This plan will be reviewed at least annually.

The review will consider:

• changes in the size of the organisation;
• changes in travel patterns;
• progress against reduction measures;
• updated emissions information and baseline modelling;
• changes in technology;
• the availability of electric and accessible vehicles;
• changes in office locations;
• client and contractual requirements;
• accessibility implications; and
• whether our 2030 and 2035 ambitions remain credible and achievable.

Where targets or measures need to change, we will explain the reasons transparently rather than maintaining commitments that are no longer supported by evidence.

Our Principle

Our principle is simple: Before choosing how we travel, deliver, purchase or operate, we will consider whether there is a practical, accessible and more environmentally responsible alternative.

We will continue to grow our services while taking reasonable and measurable steps to reduce avoidable environmental harm.

Our environmental commitments will support, rather than undermine, our wider commitment to accessibility, disability inclusion and equality.